Yes, You Can - Wear Your Baby Facing Out

Happy Blog Day!

As summer draws to a close and many of us look forward to crisp, cooler weather and sending children off to school again, or for the first time, or gather homeschool supplies, I find myself looking backwards - reminiscing over moments from this summer and summers past. It always feels like I did not do enough with my children over the summer. Time goes by so quickly, and the long list of activities I had planned often does not get anywhere near half way done.

Me, wearing two of my three kids

When I am out and about with my three, often wearing one, or sometimes two, of them, there are two questions I get frequently that are hard to answer, yet no matter how often I'm asked, they don't get any easier to respond to. The first question: "where did you get that?" is challenging because the answer is not simple. I vaguely answer "The internet . . ." because explaining Facebook buy/sell/trade groups and various European and American baby carrier makers is not a succinct reply or at all what the curious parent expects to hear. I wish I could say Target. Or Babies R Us. or BuyBuyBaby. These stores do, in fact, sell baby carriers, I just haven't ever bought one there. (But I did try them on! see reviews of the ones available HERE).

The second question I am almost always asked by new parents is, "can you face the baby out in that?" and for the carriers I have owned, the answer, generally speaking, is NO. Which 90% of the time, turns the new parent off entirely. They are no longer curious about what I have to offer, because they insist that their baby loves facing out, and hates facing in. I'll be honest. In the past, I rolled my eyes a bit. I have three kids and have never worn them facing out. Why haven't I? A few reasons.

1) It looks uncomfortable to me, both for me and for the baby.
2) In most carriers where the baby faces out, they are leaning away from the wearer, which really changes your center of gravity and takes a good bit of adjusting to.
3) Until recently, in most carriers where facing out is an option, when baby is facing in towards you, their seat is no more ergonomic than it was facing out.
4) My babies, and toddlers, have all been perfectly content to ride facing me, and once they were older, they were happiest on my back.

The top reasons I hear why parents want a facing out carrier:

1) Baby wants to see and interact with their environment
2) Baby doesn't like and/or seems uncomfortable facing in.
3) Economics - they were given or found one inexpensively and it works for them.

Before I get in to the facing out options, let me give you my ergonomic spiel first. Ergonomics is about comfort, both for you as the wearer, and for your baby or toddler, the wearee. Having a carrier that provides a good seat - that is, it is supportive for your little one across their pelvis and most of their thighs, so that their weight is distributed over a wider base - is far more comfortable for your little one. It's also more comfortable for you, because when baby faces in, their weight is distributed across your torso and hips, and makes wearing your baby for longer periods more comfortable for you, the wearer. A carrier with a wider base of support will also last you longer as your child grows and continues to want to be held or worn. There are tons of other Ergonomic things I could talk about, but I'll link you here for further reading.

What's in a name?



Baby T looks happy to me

You might have heard them called Crotch-Danglers, Front-Packs, or the newer Narrow Based Carrier. I like Narrow Based Carrier (NBC) the best, as it's descriptive without being judgey or having other negative connotations. Nearly all carriers you buy in a big box store fall in this category. Baby Bjorn is the most well known, but other NBCs are made by Chicco, Infantino, Evenflo, and other brands. They all work basically the same, with an X across your back, and a front pack that you slide baby into and snap on the support. Many of the newer versions include a waist belt to help distribute baby's weight better across your hips and torso, so that baby's weight isn't just pulling on your shoulders.

 

Dispelling Myths

Mr. Robinson and Baby B

You might have heard a bit about hip dysplasia and these NBCs. Using a Narrow Based Carrier will not cause your little one to develop hip dysplasia. If your baby already has, or has a medical condition that pre-disposes them to hip dysplasia, you may want to avoid Narrow Based Carriers so that the issue is not exacerbated. But there hasn't been, to my knowledge, any studies proving that hip dysplasia is CAUSED by the use of NBC's.

 

Caveats:

I would not use a NBC in the facing out position for long periods of wearing, especially once your little one is asleep. You and baby will be much more comfortable if baby is facing you, and able to curl into your body to rest.

Mr. S and Baby E enjoying the zoo

I would not use a NBC in the facing out position for a newborn without good head control. Facing out, there is nothing supporting the newborn's head and neck. The instructions in any NBC will agree with me on this.

I would use a NBC in the facing out position for an older baby who wants to see things, especially if I was not yet ready to try back carries.

Ashleigh and Emily demo'ing the NBC

I would use a NBC in the facing out position if I was going to be sitting a lot, like on a bus or train. In my experience, my babies do not like being worn facing in when I'm sitting.

