Ergonomic babywearing

This past month my little guy Marshall started walking. It’s amazing how proud of himself he is and how proud of him I am. Those big grins as he toddles along trying to grab what’s ahead of him definitely make my day! Life at the office and home have changed big time and once again I’m thankful that Marshall still enjoys when we “babywear” him. Babywearing seems like it’s becoming much more popular recently and there’s so many different ways to baby wear using wraps, slings, structured carriers, hybrids, hip seats, and even backpack carriers. 


There are countless benefits to babywearing- especially in those early newborn months. Being close to the caregiver helps baby adapt to life outside of the womb and promotes attachment and bonding. When baby is held so close, their temperature is easily regulated by the adult holding them, baby can be calmed by listening to mom or dad’s heartbeat and relaxed breathing, they can even get used to your familiar scent. Studies have shown that babywearing in the first few months can reduce crying by as much as 43%. When Marshall was super tiny, oftentimes he would fall asleep in his carrier for some of his morning or afternoon naps. While my wife or I walked around doing tasks at the office or even doing dishes or folding laundry, Marshall would often be lulled to sleep. As Marshall is getting older, babywearing is more of a convenience factor— it keeps him up and out of trouble haha. When we adjust horses he’s safe and out of the way. It’s not as easy doing dishes as he just wants to splash in the water— but vacuuming, doing general cleaning, and returning phone calls is easy enough. 


One of the most important things to consider when babywearing is making sure that whatever carrier you pick, it’s ergonomic for both you and your baby for whatever their current height and weight is. An ergonomic carrier for the caregiver should offer good low back and shoulder support. The carrier should be fitted well and should not cause you any strain or pain. Finding the right carrier can definitely be some trial and error but there truly are so many options that I encourage you not to give up. When picking a carrier for an inward facing newborn, the biggest thing you want to make sure is that the baby’s legs aren’t just hanging down. You actually want their butt and legs to be in an “M” position. (If you google this, you should come across a picture so you can better understand what to look for.) Having baby in this "M" position takes stress off their hip joints so that while baby is developing and growing, they don’t develop hip dysplasia.


My recommendation for a great structured carrier is the Ergobaby. It’s definitely an investment but can hold a baby from newborn up to 35 pounds. It’s very adjustable to fit any size caregiver comfortably- we can easily adjust it to fit my wife or I in a matter of two minutes. The low back and shoulder support is great. Marshall is currently 22 pounds and it’s still comfortable to carry him. The Ergobaby carrier has the “M” shape to support the baby's hips and it’s built to last. 


What about toddlers on the move who constantly want to get up and down? There are newer hip carriers. Two popular brands are Tushbaby or Ergobaby. Hip carriers keep the caregiver’s hips level instead of hiking up a hip to prop up the toddler. The hip carrier goes around your waist and displaces some of the toddler’s weight to give the caregiver at least one free hand. These types of carriers on average can support up to 45 pounds which keeps toddlers close to the caregiver and out of trouble. For longer hikes and walks on uneven terrain I highly recommend a backpack carrier. I was lucky enough to be able to borrow a friend’s backpack carrier this fall and Marshall loved it. With all the fresh air he eventually fell asleep in there. The two things to consider for a backpack carrier is that the baby must be strong enough to sit up unassisted and have very good head control. 


If you have any questions about babywearing, feel free to reach out and I’d be happy to give some insight!!