German babywearing consultant René Rodig recently paid a visit to Sweden and we chatted with him on a long walk along forest trails and past the allotments in Ulriksdal, just outside Stockholm. Little Malte snoozing in his baby carrier aptly illustrated the most compelling reason to carry your baby – closeness. Read about all the other fantastic benefits!
“My mission as a babywearing consultant is to teach parents all about natural and stress-free babywearing. How you carry your child – in a baby carrier, a sling, on your front or back, and all the other choices available – are secondary considerations for me. The most important aspect is making sure it’s an enjoyable experience for both child and babywearer.
Read more! Inspiration from 4 well-known women in babywearing
The mums and dads I help are very different, but they all share the same desire to carry their child. They come to me more out of interest than despair. They’re a mix of experienced and inexperienced babywearers; some have been referred to me, while others find me of their own accord. Sometimes their child may have a hip problem, but this isn’t necessarily the case. It’s a very diverse target group.”
More about babywearing: 7 tips for ergonomic babywearing
“It’s obviously important to try to get to know the parents. All parents need individual counselling based on their particular history. You need to be mindful of the fact that you’re working with what they treasure the most – their child!
I want to dispel parents’ anxiety and uncertainty. And make them understand that babywearing is the most natural thing in the world. Being a babywearing consultant is no ordinary job – it’s a calling.”
A baby has a natural need to be carried.
“A baby has a natural need to be carried. The baby enjoys the closeness and warmth, the familiar sounds and movements. It also promotes the parent-child bond. In addition to these better-known facts, it also helps the baby to develop their muscles, balance and physical awareness.”
Also read: Babywearing + singing = bliss!
“Babywearing also has benefits for the parents, who regain a lot of their freedom and flexibility. I really only have one tip for parents who have never used a baby carrier: Carry your baby! Babywearing is a wonderful feeling, and it’s also beneficial and the best thing for your baby.
“The frog position is the position your baby naturally assumes when you lift them up. It’s the perfect position for carrying your baby on your hip and it encourages the optimal development of your baby’s hips. The significance of the frog position and the C curve, the slightly curved spine that you also hear a lot about, lessens as the child grows and matures. Very young children tend to automatically adopt an ergonomic position.”
Our first child had colic so we carried him a lot.
“I don’t believe the babywearing trend has peaked yet in Germany. But there are already so many different ways to carry your baby that parents are understandably confused about the best way for both babywearer and baby. They just give up and use their pram instead.”
“Our first child had colic so we carried him a lot. One thing led to another and I eventually trained as a babywearing consultant at Trageschule Dresden. I learned a tremendous amount on the course, which was led by babywearing expert Ulrike Höwer.”
Interested in mum fitness? Test René’s easy fitness programme
Family: married to Doreen and has two children
Lives: Zeulenroda-Triebes, Germany
Occupation: certified babywearing consultant from Trageschule Dresden in Germany. He is also a specialist in fitness for soon-to-be and new mums. He and his wife run the mamifitness® company.
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