The popularity of baby carriers is on the
rise. Over the recent years, many moms have realized the need for babywearing
and the numerous benefits it comes with:
The fact that infants love to be carried on your chest and
toddlers love to be carried on the back says it all. Babywearing is known to
create a stronger bond between you and your baby, make your baby feel happy,
and even free your hands to perform other meaningful tasks.
All this can be boiled down to one single statement- baby carriers make life easier for the baby, mom, and even daddy!
In this post, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know
about baby carriers- from their unlimited
benefits, types, and safety.
As a bonus, we’ve also selected for you the THREE BEST baby
carries on the market right now- smile!
As we’ve just stated above, the benefits to baby wearing are
unlimited. Below here, we’ll share with you just a few reasons why baby wearing
is a pretty fabulous practice for you…
-Newborns really love to be held. Believe it or not, the physical
contact between you and your baby has both physical and physiological benefits
to your child. A great carrier is, thus, a great way to provide the baby with
the physical comfort they yearn for, and make them feel happy.
-The tale of women’s ability to multitask has been there for long.
Unfortunately, when you’ve your baby in your arms, it’s almost impossible to
concentrate on other things. This is where baby wearing comes handy. It helps
you keep your child close, comfortable and monitored while freeing your hands
to do other tasks- e.g. running errands around your house.
-As your health care provider might have advised you, an upright
posture is always good for babies with reflux issues. This is well taken care
of when you carry your baby with a carrier. Also, the slight pressure on the
tummy that develops from being worn aids in gas issues.
-Have a colicky baby? This is your part… The most effective way to
sooth the baby is by snuggling and rocking him/her in the carrier. Plus it
becomes incredibly easier for your arms when the carrier helps with the
holding.
-Unlike the stroller, you can go to many places with your baby in
a carrier. Imagine yourself maneuvering in highly crowded places, baby hiking carrier, walking
the dog, using public transport, or sightseeing with the baby in a stroller? It
would almost be impossible to do these tasks, right? But with a carrier,
everything is as easy as pie.
-With time, your developing baby becomes aware of his world. As
such, a carrier gives him the best view of his surroundings. Remember that it’s
much easier to make worn baby apart of the action.
-If you’re an experienced mother, you know that even walking
toddlers love to be held. If you’ve a good carrier, you’ll be able to hold them
with their developing weight while freeing your arms for other tasks.
-There’s no easier way to sooth or comfort sick or grumpy babies
or toddlers than carrying them in a carrier!
-The list of benefits of babywearing is endless…
Today, there are many baby carriers out there
than ever before. These modern carriers have evolved designs compared to those
used in the past.
It’s also important to note that these carriers are designed by
small companies and experienced work-from-home moms and are readily available
online or at your local sociality stores.
Wraps
Starting off with one of the most popular carriers:
Wraps are basically a long piece of fabric that you tie around
yourself and your baby. Surprisingly, they’re also the oldest types of baby
carries, and you’ll find clothes of varying lengths being used across different
cultures all over the world.
The market, however, is saturated with stretch and woven wraps.
Stretch wraps are usually deigned from jersey fabrics and are great for
snuggling newborns when used safely and securely (we’ll talk about the safety
of a baby carrier later in
the post- keep locked in). Also note that you can use stretch wraps in
different positions such as chest-to-chest and upright.
Woven wraps can be utilized in similar carry positions. But unlike
stretch wraps, they provide an additional option- the carry back for older
babies.
All wraps are infinitely adjustable.
Mei Tais
Mei Tais trace their origin to traditional Chinese cultures.
They’re rectangular shaped carriers with tie waists as well as shoulder straps
that come around your baby and the tie. They support both front and back
carries.
If you fancy the adjustability of a wrap but want something you
can get on a bit faster, MTs will work for you!
Other variations of this carrier include the Podaegi (Pod)- an MT
without waist straps, and Onbuhimo (Onbu)- has a similar design to the MT but
features rings at the waist rather than straps (the shoulder straps are
threaded via these the rings).