This reads a bit like a Dr. Suess book, but you get the idea There are times and places and situations where facing out can be preferable. So what are your options?

What to buy:

If you want a carrier that can face out, I would get one that is as ergonomic as possible in other positions. This means that there will be some adjustments you will need to make to the panel to get it to fit best depending on how you are wearing it. This may be a pain, but I think you'll appreciate the versatility and longevity of a carrier that is more ergonomic for both of you.

Carriers that meet this criteria: Lillebaby, Beco Gemini, Ergo 360, and the Bjorn ONE. Of these, my favorite (and I've tried them all on, except for Beco) is the Lillebaby. It's the most affordable, at right around $100 brand new, and was by far the most comfortable to put on and easy to figure out. The Ergo 360 is not bad, the main deterrent is a wrap around Velcro waistband. There is nothing positive to say about that waistband. NO.THING. The Bjorn was surprisingly comfortable, once I figured it out. I mostly just found it unnecessarily complicated after the relative ease of the Lillebaby and the Ergo.

Bjorn ONE. decent carrier, price could be better

Ergo 360 - note the waistband -

Stokke - over $200 of unnecessary complications

Chicco NBC - Not our favorite

Can you face out in other carriers?

Stretchy wraps. I've seen this done, and generally I would not advise doing it. When I've seen it done, baby is often very low, the fabric is far too loose, and it just does not look safe. If you can manage a high, snug carry. . .maybe. But mostly I'm going to say, NO.

Woven wraps. I've seen posts. And there is this YouTube video.  (Even Babywearing Faith, who is a well known guru puts this caveat on her video: "I do not normally recommend outward-facing carries; hip carries and high back carries are better options for babies who want to look around. If you REALLY want to do an outward-facing carry in a woven wrap, this is a good way to do it.") I tried it with my 17 month old. He was not a fan, and neither was I, but if you were desperate to have a baby facing out? Maybe . . .  but if your baby wants to see things, come to a meeting and let us help you with hip and back carriers. You and baby will be much happier. Not to mention more comfortable.

Mei Tai.  You would need to cinch the base like you would for a newborn or young baby, but sure, you can forward face in a Mei Tai.

cinched mei tai with hairband

cinched Kinderpack

SSC/Buckle Carriers. Again, you'd need to cinch the base, but it can be done.








Bottom Line: If your baby really wants to face out, I'd buy a carrier designed for that purpose. I've tried, or had friends try the make shift versions, and their babies and mine were not nearly as happy or comfortable as they were in carriers designed for forward facing.


I know many parents whose first carrier was a narrow based carrier, and some of them look back on that purchase with regret. I hear "when you know better, you do better" quite often. If you are one of those parents, take heart. You were wearing your baby. In a safe carrier! You reaped all the benefits of babywearing: you got to bond with your baby, you were hands free, you had a happier baby, you were able to get things done, you might have even figured out how to nurse in your NBC. These are all good things. No. These are GREAT things. Fantastic, even. You, my friend, are a babywearer; no matter if you were using a narrow based carrier, a cut up table cloth, a hand-me down ring sling, an Ergo, a Tula, a Didymos woven wrap, a handwoven woven wrap, or a gorgeous custom creation made by elves in Poland. Babywearing is about wearing your baby. It's not about the carrier.

For those of us that have owned or started with a narrow based carrier and then moved on to other things, that's fabulous! I know you and baby are more comfortable in a more ergonomic carrier. I know you want to get the most out of your babywearing experience. I know other parent-baby dyads that have tried more ergonomic options and keep coming back to the NBC because that is what their baby is happiest in. Who am I to argue with a safe and happy baby?

Did you start with a NBC? What did you love about it? What did you hate about it? Share your experiences in the comments, and upload your pics in our Facebook Group. We love pictures!

Upcoming Events:

 

Ring Slings and Rebozos, Thursday, August 28th and 10 a.m. Read more on how to use Ring Slings here, and Rebozos, here.

 

Ergonomics of Babywearing - a joint event with Capital City Chiropractic - at 9 a.m.

 

As always, we will continue to have online chat on Wednesday evenings, time is variable. Generally between 8 and 9 p.m. is when we start, and we continue until no one is chatting anymore. Join the conversation! It's a great way to catch up midweek.

 

Play dates happen whenever and wherever people want to meet. Mention it in the Facebook group, and we will make it happen. If you need a leader there, or have a specific question you want help with in person, let us know, and we'll figure it out.