Good Morning, Babywearers!
It's been a busy weekend, and I'm sure many of you have been out and about babywearing - I've seen you at the Greek Festival, Chinese Moon Festival, Soda City, and all the other usual places like soccer games, grocery stores, Target and the Mall. Well, you know what I mean. I saw posts on Facebook - there's no way in the world I can manage to hit all that stuff in one weekend, even if I wanted to! But I love seeing the variety of carriers each of us use every day.
That's one thing I really, really love about Babywearers of the Midlands - we have parents that use SSC/Buckle carriers all the time, others that are all about wraps, we have moms that love their Mei Tai, and still others that can't get enough ring slings. And yes, we have families that own and use a variety of these carriers, depending on the situations (yours truly, for example). That's one thing that I think is really important about this group as it grows - we see that all carriers are welcome and we can geek out about just about anything. If you are prone to geekery, at any rate.
Update: 09/27/2015: As you can see, this post was originally written and published a little over a year ago. In that year, a lot has changed in the babywearing community regarding recommended safety practices and regulations. The most commonly given new rule of thumb is: if it is not in manufacturer's instructions, don't do it!
Therefore I'm updating this post with some caveats to safety, and when these Make It Work Tricks are ok to do, and when they are not.
For ALL OF THESE TIPS - they are not long term solutions. They are things you can do to make a carrier work for a wear or two, not more than that.
Make it Work!
All of us have done it. Bought a carrier slightly too big for our baby. Maybe the baby was smaller than you thought, or the carrier bigger. Or perhaps you were gifted a carrier and you can't get a good fit. I'm going to focus on three "tricks" you can use to make a carrier work for you and your baby, at any size. You may have heard of them, but wondered what they were. They have become so common in the babywearing world that they have become part of the lingo, and often not given much explanation. They are: The Hair Tie Trick, The Blanket Trick, and The Scarf Trick. I'm hear to break it down for you, so you can make these carriers work for you! Updated Caveat: If your baby and carrier size are serious mismatch - they baby won't fit in for weeks or months - sell or trade your carrier for one that's the proper size. Under each of these tips I'll explain why they are short-term solutions.
The Hair Tie Trick
Who? This trick is used to make carriers work for smaller babies and newborns. It can also be used on a toddler carrier to make it work more like a standard.
What? Used primarily on Mei Tai, because it doesn't usually place unusual stress on the seams. On Buckle Carriers/SSC, this is a short term, do once or twice solution.
Where? At the base of panel, above the waistband.
When? Use this when the panel of the Mei Tai or SSC appears to swallow your baby. Especially with newborns, you want to follow TICKS:
- T: Tight - carrier needs to fit baby snugly to your body
- I: In View at All Times
- C: Close Enough to Kiss
- K: Keeps Chin off Chest - need that airway open!
- S: Supported Back - you want baby upright, with back in C position when they are tiny.
How? Easy Peasy. Using a hair band, ribbon, or other loop of elastic, slip it over the waist band (the ties if using a Mei Tai, the webbing if using a SSC), and onto the lowest part of the body panel, above the waistband. This shortens and cinches the panel, making it comfortable for a newborn to be legs out, in an M Position. For more on Ergonomics (like M Position, C shaped Spine, TICKS, and other alphabet soup awesomeness, see HERE. )
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| an uncinched Mei Tai See how it does not follow the rules of TICKS? (this was Demo Dolly. She was in no danger) |
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| If you look closely, you can see the hairband at the base of this Mei Tai |
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| See how well it fits, when it's cinched? |
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| Using a hair elastic to cinch the base of a Mai Tai |
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| Using a Kinderpack's Storage loop to cinch the base of a standard carrier |
Updated Caveat - using the roll up strap to cinch the base of the carrier was a recommendation that even the manufacturer, Kinderpack endorsed not all that long ago. They no longer recommend this particular use of the storage strap, as it places undue and unusual stress on the seams that have not been tested to safety standards.
The Blanket Trick
Updated Caveat: Only use this trick at the manufacturer recommendation. The only manufacturer that endorses this method is Lillebaby. Why? most infant inserts sold with carriers not only boost baby up, they also support your newborn around the sides, to prevent slumping and leaning which helps protect that precious airway. Furthermore, blankets smoosh more than the foam pillows used in infant inserts and can easily become dislodged. Final recommendation: use this with a Lillebaby if your baby is not ready to be legs out in the narrow base setting. Other wise, you may want to try and borrow, trade, or buy a carrier better sized for your newborn until they fit properly in the one you have.
