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"Babywearing" simply means holding or carrying a baby or young child using a cloth baby carrier. Holding babies is natural and universal; baby carriers make it easier and more comfortable, allowing parents and caregivers to hold or carry their children while attending to
Babywearing International Inc. is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote babywearing as a universally accepted practice, with benefits for both child and caregiver, through education and support.
the daily tasks of living.
A guide for doctors, nurses, midwives, doulas, lactation
Wrap: a long This ispiece a pieceofofcloth fabric tied with around the Comes in a twobody. rings sewn at one The fabric fed variety ofend. lengths andisfabrics. through the rings and only “Stretchy” wraps are suitable goes across the body for newborns in front like a sash with carries, the while “woven” wraps more rings sitting justare below versatile.your collarbone.
This is a piece of fabric with Ring Sling: piecesewn of fabric with twoa rings at one two ringsend. sewn one end. Theatfabric is fedThe through the rings and fabric is fed through the rings • like Fullyaadjustable across body and goesgoes across the the body • Quick in and out like a sash with the sash with the rings sitting just • Can fit a variety of people rings sitting just below below your collarbone. your collarbone. • Easy to nurse in with practice
This is a square of fabric with waist straps and shoulder straps coming out. The square is the baby’s seat, and the straps are tied around the parent.
For more information on babywearing or to
This is a square of fabric with waist straps find and a local group, go to shoulder straps coming www.babywearinginternational.org out. The square • Easyistothe use References
baby’s seat, the •and Comfortable and cool - Hunziker UA, Garr RG. (1986) Increased straps are1tied around • Good to learn back carries in reduces infant crying: A randomized the parent.carrying • Able to share between caregivers
able controlled trial. Pediatrics 77:641-648
value • Weight is distributed across both 2 - Anderson, GC. “Current knowledge about • Tail of sling provides good coverage ariety in carry options shoulders skin-to-skin (kangaroo) care for pre-term infants”. ed to “pop” baby in • Easy nursing if your baby will eat in J Perinatol. 1991 Sep;11(3):216-26.
carry a child for lon an upright position Mei Tai: a square of fabric with 3 - Pelaez-Nogueras M, Field TM, Hossain Z, e waist and long shoulder straps . Pickens J. (1996). Depressed mothers’ touching bigger people need The square is the baby’s seat, and • Easy to increases use infants’ positive affect and attention in to do all carries) • Fully adjustable the straps are tied around • Some the learning curve • Comfortable still-face Child Development, 67, andinteractions. cool • Quick in parent. and out • Very limited back carries • Good to 1780-92.
learn back carries in • Not great for hip carry • Can fit a variety of people • All weight is on one shoulder • Able to 4share - Tessier R, M Cristo, S Velez, M Giron, JG Ruizbetween caregivers • Not much coverage for nursing • Easy to nurse in with practice Palaez, Y fabric Charpak and N Charpak. (1998) This is a sewn • Weight is distributed across • The straps can beboth long and hit the Kangaroo mother care and the bonding loop that you wear • Tail of sling provides good coverage s • A lot of fabric shoulders ground when tying Pediatrics 102:e17. acrosshypothesis. you like a sash. ignificant learning curve This isCarrier: similar similar to a to • Easy nursing if Stances your baby will eat Soft Structured 5. BWI position on in cradle carries: https:// Correct fi t is very Meiwith Tai, but has buckles a mei tai, but buckles an upright position docs.google.com/document/d/ important as most instead of long straps instead of long straps to tie. are not1simUnjnRsjgAhjO0d5adjustable. tie. Try several Comes in atowide variety of sg6hOwfO5mz9RW2Z8oJi-PFI/ styles if † Image courtesy of the International Hip shapes anddifferent sizes, but generally Some learning curve Dysplasia Institute, http://www.hipdysplasia.org possible 3tomonths find •the better for children and • Very limited back carries Used with permission right fit for you. older.
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BABY WE ARIN G 101
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consultants and other professionals
B E N E FI TS OF B A BY WE AR I N G B AB YW E AR I N G S A FE TY TY P E S O F B AB Y CA R R IE R S
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• All weight is on one shoulder
• Not great for hip carry • Not • Easy tomuch use coverage for nursing straps canout be long and hit the •• The Quick in and ground when tying • Extremely compact
www.bwiboston.com
An introduction to the five basic styles
BENEFITS OF BABYWEARING Medical professionals agree that infants thrive through touch. “Wearing” your baby is another way to meet this need. But babywearing offers many other advantages: HAP PY BA BI E S
BABYWEARING SAFETY & ERGONOMICS Babywearing can be very beneficial to caregivers and infants alike (see the “Benefits of Babywearing” sidebar), but caution is required for everyone's safety:
It’s true … carried babies cry less! In a study published by the journal Pediatrics, researchers found that babywearing for three hours a day reduced infant crying by 43 percent overall and 54 percent during evening hours. (1) HEA LT H Y BAB IES Premature babies and babies with special needs often enter the world with fragile nervous systems. When a baby rides in a sling attached to his mother, he is in tune with the rhythm of her breathing, the sound of her heartbeat, and the movements his mother makes — walking, bending, and reaching. This stimulation helps him to regulate his own physical responses. Research has even shown that premature babies who are touched and held gain weight faster and are healthier than babies who are not. (2) CON F IDEN T CA R E GI V E RS: A large part of feeling confident as a parent is the ability to read babies’ cues successfully. Holding babies close in a sling allows parents to become finely attuned to their movements, gestures, and facial expressions. Every time a baby is able to let her caregiver know that she is hungry, bored, or wet without having to cry, her trust in them is increased, her learning is enhanced, and the caregiver’s confidence is reinforced. This cycle of positive interaction deepens the mutual attachment between parent and child, and is especially beneficial for mothers who are at risk for or suffering from postpartum depression. (3) (4)
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Narrow-based carrier Not Ideal Positioning
Supported to knee “M” position
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Cradle Carry use with caution
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Upright Position
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Carried at waist “Close enough to kiss” Not Recommended
Baby’s legs are spread, supported to the knees, with the hips in a stable position. All baby carriers should support the thighs, keeping baby’s knees above their bottom in an “M” or “froggy” position with the legs gently spread and supported from one knee to the other. This creates a healthy position for hips and spine. Older babies may straddle the wearer, newborns may have legs out in a narrower position or legs inside the carrier (but should be prevented from sitting on their feet). Upright positioning has many advantages: it prevents positional asphyxiation by keeping baby’s chin off her chest, prevents rebreathing by keeping fabric away from baby’s face, and improves hip health and circulation by separating baby’s legs and preventing baby from sitting on his feet. Cradle carries are often used for breast/bottlefeeding. If a cradle carry is used, care must be taken to ensure baby’s Airway safety, Body position, and wearer Comfort (ABCs) in the “checkmark” position (5). Baby should be high on the wearer’s body with the face visible, and held close to the wearer’s body, so wearer and baby move together. This reduces micro-stresses that can make wearing uncomfortable, and removes the opportunity for baby to slump and potentially have breathing difficulties. Babies should be worn the way they would be carried in-arms: high on the chest, straddling the hip, or in “piggyback” position.
