You cannot be there to be around your baby the whole day. You have all the tasks that you have to look after. The household chores include working from home, getting groceries, getting all the other essentials, strolling in the neighborhood, and everything else in between. While strollers are good for carrying your baby around, carrying a stroller around is a huge task and comes with a lot of responsibility. Thus enters babywearing in the picture. Babywearing is becoming a growing trend, and for all the good reasons. Many researchers and experts have said that wearing your baby on you can help reduce baby cries, make breastfeeding an easier task, promote mother-child bonding, and, while doing all of this, keep your hands free so that you can do all the other tasks.
If you are a mom who prefers wearing your baby on you in a carrier, here are a number of safety tips that will help you keep your baby safe and sound.
Before buying a baby carrier, do your comprehensive research.
With growing demands, markets grow, and the same is true for the market for baby carriers. There are a huge variety of models available for baby carriers on the market. The choice depends on you as to which one you want to go for. An easy way to understand your type of baby carrier is by attending a local babywearing meeting or class. Such a meeting or course consists of several baby carriers that you can try on and find your type of comfortability. Such arrangements also help you understand the basics of babywearing. Along with this, visit the Internet thoroughly for all kinds of information about baby carriers. Read the instruction manual that comes with the baby carrier. Visit the brand’s or the product’s page on the Internet. Take a look at the material used and the durability of the carrier. Watch instructional videos present on the Internet on how to handle babywearing carriers. Make sure you know it all before wearing your baby.
Practice before you use
You need to practice the heck out of these carriers. To ensure the utmost safety for your baby, first try using the carrier without putting your baby in it just yet. You can wear an empty carrier, put a doll inside the carrier, or use a stuffed animal. You can also use a bag of flour in order to put some weight into the carrier. Practice with some weights for some time to get the hang of the carrier and how you are going to wear it around. You also need to practice putting on the carrier yourself and how to take it off. You can ask for someone to help and do some solo run-throughs as well. You need to learn how to put on the carrier, take it off, and buckle and unbuckle it as well. Then practice putting your baby in the carrier and taking her out, first with help and then without help. Once you are thorough with all of that practice, wear your baby in the carrier and practice walking around the house comfortably throughout the day. Do all of this and gain experience before taking your baby out.
Position your baby correctly.
The next step is to position your baby correctly in the carrier. Your baby’s airway should always remain clear and clean while she’s in the carrier. Her chin should be tucked out of the chest; it shouldn’t be stuck, and her face should not be pressed against your body. Both of these positions are wrong and will end up obstructing your baby’s breathing process and leading her to suffocation. Your baby should be sitting upright, and her face should be visible to you at all times. This will also make you check up on her more often. You need to be especially careful if your baby is a newborn. Carriers will require the baby to have a little bit of neck strength, and the baby should be able to hold up her head. You can use a wrap around the baby for the first few months, as they have inserts that help support the head and neck. Before doing so, make sure your baby matches the age requirements of the product.
The baby’s leg position is also of crucial importance. The legs of the baby should not be held straight down, as this can hinder the hip development of your baby and probably lead to dysplasia, which is known as a deformation of the hip joint. The baby’s legs should be spread apart and should be straddling your body. This gives the baby’s body the correct hip positioning. Remember not to wear your baby for a longer period of time. Limit the time in the carrier for an hour or so, then give your baby occasional breaks to avoid any sort of overextension.
Always be careful.
You need to have the proper balance and posture while wearing the carrier. Whatever you do defines whatever your baby does and how she is affected. So watch out for all your steps. Always be extra careful while going through doorways and while turning through corners. If you need to go to bed, bend on your knees and support your baby with your hands. It is a good idea to inspect the carrier before every use and make sure that the buckles are working correctly. There are some simple steps that you can take to make the babywearing experience more enjoyable for you and your little one. Don’t cook or drink hot beverages while wearing your baby. Refrain from driving, and try to avoid activities that put your baby at risk of falling. Take the best care of yourself and your baby.
