reastfeeding enhances natural bonding between mother and baby. A major factor in that is the release of the "love hormone" oxytocin each time the baby comes to the breast: this hormone is responsible for the milk ejection or let-down reflex, which releases the milk.

However, females don't have exclusive access to oxytocin and research has shown that fathers levels of oxytocin also increase in the newborn period! Touch and connection are the ideal conditions for stimulating this and babywearing is perfect for this.

Skin-to-skin contact is a wonderful way for fathers and other non-breastfeeding caregivers to maximise this. A baby carrier snuggling baby against a bare or partially exposed chest is great for bonding.

Even those children who begged for a baby brother or sister can feel short-changed once the novelty wears off.

We don't relinquish our place as the baby of the family: we are rather abruptly moved along a conveyor belt of birth place. And it is very normal for older children to crave the connection they see between their mother and the new baby.

Babywearing is more than just using a baby carrier.

Although humans have constructed tools to transport and protect their infants for millennia, #babywearing is a term coined by Dr William Sears in the 1980s to reference using these carriers as part of an intentional parenting philosophy he called Attachment Parenting.

Attachment Parenting is not defined by the practices which support it. That is not the case.

Growing up in a #babywearing family, children see it is natural to support babies needs for connection and touch. What they see in their community, they replicate in play. And what they normalise through play, they take into adult life.

Twice a month - weather permitting - @southeasternbabywearinggroup comes together with @sthnnaturalparentingnetwork in a playground for our Fresh Air And Friendship meets.

Skin-to-Skin contact has been recognised for its significant contribution to the growth and well-being of premature and full-term babies in the immediate postnatal period. Mothers are encouraged to place their babies against their body before the umbilical cord is cut and be left uninterrupted for at the least the first hour of life outside the womb.

When baby number two joins the family, #babywearing really comes into its own!

So many expectant parents reach out to us for advice as they prepare for a different postnatal period. Less sitting on the couch holding a sleeping baby, more preparing snacks, getting drinks and "Mummy play with me!" requests.

The baby carrier is a tool to allow the carer to comfortably use movements to calm and settle an infant. Watch an experienced mother as she places a tired or cranky baby into a baby carrier and see that she begins immediately to move.

Our news feeds increased in requests for fit-checks and trouble shooting. Posts apologising for the mess in the background, the clothes people wore, how tired they looked. But what experienced babywearers and educators wanted to see was often obscured by inadvertent hand placement, camera angles or just not photographed at all!

Many people worry about supporting a young baby's head when using a baby carrier. They are usually surprised to hear that their chest is the support their baby needs and its much more important not to restrict the ability of the head to tilt and protect the infant's airway.

Tandem carrying is definitely on our list of advanced #babywearing techniques! But if you have multiples, or siblings close in age, learning how to balance both their needs with double carriers can be a saviour.

Some people react strongly to seeing a child in a baby carrier:

"Ooh, you don't want to get them used to that, they'll expect to be carried everywhere ".

It's funny that carrying in arms doesn't get the same reaction. There is an acceptance of having a child on your hip or cradled in your arms which can go out the window when you introduce a tool to make it easier and more comfortable for both adult and child.

Anxiety about hips and #babywearing is something we see, as parents are worried about getting the "M" position "wrong".

It's really important to remember the guidelines about positioning in the carrier are general and the M reference is simply an easy way to illustrate what we mean.

It's about supporting the baby in a comfortable, wide-based, seated position. What we are looking for is the knees are higher than the base of their bum.

Tummy time! How do you and your baby feel about it?

I recently discovered this treasure in amongst old family photos. Christmas 1987, my daughter Kaitlyn in my trusty Nursing Mothers' Meh Tai. One of just a couple of photos of me wearing my own babies.

My second thought on seeing it was "Oh dear!"

Have you ever seen a young mum with her baby seemingly strapped against her body with what looks like a tablecloth?

Welcome to the modern take of the ancient art of babywearing!

Babywearing – carrying your baby or toddler hands-free in everything from a simple piece of fabric to a purpose-designed product – is popular.

Not only do busy parents need do a million things at once (or so it seems!) but they recognise the need for close connections to bond with and soothe their child.