Ring Slings
Ring slings are unlike all the other models we’ve discussed before
in that they’re one shoulder carriers. They involve a piece of cloth that has
been threaded through the rings. They’ve been particularly design for hip and
tummy-to-tummy front carries. However, experienced wearers can use them to back
carry older babies.
For a quick and compact carrier, this is your go-to carrier.
Buckle or Soft Structured Carriers
Like the Mei Tais, soft structured carriers are also soft bodied
carriers and can be used for both back and front carries. Carriers that fall
under this category have buckle waists and shoulder straps (some variations
feature tie shoulder straps or tie waists).
The soft structured baby carriers are ideal
for those looking for a quick carrier that has no straps or long fabric to deal
with.
Pouches
A pouch come either in simple tubes of fabric that must be bought
in the right sizes, or adjustable pouches with buckle or snaps attachments.
Similar to the ring slings, they enable you to carry your baby in an upright
seated position.
Pouches fold up quite compactly making them an excellent choice
for those looking for quick and extremely compact carriers.
Important Note: pouches are sometimes tricky to use especially for
newborns as they MUST be sized correctly to offer adequate support for small
babies. We’d, therefore, advise you against using a pouch with your newborn or
seek the aid of experienced wearers.
Baby Backpack
These are carriers with metal frames and are designed for wearing
your older toddler on your back for extended periods.
Hybrids
They’re a combination of the pouch and wrap sling. Like pouch
slings, they’re ready to wear, and you must buy them in the correct sizes.
They’re often compared to fitted t-shirts and acts as the best options for
mommies new to wearing babies- you can easily learn to use them safely.
Why is this important? You might be wondering…
In simple words: understanding safety tips before wearing in any
carrier (and in any age) is important. In particular, small infants are
susceptible to airway issues when worn as they’ve limited neck and head control.
Let’s now focus on how to wear your baby safely:
The “School of Baby wearing”, located in the UK, has come up with
a simplified safety acronym for wearing your baby- the T.I.C.K.S rule- which
says:
T-Tight
I-“In view at all times”
C- “Close enough for a kiss”
K- “Keep the chin off the chest”
S- Supported back
Quite fun and simple to remember, right? In addition to the above
general rules, ALWAYS observe the following 9 Useful Tips when carrying your
baby in a carrier:
1. Keep the Airway Monitored
As for the newborns, there’s a high risk of suffocation and you
should, thus, keep their airway closely monitored. Ensure that the baby does
not assume a position where their chin touches their chest.
2. Carrying Infants in Soft Structured Carriers
If you intend to carry an infant in this carrier model, use the
forward carry ONLY (with the baby facing in). This ensures sufficient support
for the baby’s heady and neck with 2 vertical finger widths between the baby’s
chest and chin. When the baby’s neck becomes strong enough to support the head
on its own, you can try the face-out position.
3. Fastening the Buckle and Knots
Always double-check your carrier to confirm that you’ve fastened
them securely.
4. Don’t Wear Your Baby When Driving
Not only shouldn’t you wear your baby when driving a car but also
when riding a bicycle. Rather, consider seating them in a properly installed
seat belt.
5. Don’t Move When Wearing A Baby
For example, if you want to pick up something, bend at the knee
and not at the hip- such that your baby remains upright. Bending at your dorsal
while wearing a baby can result in back dive fall.
6. Ensure The Entire Baby’s Back is Supported
The carrier fabric should support the entire back of your baby.
This ensures that your baby is securely and comfortably seated.
7. Avoid Back Carry is NOT suitable for Newborns
As you know, back carry reduces support for your baby, plus you
can’t easily monitor what’s going on with the baby. Thus, we advise you to
avoid back carry until your baby is a bit older- say 6 months old. Sticking to
front carry until the baby becomes a toddler is wiser.
8. Protecting the Baby Hips From Hip Issues
Studies have established that most hip development problems occur
within the first 4 months in all newborns. If you mind the health of your
baby’s hips, ensure regular breaks from a carrier to help the baby move their
knees, hips and other parts of the body.
9. Strictly follow ALL the above rules when carrying a baby of any
age, and in any type of carrier.
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