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Finding the carrier that suits you and your baby or toddler
A passion for carrying
Moved
to tears watching the video of babies being carried close to their
mother’s hearts, I shall never forget having just bought my first baby
carrier. I was four months pregnant with my first child and had just
bought a stretchy wraparound at the local market.
I was enlightened reading Jean
Liedloff’s The Continuum Concept in 1992. Emotionally written,
Liedloff shares her experience of the Amazon’s Yequana babies, ’from
birth, continuum infants are taken everywhere … He is asleep most of
the time, but even as he sleeps he is becoming accustomed to the voices
of his people, to the sounds of their activities, to the bumpings,
jostling and moves …… the changes of texture and temperature on his
skin and the safe, right feel of being held to a living body.’ Since
then I had joyfully imagined keeping my baby close in this way.
From my daughter’s first ride in a carrier when she was a few days old several years ago, I have been learning about the most comfortable and supportive ways to carry her and her little brother.
Of all the types of carriers, I
have had the least experience with slings - the one I used on my
daughter’s magical first outing to the forest at 12 days old was not
very comfortable or supportive and I wore it rarely after that. Since
then I have discovered the importance of wearing a sling high up and
firmly close to the body, and being able to adjust the outer part of
the sling (the ‘top rail’) so that the baby is held securely.
With any carrier, both its design
and the way it is used make a huge difference in comfort levels and
support for the baby’s body. Many people give up baby carrying without
knowing that the design of carrier is not optimal for them, doesn’t
suit the age of their baby, or the precise way it to wear it. For this
reason I recommend considering structure, fabric, , position, and
proper fit when finding the carrier that suits you and your baby. And
you may, like me, discover different carriers fit different occasions,
and different phases in your baby’s development.
I loved using a stretchy
wraparound for my daughter’s first six months. This is a long piece of
material tied in the cross-over wrap with outside pouch. I could
easily slip my daughter in and out without taking it off. (This is
called being “poppable” in the baby carrying community!) It supported
her head and protected her from over-stimulation whilst giving me both
hands free. I made one of these too but found the fabric too
stretchy. All kinds of carriers may be made at home; the fabric used
dramatically affects the support and comfort.
By seven months, I had sore
shoulders with the stretchy wraparound, and began searching for other
carriers. Many mums discover they need to switch from front- to
back-carries at around six or seven months. Stretchy wraps can be worn
on the back but are not often used in this way – as they are tied on
first, getting baby in them usually requires some help.
I tried various types of soft
constructed carriers – these vary considerably from brand to brand.
They usually consist of a main rectangular piece with straps around the
shoulders and waist. Padding on the straps makes them comfortable,
and clips or ties mean they are usually easy and quick to take on and
off. Take care that the constructed carrier you choose provides
adequate support for your baby’s hips. Poor support is shown by their
legs hanging straight down from the hips. For optimum support, look
for a carrier with a wide crotch piece that extends to the baby’s knee
hollow so that the baby’s legs are pulled up to at least a 90 degree
angle and straddle around like a frog. Head support is also required
for young babies and older sleeping babies.
There are several kinds of soft
constructed carriers, a few of which can be worn on the front, hip and
back. Some I tried were more comfortable on the front when my baby was
young, others were more suited to carrying my older baby on my back. My
daughter loved to be carried on my back in a constructed carrier
through the busy shopping areas and at the end of long walks up until
three years old. I could carry her for hours and still be comfortable,
and continued to do so until I became pregnant again.
On a
recommendation, I also bought a hip-seat, a hip belt with a seat that
sits out to the side for babies once they can sit up. I used it a lot,
and when my daughter was 18 months old I wore the seat round to my
back, and then tied her on with a long scarf. We were both delighted
with this solution.
When pregnant with my son, I found
out about woven wraparounds that can be worn in many different types of
carries, including several on the back. I bought three different
organic brands for comparison; with one brand I bought three different
lengths so that I could research all the different types of carries. I
bought an instructional DVD too, to fathom how on earth to tie them!
(available from www.childrensneeds.com).
I wanted my daughter to be
included when I was carrying the new baby, and so bought her a stretchy
wraparound, a mei tai style carrier, and a woven wraparound. She and I
spent several evenings trying different ties and carries, she
practicing with her doll and I with a hot water bottle. She loves to
carry her two dolls at the same time, one on her back and one on her
front.
Once my son was born I didn’t use
a carrier much for the first few weeks – my baby moon meant staying
with Sunny in the bedroom for most of the time. When I began to
venture into the outside world with him, we went on quiet country walks
outside our back gate, and I carried him in the longest woven sling I
had. I generally used two types of front carries for the first three
and a half months – the kangaroo pouch and the cross-over wrap with
inside pocket. I found the fabric of all three types of woven
wraparounds gave him plenty of support and was very comfortable for me
even after a long time.
Now Sunny is three and a half
months old and I have just started carrying him on my back in one of
the constructed carriers and also the woven wraparounds. Back carries
can be introduced even earlier, depending on the type of carrier used,
and particularly when the adult is experienced and knows how to ensure
adequate support for the baby’s head. I find some things easier to do
with him on my back– such as hanging out the washing!
Ultimately people fall into
different camps with their choice of carriers. Some people are
passionate about slings. Others are very happy with structured
carriers or Asian inspired carriers and do not want anything else.
Still others enjoy all that wraparounds have to offer and swear by
them. Some people have one carrier from newborn to toddler, others,
like me try several of them.
Even the research quoted often
varies quite differently – for example, one sling site quotes research
that babies should be carried lying with their backs in a curved
position, whereas some of the woven wrap sites cite studies suggesting
all babies be carried in a straddle position. Stretchy wrap carriers
often promote outward-facing holds, whereas some woven wrap sites
recommend not carrying this way.
When making you own choices, you
too will soon discover what carriers work best for you and your body.
Babies, too, have their own unique preferences in how they are
carried. One place to start your own research on baby carriers is the
Babywearer website (www.thebabywearer.com).
I recently read a children’s book
entitled ’A Ride on Mother’s Back‘. As in ‘The Continuum Concept’,
each person carrying a baby enjoyed activities that had been carried
out for generations. The baby was a welcome part of that life,
learning about his culture and his world, while remaining close to
someone he trusts.
Here in the West, we have lost
that continuum. Babies are often separated from us, and disconnected
from the organic flow of life’s hussle and bussle. Thankfully the
carrier industry is changing all that. Now we can reclaim the lost art
of carrying babies, having all the different options available at our
fingertips.
References
Liedloff, J. (1988) The Continuum Concept. Penguin Books, London. (first pub.1975).
Bernhard, E. and D. (1996) A Ride on Mother’s Back - A day of baby carrying around the world. Gulliver Books, California and New York.