Miscellaneous
Fact-checked

At WiseGEEK, we're committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy information. Our expert-authored content is rigorously fact-checked and sourced from credible authorities. Discover how we uphold the highest standards in providing you with reliable knowledge.

Learn more...

What is a Baby Carrier?

A Kaminsky
A Kaminsky

The baby has arrived and mom and dad are looking for the perfect baby carrier. A baby carrier can be many things. It can be the “punkin seat” or cradle-like seat with a handle, often used as a first car seat, and as a portable crib. A baby carrier may also be a sling-like device that helps keep the baby close to the parent’s chest, while leaving the hands free.

Most hospitals in the United States will not allow parents to take a baby home without an approved car seat already in the car. This seat may be a grow-with-the child type of seat that has extra padding for the baby’s head, or it may be a baby carrier/punkin seat style.

A sling baby carrier allows both parents to bond with and care for their baby.
A sling baby carrier allows both parents to bond with and care for their baby.

Many parenting books and parenting experts recommend new parents buy a sling type baby carrier. They feel a newborn is most relaxed and happiest when snuggled up to mom and able to hear her heartbeat. These fabric baby carriers support the baby’s head and allow mom to snuggle her newborn and still attend to many daily activities.

The “attachment parenting” school of thought, in fact, recommends the parents keep the baby in the baby carrier, next to the body, for a good portion of the day. This philosophy says the baby will be happier, more secure, and less prone to stress and anxiety disorders late in life by being “worn” most of the time, as children in many Asian and Eastern cultures are.

Carrying the baby in a carrier or sling often allows the mother to breastfeed easily.
Carrying the baby in a carrier or sling often allows the mother to breastfeed easily.

The baby carrier may be made to be worn with the baby facing the mother, facing outward — popular with very active babies — or worn on the mother’s back, like a papoose. Older children are most often put in the back baby carrier, while the sling facing the mom or dad is the most popular for infants.

Many different kinds of baby carriers are available in stores and online. They range in price from $50 to $150 U.S. Dollars (USD), and may be even more expensive, depending on brand and features. A sling type baby carrier allows both parents to bond with and care for their baby effectively and safely.

Discuss this Article

Post your comments
Login:
Forgot password?
Register:
    • A sling baby carrier allows both parents to bond with and care for their baby.
      By: dgrilla
      A sling baby carrier allows both parents to bond with and care for their baby.
    • Carrying the baby in a carrier or sling often allows the mother to breastfeed easily.
      By: Shchipkova Elena
      Carrying the baby in a carrier or sling often allows the mother to breastfeed easily.
    • A portable car seat can be removed from the vehicle and used as a baby carrier.
      By: ramzi hachicho
      A portable car seat can be removed from the vehicle and used as a baby carrier.