Baby Wearing: How to Wear your Baby Safely and Comfortably
Baby wearing is something that I honestly did not expect to enjoy as much as I did once I had my little one. When I began the search for wraps and carriers for baby wearing, I was very cautious about finding the right ones that would suit both my needs as well as my munchkin’s. Recently, I have received a lot of questions about baby wearing so I decided to write a post on the topic. From a pediatric physical therapist’s perspective, there are 3 major things to consider when baby wearing.
1. When to turn your munchkin forward facing: It is safe to wear your newborn in a wrap or carrier as long as he is facing toward the parent. Facing inward is a wonderful position for your munchkin because he can snuggle into you and his head is supported both by your chest and the carrier or wrap. The golden question is: when is it safe to turn your baby around and have him face outward? Facing outward has its perks...it’s so fun to watch your baby discover the world! However, it is a difficult position for your munchkin to maintain since there is no place for him to rest his head when his neck muscles get tired! There is no magic age at which facing outward is most appropriate because it depends on the individual baby’s head control. If your munchkin has adequate head control, then facing outward is perfectly safe. To see if your munchkin is ready to face outward, assess to see if he can hold his head up despite the position of his body. If he can hold his head up when you tilt him side-to-side and backward-and-forward (at least 30 degrees each way), then he is likely strong enough to wear facing outward.
2. Positioning of your munchkin’s hips: This point is crucial for the health of your baby’s hips! Prolonged baby wearing in a poor position can exacerbate and, in some cases, cause hip dysplasia. Hip dysplasia is when the hip joint is not formed well enough to cover the head of the femur (thigh bone). It can lead to dislocations of the hip and painful issues later on like osteoarthritis or a torn hip labrum. Hip dysplasia is the most common abnormality in infants. To prevent any harm to your munchkin’s hips, make sure your munchkin’s hips are appropriately positioned. See photos below:
Photo credit: International Hip Dysplasia Institute
Avoid this position when wearing your baby. See how the legs are dangling with the thigh pointing towards the floor? Over time, gravity will pull on the ligaments and muscles and stretch out the hips This can cause the bones to grow with a shallow hip socket, therefore leading to dislocations.
Photo credit: International Hip Dysplasia Institute
This is the correct position for your baby. The thighs are spread apart and pointing outward to allow for the thigh bone to have optimal bone contact with the hip socket to deepen the socket. The carrier should support the entire thigh, ending at the back of the knee (red arrow in image).
Photo credit: International Hip Dysplasia Institute
The best way to check is to look in the mirror and see if your baby’s hips make the M-position.
Most baby carriers and wraps have been made with these positioning considerations in mind. To be safe, you can check to see if your preferred carrier is approved by the International Hip Dysplasia Institute. This non-profit reviews baby carriers and wraps to ensure parents that their baby can be safely positioned to avoid hip dysplasia.
3. Your comfort: While baby wearing, it is important to respect your body to make sure there are no negative consequences of wearing your munchkin all day - at the zoo, for example. Some carriers are better at distributing the baby’s weight compared to others. From what I have found, nothing beats Ergobaby in its ability to distribute the baby’s weight and give the parent symmetrical weight through both shoulders. I chose to use the Ergobaby when baby wearing for an extended period of time. Another carrier/wrap that is great for symmetry of weight distribution is the Moby Classic Wrap. I also used the Wild Bird ring sling when I was in a hurry and I was going to be wearing my munchkin for a short period of time.
Enjoy the time you spend wearing your munchkin. It goes by fast!
-Keep your munchkin moving!
