Carriers For A Newborn Baby

Wraps are extremely comfortable and, while they look complicated to tie, are so simple you can be ready in less than 2 minutes. We recommend a stretchy wrap, like the Moby Wrap, which is soft like your favorite t-shirt. Wraps are one of the gifts we most often give for baby showers. If tying a wrap is a little too intimidating, we also recommend using a Ring Sling for newborns. It’s one of the best choices for holding even tiny babies up against your chest, and is perfect for nursing on the go.

Carriers For Babies With Head Control

As your baby gets older, there are more baby carrier options for you to consider. Some new moms find slings like a Hotsling, a great option for carrying a baby who can safely hold his head up, perfect for toting their baby around on their hip. The two-shouldered Mei Tai is great for a child over 4 months, and will continue to support your baby as he grows bigger.

Babies More Than 10 Months Old

Wraps are still our favorite baby carrier for front carrying, also because it can easily morph into a back carrier with just a bit of practice. For heavier children, a woven wrap will help you maintain a secure fit and tie.

In addition to the wrap style, there are several more options for carrying your baby on your back. The Mei Tai or Ergo Baby Carrier are considered the among the easiest back carriers and they can also be used to carry your baby on your front.

The different types of baby carriers also have a varying capabilities for how much weight they can safely carry. When a baby carrier is designed to distribute weight across several contact points on your body, it generally enables a baby wearer to carry heavier babies or toddlers with less effort and stress to the body.

Sling. The baby’s weight is evenly distributed over your back, waist and shoulders. Really, the only weight limits are those you set for yourself. It is not impossible to carry up to a 40 pound child in a sling.

Wrap. Depending on the way you tie a wrap, your baby’s weight can be distributed differently on the waist, hip, back and shoulders. This baby carrier style is a great option for people who may have a physical problem, and for pregnant moms who want to continue carrying their toddlers. Wraps are very comfortable because the width of fabric generally enables pressure to easily be evenly distributed, and there are no buckles, rings or other plastic or metal accessories that could get in the way.

Unstructured Soft Carrier. Also called Asian carriers, Mei Tai, Ombuhimo, Podegi. Asian carriers, like the styles made by Ergo are 2 shoulder carriers, with straps that come over your waist, back, torso and shoulders, distributing your baby’s weight quiet evenly. You’ll find this type of carrier is very suitable for the heavier baby and long outings.

Structured Carrier. Structured carriers are the easiest to find in western baby stores, and the majority have been inspired from the Mei Tai style of unstructured soft carriers. Structured carriers are made from firm fabrics, padding, plastic or metal buckles and clips. They maintain a rigid shape without being worn.

Structured Front Carrier. In a front carrier, like a Baby Bjorn, the weight is shifted forwards, and can put pressure on your shoulders and upper back. The usual weight limit is 22 pounds, and some people may find it begin to get challenging when the baby is extremely difficult to carry a baby that has reached the 18 – 20 pound mark.

Frame Backpack. The frame backpack is a type of structured carrier, and it’s design is largely inspired from hiking rucksacks. A metal frame provides stability, and helps put it on and off.

Getting hands on experience with a baby carrier style is the best way to determine if it’s going to work for you. Ask around at the next playgroup you’re at, or find a babywearing or Attachment Parenting group to join. If you haven’t yet heard of one of these groups in your area, a great resource for finding groups of like-minded parents, is to search on Meetup.com using those keywords.

• Read and follow the safety guidelines that came with your baby carrier, and pay close attention to the warnings listed in the instruction manual.  Make note of weight and age requirements and limits to insure you’re using the baby carrier for the job it was designed for.  If the carrier says not to use it before your baby is 6 months old, there’s a good reason why you should wait, and that time will come faster than you think!
• After walking, activities where you’ve been moving a lot, or just after a long period of wearing your baby, check the fit of your baby carrier.  If it feels a little loose, take the time to tighten it and readjust your baby.  Holding your baby in a loose fitting carrier is much too dangerous to chance, and the resulting accidents are totally avoidable.
• Do not bend at the waist while wearing baby, use your knees to squat down.  Not only will this prevent injury to your back, but it will also prevent your baby from falling out of the carrier.
• Insure the baby carrier does not interfere with your baby’s breathing.  This is especially important for newborns and if you’re wearing a soft carrier like a sling or wrap.  Make sure the carrier’s fabric does not block their nose and mouth, compromising their ability to breathe.
• One of the great things about using a baby carrier is the freedom it gives you to do everyday tasks.  In the kitchen, making sandwiches, washing dishes and prepping food are perfect examples of the types of activities babywearing allows you to do.  Think carefully before you start cooking though, and if you do decide to do light cooking, be extra conscious around the stovetop and sharp knives.
• Learn how to adjust and wear your particular type of baby carrier.  Wearing a baby carrier in the wrong way can cause stress to your body, and can be unsafe for your baby.  Many baby boutiques offer classes for the babywearing products they offer, ask about their next session or stop by for a demo.  If you purchased your carrier online, and it’s new to everyone in your circle, it can be difficult to figure out all the adjustment options and tying methods.  If your babycarrier does not feel comfortable, contact the manufacturer or visit their website. Many companies making babywearing products offer amazing support, including videos. By making the appropriate adjustments, your baby carrier should be comfortable to wear.
• Along with adjusting your baby carrier, be aware of how wearing it is affecting your body and its posture.  If you’re using a front carrier that tends to pull your shoulders forward, consider alternating with a back or hip carrier to distribute weight differently, and give your body a break.
• If you’re still having a tough time figuring out your baby carrier, ask for help. Try attending a group meeting in your area, like La Leche League or Attachment Parenting International, or even asking around at the playground or Gymboree. Babywearing is pretty common, and more than likely, you’ll find fellow moms who would be happy to help, just like someone probably helped them!

