Triangle Babywearers - 3: Positioning, Support, and the ABCs

Triangle Babywearers

Unit 3: Positioning, Support, and the ABCs

This unit will teach you to:

Identify if a baby or child is properly positioned in a carrier based on their age/development
Identify if a baby or child is well supported in a carrier
Understand the risks of different activities while babywearing
Understand how the babywearing ABCs can help with these goals

1. Positioning

Newborns

Knees higher than bottom, in a narrow spread squat
Legs can be in or out
- If baby still prefers "froggy" position legs and fusses with legs out, try legs in
- If legs are in weight should still rest on baby's bottom, not on feet
- If baby begins to "stand up" in the carrier legs should be out
Support baby's spine: a newborn's spine naturally curves out like a "C"

Infants

Toddlers

2. Support and Safety

A properly supported baby will:

Be able to breathe
Not fall out of the carrier

To prevent positional asphyxia in newborns, infants, and older children without head control:

Chin off chest to keep airway open.
Carrier should not cover nose and mouth. Face should be visible to the wearer (though not necessarily to an onlooker)
When baby is close enough to kiss it’s easier to monitor their breathing

To prevent falls:

There should not be slack in the carrier
- Front carries: if baby is close enough to kiss it is less likely that there is slack in the carrier
- Front and back carries: carrier should come up high enough on baby/toddler’s back that they cannot flip out of the carrier, check for fabric bunched under the baby/toddler’s bottom
Waistbands on SSCs and meh dai should be snug to wearer's body to prevent baby from slipping out
Sides of SSCs and meh dai should not be too open or baby could slump over and fall out

Additional Safety Concerns

Encourage wearers to carefully consider activities before doing them
General Don’ts while babywearing:
- Water sports (this does not refer to wading in shallow water, but when boating, etc where all participants should be wearing flotation devices)
- Jogging/running (high impact activities could cause head and neck injuries)
- Motor vehicles (babies/children should be restrained as required by law)
- Biking (many areas of the USA including NC require children to wear helmets)
Some activities have higher risks than others while babywearing
- activities you need special safety equipment for (roller skating, skiing, etc where there is an increased risk of falling)
- cooking (beware of hot surfaces, splatter from pans, knives)
- lawn mowing (noise of the mower, rocks or debris hitting baby)
Be aware of baby and what baby can reach during all activities

We are not the Babywearing Police

Please read this post on The Not-So-Absolute Rules of Babywearing Safety

It's important to be mindful that individual caregivers (and their babies) have different needs and abilities. We want to give advice that empowers caregivers and respects their judgement. There may be times where it is appropriate to offer alternatives (like using a jogging stroller instead of a carrier when running), but we should not be in the habit of simply saying that someone "can't do that while babywearing". Instead we should explain what the risks would be to the baby/child in the carrier.

3. The Babywearing ABCs

bwi_abc_color_poster_27x40_eng.pdf

Additional Notes on the ABCs

Airway: You should be able to fit at least two fingers under baby’s chin and their face should not be covered by any fabric. Baby should be “Close Enough to Kiss”.

Body Positioning: Hips should be supported in an “M” shape with knees higher than the baby’s bottom. The spine should be supported in a natural “C” curve for little babies without any knots pressing on the spine. Older babies and toddlers may not always have a “C” curve but care should still be taken to not push their spine in an uncomfortable position.

Comfort: Lastly, focus on the baby’s and the caregiver’s comfort. Often when troubleshooting, comfort, or the lack thereof, will be the first indication of something needing to be adjusted.

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