When you get a new carrier – or a used one, but new to you carrier – it can take a little while to get comfortable with this carrier. Maybe you haven’t used this style of carrier before or maybe this buckle carrier is different to the one you have used before or maybe you haven’t used any carrier at all before this one. No matter what your situation is, it can often be helpful to get some help. This could be a professional babywearing consultant, volunteers at your local babywearing library meeting or a friend who knows this type of carrier well.
These are some of the benefits for getting help with your new – or not so new – carrier:
Carrying safely
The most important benefit for getting help with your new carrier is to ensure that you are carrying your baby safely in the carrier. There are two main babywearing hazards: suffocation and falling. I feel that it is important to know about those risks in order to avoid them.
Your baby may be at risk of suffocation if her airways get obstructed. Three things to look out for are:
- Close enough to kiss: wear your baby nice and high. Her head should be resting on the bony part of your chest, not between your soft breasts. For men, this doesn’t matter so much as they don’t tend to have soft breasts.
- In sight at all times: make sure that you can always see your baby’s face. No fabric should be covering your baby’s face.
- Chin off the chest: your baby’s chin should be about two finger widths off its chest to avoid constricting her airways. When your baby falls asleep and her head drops, gently guide her head back.
Your baby may also be at risk of falling if you haven’t tightened your carrier properly. For buckle carriers it is important to have the straps nice and tight. For wraps, ring slings and meh dais it is important to tighten properly while you wrap your baby. And for stretchy wraps you need to pre-tie your wrap as tight as a tight-fitting T-Shirt and ensure that all three layers of fabric are covering all of your baby’s back up to her earlobes.
Fitting the carrier perfectly
Another huge benefit of getting some help, when you first get a new carrier, is to get the best fit for you and your baby. Especially when it comes to buckle carriers (soft structured carriers) little adjustments can make the world of a difference. Perhaps you could lift your waistband a little, tighten your shoulder straps in a different way or move your chest clip either up or down your back.
Learn tips and tricks for your carrier
Each and every carrier is different and getting some help with your carrier means that you might learn a few new tips and tricks you didn’t know before. Perhaps you have trouble clipping the chest clip on your back or you can’t quite reach the straps of your shoulder straps to tighten properly. A professional babywearing consultant who knows the ins and outs of many styles of carriers will be able to show you lots of tips and tricks for your specific carrier. Another option would be to go to your local babywearing library meetings and get advice from helpful volunteers.
Perhaps I can help you
If you would like to get some help with a carrier, please get in touch with me and book a personal support session where I can teach you how to safely wear your baby, fit your carrier perfectly and give you tips and tricks for your carrier.
Please share with your friends: