Have you recently bought a new carrier and now you realise that your baby cries every time you try to put her in the carrier? Don’t worry! This doesn’t mean that your baby hates being carried and will never like being in a carrier. There can be different reasons why your baby cries when she is in the carrier. I will explain those reasons today and give you some handy tips and tricks on how to settle your baby in the carrier.
1. Are you new to babywearing?
Carrying your baby in a carrier is a skill that you will need to learn. If you have never carried your baby before it is only natural to feel a bit nervous and unsure about what you are doing. Your baby, however, does pick up on your uncertainty and gets nervous as well. Which means she might start crying.
My tips:
- Practise how to use your carrier with a teddy or doll to build up your own confidence.
- Book a support session with me! You can practise with a weighted demo doll and I will show you how to confidently use your carrier.
2. Is your baby content?
Some of the reasons why your baby is crying could be that she is hungry, has a dirty nappy, or is overtired. Make sure that you have checked all of those before placing your baby in the carrier. But even when you do have a happy baby, she might start crying when placed in the carrier.
My tips:
- When placing your baby in the carrier, try some gentle movement. Take your time with this.
- When just starting with babywearing, wear your baby for short spurts of time first and build up slowly to get your baby used to the carrier.
- Try to wear your baby at different times during the day.
- Change your environment: fresh air outside can help or even just the movement of you walking.
3. Could it be the carrier?
What if you have tried all the tips above, but your baby is still not happy in the carrier? It might also well be that your baby is uncomfortable in the carrier and is therefore crying. A narrow-based carrier for example may be uncomfortable for a baby. Or your baby isn’t positioned ideally in the carrier. It will be most comfortable for your baby when her legs are in the M-position and her spine has a natural J-shape (see picture below).
My tips:
- If you do have a narrow-based carrier try the scarf hack, which I have described in this post.
- Try to get your baby into the ideal M-shape with her knees higher than her bottom by lifting her knees gently up and tucking the pelvis under.
- Book a support session with me to get the best fit for your baby!
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What would be your Number 1 tip for settling your crying baby in the carrier?
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