I didn't mean to offend anyone or imply that baby wearing would somehow create children that were not independent later in life. In my experience working in a church nursery the babies who are worn all the time cry for mom a lot more. They want to be held all the time, mostly by mom. I was just pointing out to the OP that by using a carrier just to free up her hands at Disney she may inadvertently cause her baby to be clingy after the trip. It sounds like she has never done this with her previous children and there was no mention of colic or reason to babywear except to have more freedom on the trip.
I usually hate to sound argumentative on these boards, but this information is so off-base that I can't in good conscience leave it alone. There is absolutely no research to support this claim (none that I have ever seen, at least), and I completely encourage the OP to ignore anecdotal evidence based on a few isolated cases.
There ARE studies that prove that babies who are acknowledged and cared for when they cry turn our to be more independent as adults. There ARE studies that support baby-wearing as a means of comforting children who need to be held a lot. There are also studies that suggest that babies who are more vocal about their need to be held and who receive fulfillment of that need develop into more independent children and adults.
Of course babies cry to be held, especially by the mom! Babies, by their very nature, attach to a human caregiver, usually the mother. Completely, totally 100% natural and healthy.
Check out
this site for just some information on the benefits of using babywearing to raise attached children.
Babies have a physical and very real need for contact. It's a simple fact based on deep biological programming. Nowdays, human beings have bizarre notions that babies somehow need to become independent, and that mothers and fathers who do not force independence upon their babies and young children are somehow crippling them. Research does not support this idea at all, and actually disproves it. Humans are dependent upon adults for care for around the first 10 years of life. Independence is a very slowly developed feature in humans, biologically speaking.
As for anecdotal evidence, my DD wouldn't let me put her down to sleep, even, for her first year. I babywore her like crazy, and I almost wore out our Ergo. She's two now, and completely independent in terms of being carried. She walks more than most adults can handle. I would be more than happy to still use the Ergo with her, but she doesn't want either it or a stroller- she much prefers to walk and will hold hands when necessary to keep that walking independence rather than be held. I highly encourage moms to use carries to soothe their babies, hold them close, and also have their hands free.
