Using something extra to carry a baby close is not new parents the world over have used material, slings, wraps, carriers and contraptions since parenting began. Walking out of Africa would have been a lot easier with a baby on your back and two hands free, and the same applies for the school run, parenting more than one child, navigating the shops, the show or a birthday party, and travelling.

In our modern society, baby wearing continues to have so many benefits for the whole family and especially for the mother-baby pair (also known as a “dyad” which is such an elegant word that should get more use!). But what happens when your baby has a body that does not fit into conventional baby carriers?

Maybe your gorgeous baby has talipes (“club foot”), hip dysplasia, cerebral palsy or another condition that means they might be in a cast, need regular parent-led therapy, physiotherapy, operations, management of oxygen therapy or have low muscle tone. Is baby wearing still an option around these added challenges? The baby wearing community would say YES!! and in fact that these babies need to be held extra close and that parents can benefit from it as well.

Didn’t know there was a baby wearing community? It is another aspect of parenting that draws people together, and for those parents of babies with special needs, it can be a part of their parenting persona that is especially valuable as it isn’t based around their child’s condition but rather a love of holding offspring close. With thousands of involved parents, you are also likely to find someone in there who is at the same stage as you, or has walked the same path and can give you a virtual hug and some advice. Support from other parents is crucial to being a successful parent!

A good place to start is to find your local baby wearers group on Facebook. There are state-based ones full of helpful and experienced people, where local meets are organised to learn new carries, catch up with friends and flaunt the newest “fluffy mail” addition to the stash. There are also national and international groups more focused on trading if the baby wearing bug really bites! There are also national and international babywearing forums that are bursting with thousands of members with information to share.

Just like different shoes for different occasions, which carrier suits your situation will vary perhaps a woven wrap would work best for the boots and braces phase of correcting talipes, or a soft structured carrier would work best for a baby with the low muscle tone of Downs Syndrome. Perhaps you’re slight and your baby is petite and you need some help with a shorter wrap, or you’re tall and your bub is solid and you need some advice on which carrier to choose. You may prefer a ring sling for the hospital trips, a mei tai for feeds or a special wrap that you can also use as a play mat, extra blanket for naps or a comforter when things are tough.

For the mother-baby dyad, baby wearing can bring babies closer and shares the love without words. For parents, it can be an important part of the parenting toolkit that has to be expanded when there is a special child in the family. The networking and friend-making opportunities are good for your mental health, might connect you with the best friends of your future and is a great way to get in touch with local parents with whom you have at least one thing in common even if it’s not the best for your bank balance as it can get a bit addictive!