When your baby is a newborn, they can cocoon themselves in a stretchy wrap like this @boba_nz_and_australia and it can be harder to keep their face in full sight. A simple fix is to flip the shoulder passes so they are reversed. That prevents baby's face being covered and they remain visible and kissable. You can flip one or both sides, depending on their head position.

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.

Social media has changed the simple stretchy wrap carrier from baby accessory to fashion accessory!

While the ability to style your outfit with a coordinating piece of kit for your baby is appealing, function is definitely more important than form when it comes to caring for your young baby.

With maximum recommended weights as high as 10-15kg, we wanted to put them to the test to see just how they compare in real life.

Have you ever wondered what these little whatsits on a #softstructuredcarrier are for?

Many people who come to our meets and markets are amazed when we adjust these on their carrier and suddenly #babywearing feels completely different!

Woven wraps. They look amazing but too many people believe they take too long to put on and involve complex techniques. And they doubt their ability to learn how.

Here's the thing: Yes, learning a new skill takes time. But everytime you practice , you get that bit better.

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.

They are popular, comfortable, simple and beautiful - but are they equal?

The range of Stretchy wraps has blossomed in recent years. Ten years ago, @hugabub.carriers was the popular choice in Australia while brands like @Moby were on-trend overseas. But these originals have been joined by other big brands in babywearing and lots of new, smaller players.

With the ability to introduce new colourways regularly and follow clothing trends in colour and pattern, stretchy wraps are a palette of prettiness especially appealing to fashion conscious parents. But how do they differ in function?

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

Breaking-in a woven wrap sounds like secret #babywearing magic but its not. We all break-in fabric every day: clothing, soft furnishings ... even humble tea towels!

Breaking-in is the gradual process of fabric losing the natural stiffness resulting from manufacturing processes and becoming softer and more flexible. You know, like your favourite pair of jeans or soft, worn sheets.