When searching for a baby carrier, follow these five tips to be sure you are buying the right one.
Mimics the in arms position — When a baby is in a baby carrier, he should be in the same position as when he’s being held in your arms. This is the single most important part to any baby carrier. If it is an upright baby carrier, the baby should be snug against your body, high on your chest, and in the same position your arms hold them in. If it is a side laying carrier, the baby should be between your breasts and your belly button, in the same position, and location as when you hold the baby in your arms. If you put the carrier on and let go of your baby and the baby moves away from you, drop downs, or slumps to the side etc, then your carrier is not on correctly.
Close Enough to Kiss — The baby’s head should be close enough to you that you can bend down and easily kiss the top of her head. If you cannot bend far enough to reach the baby, then she is too low. If the baby is too low, there is a higher risk of breathing difficulty, and you may feel that the baby is insecure or may fall out of the carrier. Wearing a baby too low will also cause backaches.
Held Tightly — Make sure your carrier is tight enough you and the baby. When you lean over, or to the side, there should be little to no space between you and your baby. If you feel like you need to hold onto your baby to keep him falling out of the baby carrier, it probably needs to be tightened or you need a smaller size. If a baby carrier is too large, when you lean over, your baby will swing away from you. This will make it harder on your back, and will potentially put your baby in an unsafe position.
Eye to eye contact — Your baby’s face needs to be visible. His head should not be covered with any fabric. You should be able to look at your baby’s entire face when he is in a carrier.
No Back Pain — A carrier should not hurt your back or neck. If this happens then the carrier is not being worn correctly or the carrier is not designed correctly. There are hundreds of baby carriers on the market that can be worn with a baby that is 25-plus pounds. Parents who are feeling pressure points or experiencing neck or backaches need to adjust the carrier until it is comfortable or perhaps try different carrier that will work better.
If the above items cannot be accomplished, try a different baby carrier.
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Melissa Radcliffe is co-founder of the TogetherBe Company. Visit them at www.togetherbe.com.
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(c) 2010, Hybrid Mom, http://www.hybridmom.com/.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune News Service
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