Make your baby sling more comfortable 2
A baby should be in sitting position in a baby sling. He should not be fully upright with his legs dangling down where his legs would be bouncing on your legs as you walk. This is often called a frog-like position. This means:
- Baby's legs should be flexed and his knees above his bottom. His thighs should be wide apart. As your child is growing, his legs will be resting on your hips, very much as you would normally carry a baby or a toddler naturally without a baby sling. The fabric of the baby sling should be spread from his neck, down his back, under his bottom and thighs all the way to his knees.
- This frog-like position means that the baby's back can be curved forward as it was in the womb. The baby's neck can be aligned with the spine and rest on his parents' chest or back. This way, the weight of the baby's head will not be resting on his spine but be transferred to your body.
- Keep forward facing carries for short periods of time. Some parents love carrying their child forward-facing. Keep in mind that such carries don't offer baby sufficient back or neck support and exposes him to over-stimulation. If you place your child tummy to tummy but slightly sideways, he will still be able to see most of the world around his. Should a loud noise startle him or should he feel sleepy, he can snuggle up against. Remember, to your baby, mummy is the most important person in the world, keep you in sight is more important to him that anything else.
Theses baby sling principles are essential both for your comfort and for baby's comfort and development. Take the time to practice with your new baby sling and you will be enjoying years of comfortable 'babywearing'.
Created: December 14, 2009
