Baby Carrier Users More Likely To Breastfeed

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Baby Carrier Users More Likely To Breastfeed
Is your baby carrier a sure sign of your decision to breastfeed?

Research shows people who choose baby carriers are more likely to breastfeed! Babies love to be cuddled and we love doing it! Recent research by Wilkinet shows almost half of new mums are taking the opportunity to maximize cuddles by using a baby sling or carrier.

The survey also shows that 81 per cent of mums who use a baby carrier choose to breastfeed their baby, compared to 51 percent who don't use this method of transporting their baby. Wilkinet, discovered that since 2003 when 34% of mums were using a sling, baby carrying has increased - today 45% of new mums are enjoying that special closeness with another 14% actively considering buying a sling. Celebrity endorsement by stars like Angelina Jolie is also encouraging mums who would not normally buy a baby carrier to

The figures also reveal that baby slings are most popular with more affluent parents, with 68% of mums in the highest income bracket using, or planning to use, a sling.

Sally Wilkins, who invented the Wilkinet 25 years ago, says: "When I had my first child in the early 1970s I was one of only two mothers on a ward of 16 who breastfed. Every few hours the nurses would come round and ask me if I wanted a bottle of formula milk to supplement my feeding. I knew instinctively that breastfeeding was part of the caring, nurturing and cuddling that I wanted to do as a mother. Attitudes to breastfeeding have thankfully changed and it's much more popular, and encouraged.

'There are still many reasons why using a baby carrier makes a mother more likely to succeed from breastfeeding. On a practical level, after feeding a baby if you lie them down straight away they may still have wind, trapped during the feed. Holding them in an upright carrier allows them to bring up the burps easily and when their ready, making it less likely that the discomfort will disturb their sleep.

When you carry your baby in a sling the physical closeness enhances your ability to instinctively understand what they need when they start fussing or crying. The more time you spend with someone - whether a baby or adult - the more you understand their non-verbal communication. This means you are able to pick up on your baby's non-spoken cues that they are hungry. This allows you to feed them when they need it - not when the clock tells you'.

May 2007

For more information take a look at our Breast Feeding Section

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