High Tactile Experience Helps Build Higher Self Esteem

In her book, Touching, Ashley Montague says “The kind of tactuality [another fancy word for touching] experienced during infancy and childhood not only produces the appropriate changes in the brain, but also affects the growth and development of the end organs in the skin. The tactually deprived individual will suffer from a feedback deficiency between skin and brain that may seriously affect his development as a human being.”

Babies Kept In Close Contact Sleep Better

Ms. Montagu cites expert Anna Freud as commenting on the close interrelation between the needs for sleep and for skin contact, ‘falling asleep being rendered more difficult for the infant who is kept strictly separated from the mother’s body warmth.’ Ms. Freud also draws attention to interrelation between sleep and passive body movement – that is, rocking. The relaxed child sleeps, the troubled child suffers from disturbed sleep.

Touching From Babywearing Improves Immune Function

In her book, Ms. Montagu discusses the multitude of research studies on animal and human responses to touching, and the advantages in health, alertness, and responsiveness of those who have been “carried” as compared with those who have received minimal or no handling. Weininger, in an early unpublished study of ten infants beginning at ten weeks of age, whose mothers were taught to stroke their infants’ backs, reported that at six months of age these infants had fewer sniffles, colds, vomiting, and diarrhea than the infants in the control group, whose mothers had not been taught to stroke their infants.

Babywearing Reduces Crying & Fussing, And Encourages Content Eating Habits

Linda Folden Palmer details a study in her book, Baby Matters, where mothers were given baby slings and instructed to increase the amount of time that they carried their baby. The result was babies cried 43% less, fussed less, and ate more contently.

She goes on to say, “Infants around the world are carried much of the day, either in the arms, in variously fashioned slings, or wrapped closely to the back as mother works in the field. Carrying provides stimulation through motion, known as ‘vestibular’ stimulation, and allows babies and children to observe mother’s activities and converse with her. Infant carrying also renders soothing through exposure to mother’s odor, close body contact, body warmth, and body sounds, as well as with the motion.”

“When U.S. mothers in an experiment were given baby slings and instructed to increase infant carrying time, it was found that their infants were more securely attached to their mothers at 13 months of age than those who were simply given baby seats. In another study that induced increased carrying for infants, the babies cried 43% less, fussed less, and ate more contently. Yet, it has been shown that increased carrying may not reduce the crying in infants who have colic. This refers to the colic with cries related to pain, as opposed to extended crying due to other reasons. If a food reaction or other disorder is occurring, carrying may provide support, but it does not make a painful problem go away.”

Montagu, Ashley. Touching, Third Edition. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, Inc., 1986.

Palmer, Linda Folden. Baby Matters: What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Caring for Your Baby. Lancaster, OH: Lucky Press, LLC, 2001.

The term “Babywearing” simply means holding or carrying a baby or young child using a baby carrier. Humans have been holding babies since the beginning of time, and we almost instinctively know the comfort it gives to the child. Holding a baby using a baby carrier makes it easier and more comfortable to do, and really enables parents and caregivers to carry their children about while going on with everyday life.

When you’re using a baby carrier, tasks that could normally be more challenging while holding a baby, like doing the dishes, making a sandwich or folding laundry, are not only easier to do, but your baby is safe, more content, and also can be breastfeeding. Being in a carrier, next to you also provides your child with the opportunity to be involved in social interactions and to see their surroundings from the same level as an adult.

The renowned pediatrician, Dr. William Sears, coined the phrase attachment parenting. One of Sears’ principles of attachment parenting is babywearing, and he attributes many benefits to babywearing and the in-arms style of parenting. Read about the benefits of babywearing, including bonding, calmer infants, and social development.

There are several different fundamental types of baby carriers, both commercially made and homemade. Many people and cultures simply use pieces of cloth to safely and comfortably carry their babies. As with any baby product, there is some investment of your time and attention to select the baby carrier that best suits your needs, and to learn how to use it safely and appropriately.

Most commercial baby carriers, like the Baby Bjorn, are pretty straightforward to use out of the box. Some of the more intricate methods of babywearing, involving wrapping and tying pieces of cloth, may take slightly more effort to learn. But soon you’ll have the babywearing techniques mastered, and will appreciate the result of being closer to your child and being able to transport them in a safe, comfortable way.