How good is babywearing?! Seriously I would be a completely different parent without these little gems.
It is wonderful when you see so many other families around town also wearing their babies.
I know when we brought our first Manduca we were so excited, got a little demo in the shop, then we got home and didn’t really fit it properly. Of course a bit of baby brain doesn’t help when getting these new instructions either. I have a few terrible pictures of me wearing my son in positions that could have been way more comfortable for me.
I now consider myself a bit of Manduca Pro and whenever I see other Mums down the street wearing their Manduca or other Soft Structured Carriers (SSC) I often want to just go up and tweak it (just a little) so they are more comfortable.
So here are TOP 4 TWEAKS that I most commonly would like to adjust on your carrier
- Hitch em’ up!
Most often, Mums are wearing their carrier way down low on their hips. The main issues with this is that all that weight through your hips will change the angle at your pelvic. Add a heavy baby and you will soon start for feel it all through your lower back. So think ‘close enough to kiss’. Your babies head should be just below yours so that you can look down and your lips will touch their head
- Tighten the straps!
A snug fit will keep your babies weight close to your body, which will keep your centre of gravity closer to your body.
The big issues here is if the carrier is too loose that it doesn’t support their back, your babies chin can flop onto their chest (usually when they fall asleep for little babies) making it harder for them to breath or block airways.
- Toes out!
Leg out of the carrier is the Optimal position for a couple of reasons. You can check on their circulation (feet will go purple if something is too tight), it takes the pressure off the lower legs and stops their feet getting twisted.
I have seen several times babies feet are squish in all sorts of unnatural positions when placed inside of the carrier. Being young they are normally quite flexible, but this would still be uncomfortable and potentially lead to an injury.
Keep their toes out and legs in the ‘froggie’ position.
- Move the back strap down!
I have this picture of me wearing my son, I think he was about 8 months old, and the back strap is literally hanging off my neck.
No, there is no danger to me or my baby, but you can imagine it would be really comfortable having 10kg hanging of my neck and probably lead to headaches.
Most SSC are adjustable and you can move them down to your mid-shoulder blades.
I hope that helps you have a more comfortable babywearing experience. I would love to hear any of your top tips too. Tag me on Facebook or Instagram
Keep Movin’
Philippa Bowman
Babywearing Consultant & Pre/Postnatal Fitness Expert