What? Used on SSC/Buckle Carriers.
Where? At the base of panel, above the waistband.
When? Use this when the panel SSC appears to swallow your baby. Especially with newborns, you want to follow TICKS:
- T: Tight - carrier needs to fit baby snugly to your body
- I: In View at All Times
- C: Close Enough to Kiss
- K: Keeps Chin off Chest - need that airway open!
- S: Supported Back - you want baby upright, with back in C position when they are tiny.
How? Buckle or tie the waist of your carrier in your preferred location. Most parents tend to do this a bit higher than their belly buttons when using carriers with a newborn, in order to get baby in a higher position. Roll a flannel receiving blanket, and place on top of the waist band. Hold the roll with one hand while placing baby sitting on it with the other. Bring the back of the carrier up, and put your arms through the straps and fasten the chest clip. Many people prefer this method rather than the manufactured infant inserts (like Ergobaby's) because it is not padded and therefore less hot. But please, if your carrier comes with an infant insert, use it, rather than this method. Or let us help hook you up with a cooler carrier! There are a lot of great options out there that are more breathable and work wonderfully for newborns.
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| Side view of Jackie and H, blanket roll |
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| Front view - placing baby on roll |
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| All done - Baby H is Snug, Kissable, Viewable, and Comfortable and adorable, too!
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Scarf Trick
Who? Have a narrow based carrier (made by Baby Bjorn, Snuggli, Evenflo, etc)? This trick is for you!
What? This trick will turn your less than ergonomic carrier into one more comfortable - for both you and baby, by bringing baby's legs up into an M position, and securing baby more snugly to your torso.
Where? Like most of these tricks, around baby's seat.
When? This can be used for babies of any age or size that fit the weight limits of your narrow based carrier.
Why? Contrary to what some of you may have heard, using a Narrow Based Carrier is not going to cause your baby to develop Hip Dysplasia. However, if your baby is prone to this condition due to other medical factors, using a Narrow Based Carrier (NBC, from here. I'm a lazy typist), will certainly not help. This trick brings your baby into a more ergonomic position - that is, a position that is far more comfortable and natural for them, while at the same time, securing them more snugly to your torso, which makes it more comfortable for YOU, the wearer.
Why does it work? In most narrow based carriers, even when baby is facing you, they are harnessed such that they are really hanging in front of your body, only connected by the shoulder straps (and maybe waist band, if your NBC has one). The baby's weight is pulling away from your center of gravity which in turn, pulls on your shoulders and can hurt your back. This is especially evident if they are up for a long period of time. As far as your baby goes, ever notice - particularly with a newborn - how when you hold them upright, their tiny legs tuck in and up, like a frog? When you are holding them, your hand or arm is almost always under their bottom, supporting this frog-legged position, so that it almost looks like an M with the baby's knees being the top points of the M? You want your carrier to mimic the position you would hold them, in arms, as it feels most natural and comfortable for both of you.
How? There are two ways you can do this. The first, and most common, is to use any scarf that you could comfortably tie around you and baby. Bringing babies legs up into an ergonomic position, use the scarf around the both of you to secure the baby's legs in that M position, tying the scarf in the back. The second method, you need a couple yards of a narrow strip of cloth. With baby in the NBC, you use the strip tied almost like you would a Moby wrap, bringing baby's legs up into the M position, and the fabric crossed behind your back. This method might be a bit cooler than using a scarf, and may overall feel more supportive than the scarf alone, since it also helps distribute the weight of baby better across your torso and shoulders.
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| Ashleigh, using the 1st scarf trick She tucks the scarf up under baby's bottom to create an ergonomic seat before tying in back. |
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| Chris, using the 2nd scarf trick She starts like the first scarf trick, creating the seat, then bringing the ends of the fabric crossed in back and over her shoulders before tying under S's bottom. |
Hopefully, this has helped you find ways to make your carriers work for you, or perhaps you can take this knowledge out in your community to help your friends, family, and neighbors use their carriers in a way that makes them more comfortable. I know so many people give up babywearing because they can't find a way to make the carriers they have work for them, and they don't want to spend more money on another carrier without knowing if they can make it work. If you, or someone you know, wants to try out some options, please invite them, come with them, drag them to, one of our meetings. Ok, maybe not drag them. We are so blessed with what we've been able to add to our Lending Library, and we want to share the love! Plus we love seeing new faces and getting to know each one of you better.
Our Lending Library has grown so much over the last year since this was originally published! please contact one of our Librarians, and we will be happy to help you find a carrier that fits and works best for you and your little one.
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