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Happy Baby |
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Videos |
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More on Safety |
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Be wise and responsible. Very soon you'll be a "pro". Until then, it's
very wise to be sure to have another adult helping you. I hear stories
of women trying back carries by themselves for the very first time, and
that frightens me. Babywearing is traditionally taught one-on-one. A
mother teaches her child how to do it with baby brother or a doll. The
child grows up knowing how babies are carried.
If you have to
learn "on your own" without the support of an experience babywearer,
then you MUST have the help of another adult.
I know, I know,
many of your husbands are busy and working or you're not married or
this situation or that. I know, every one's situation is different. You
don't have to have a husband help, just another adult. A friend, a
neighbor, even a very responsible teenager.
Be careful. Start off practicing with a teddy bear. There's no race. You can also kneel on the floor to do a back carry.
Be safe. Be wise. Be a good parent.
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Which Back Carry Should You Use? |
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Tiny Baby
Try the Pareo Torso carry, with baby deep into the pocket of cloth and his legs tucked up near his belly. Or, you could try the sausage carry with a wide shawl, ring sling, or deep pouch. Another excellent option is a back wrap cross.
Medium Baby
Again, the Pareo Torso carry, but with baby's legs wrapped around your waist. If you have a wide shawl, ring sling, or deep pouch, you could do a hip straddle with baby just behind your arm. With a wide shawl, you can also do a high one shoulder back carry. Any of the wrap carries would work great with a medium baby. Also, a podeagi or an ABC.
Toddlers
Toddlers
can ride on mama's back in any of the carries enjoyed by a medium baby.
The only exception might be that high back carries are less comfortable
with a heavy toddler than with a tiny or medium baby. Many parents find
it's best to have some of the toddler's weight distributed to the
parent's hips, either with a torso carry or with something like the back wrap cross or an ABC.
This is less of an issue with short-term carrying, less than 20 minutes
or so. Also, daily use of a high back carry will build up the right
muscles so that as baby becomes heavier, you are strong enough to
continue carrying him this way in comfort. I often use the strap carry with toddlers and even preschoolers.
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Two Shouldered Back Carry Techniques |
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Strap Carry - Easy!
Rucksack
Tibetan
Back Wrap Cross WITH Chest Belt
Back Wrap Cross no Chest Belt
ABC
Podeagi with Straps
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Uncomfortable Strap Carry (or Rucksack) |
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How wide is your cloth? How thick is it? It sounds as if it's too narrow and
or too thin to provide enough padding for mama's shoulders and baby's legs.
Also, it is possible to tie it too tightly. Every once in a while I do that
myself and find myself aching within minutes. I just loosen it up a bit and
it immediately gets better.
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The "Sausage" Carry -- 1, 2, 3 |
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Safety
Use the same diligence you would use with any back carry. In addition, use only a very breathable WOVEN cloth -- all natural fibers-- like a cotton shawl. Do not use fleece, polyester, rayon. The shawl forms a pouch when you tie it. Make sure the sides of the pouch come up on each side of the baby at least 8 inches. Baby shoud be nestled deeply inside the pouch so that he cannot tumble out.
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Torso Carries |
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| Torso carries are SUPER comfortable -- they put ZERO pressure on your neck and shoulders. Excellent for housework, shopping, gardening, etc.
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With a pareo, or kanga, which is a simple rectangle of cloth. |
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With a "podegi" which is Korean for "blanket". This one has straps to help you tie it up. |
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Safety |
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Always check your work. Know the details of each new carry and how the
baby should be situated in the carrier. Be sure to check in a mirror or
have another adult help you. You must always check that you have put
the baby in the carrier properly.
Also, while wearing baby on
your back, be sure not to back into things, especially sharp corners or
things sticking out from walls. When leaning into a car to get
something, be sure not to bump baby's head on the door jam.
Do
not use a baby carrier as a baby cage. Do not try to keep an unhappy
and uncooperative baby in a position he doesn't like. Even if he liked
it yesterday, or ten minutes ago. If baby squirms excessively, he may
be hungry, thirsty, wet or bored. You must not ignore baby's cries
while he is on your back. A baby carrier is not a baby cage.
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Problems |
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I haven't been able to get the fabric tight enough.
Practice, practice. The trick is to never let the tension out of the cloth during the wrapping process. At the very beginning, when baby is on your back and the cloth is draped over baby and down over your shoulders towards the floor, wait patiently for baby to settle his chest against your back, and then tighten the cloth at that moment. From this point until the cloth is tied, always hold it tight at each step. Use your teeth, your knees, whatever you have to do, to make sure that you don't introduce any slack into the cloth as you are completing the wrap.
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Got $5 & 5 mins?
Make a Carrier! |
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Shop |
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More Help |
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Wrap Torso Carry |
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Report a Problem |
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Broken link? Missing image? Misspelled word? Inadequate instructions? Please email maintenance@wearyourbaby.org. I cannot respond to every email, but I do appreciate your help. I will email you back if I can. Thanks, Tracy Dower
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You are a Master Babywearer |
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In China, it is said that "A master is anyone who knows more than you do." So, you are all master babywearers compared with most of the moms in the world. You do NOT need to know everything there is to know about babywearing -- if you know even ONE carry with even ONE type of carrier, you are in possession of knowledge other moms desperately want -- even if they do not yet know they want it. ;-D Therefore, you should all feel confident enough to teach others! So, pick a public place, pick a day of the week, and start sharing your skills with other families! Then, list yourself here.
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