Guide to Babywearing: When to Start, Types, and Safety Tips
Babywearing is a great way to hold Baby hands-free that promotes bonding and communication, and reduces time in infant containers.
Wraps, ring slings, structured carriers, and hybrids like Meh Dais offer different features for various ages and stages.
Use the T.I.C.K.S. rule and other key tips to ensure safe and comfortable babywearing from the newborn stage through toddlerhood. </aside>
Babies can be quite the handful—literlly—so it’s a relief when you can give your hands and arms a break. Whether you’re on the go, tackling that ever-growing to-do list, or just trying to grab a quick snack, babywearing is a safe, convenient way to hold Baby hands-free. Plus, it comes with lots of benefits that go beyond multitasking!
Use this handy (hands-free?) guide to babywearing to help you find the right carrier—and get the lowdown on safety tips every first-time parent or caregiver should have in their back pocket!
Benefits of Babywearing
Parents and caregivers may love babywearing because they can get things done while keeping Baby close (that’s what we call a win-win!), but there are so many other great benefits! These include:
Promotes bonding with Baby in the early months
Makes Baby feel safe and soothed (research shows it may reduce crying!)
Helps prevent flat spots on head (positional plagiocephaly)
Encourages language development through close-up communication
Reduces time in infant containers
Stimulates Baby’s vestibular (balance) sense
When can you start babywearing?
In most cases, you can start babywearing right after Baby is born—as long as they meet the minimum weight listed for your carrier. If Baby was born premature or with a low birth weight, be sure to ask Baby’s healthcare provider when babywearing is safe to begin.
When to start babywearing can also depend on your comfort. If Baby arrived by C-section, you may want to wait until you feel healed enough. It’s important to listen to your body and speak with your doctor if you have any concerns.
Types of Babywearing: Wraps vs. Slings vs. Structured Carriers
There’s more than one way to wear a baby! Here are the most popular types of babywearing carriers:
Wrap: A long, stretchy or woven fabric strip that you can tie many ways, like a swaddle.
Ring Sling: A shorter, less stretchy fabric carrier that loops through two rings to adjust the fit. Ties around your torso and over one shoulder.
Structured Carriers: More sturdy carriers featuring thicker fabric or padding, buckles, pockets, and adjustable straps; common varieties include soft-structured carriers, baby backpack carriers, and hip seats.
Some baby carrier styles are a hybrid of the above types, like Meh Dais, which use the fabric of woven wraps, but have tie off shoulder and waist straps that give it similar support to a soft-structured carrier.
How to Choose the Right Baby Carrier
Baby wraps are often a great starting point for newborns, since they’re extra snug, womb-like, and highly adjustable. But ring slings and soft-structured carriers make good infant carriers, too! Just make sure Baby is facing inward while they are working on their head control.
Different carriers have different weight minimums and maximums, so it’s also important to check the labels when weighing your options!
Here’s a helpful guide to match you and Baby with the right carrier:
Babywearing Safety Tips
If there’s one thing to memorize about safe babywearing, it’s the T.I.C.K.S. rule! This acronym, created by the UK Sling Consortium, helps you remember how to safely position Baby in their carrier for inward-facing carrying in the early months:
Tight: Baby’s carrier should be tight enough that they can’t move much or slump into you when pressing a hand against their back.
In view at all times: You should be able to see Baby’s face just by glancing down. Baby’s carrier should never cover their face.
Close enough to kiss: Baby’s head should be close enough to your chin that you can give them a kiss with just a slight tip of your head.
Keep chin off the chest: Make sure you can fit at least one finger between Baby’s chin and chest to ensure they can breathe freely.
Supported back: Whether you carry them inward or outward, Baby’s back should be kept in its natural position, not slumped or twisted.
If it were up to us, we’d tack on an “H” for Healthy hip placement! Baby’s hips should be set wide apart, with their legs supported up to the knees and their bottom resting just below the knees. This positioning will look a bit like an “M”—or as some like to call it, froggy legs!
More Babywearing Safety Tips:
Take breaks as needed: If Baby is fussing—or your back is—we say it’s break time!
Switch up Baby’s head position: Doing this at every use can help prevent positional torticollis (tight neck muscles on one side).
Reduce usage in hot weather: Baby’s body heat + your body heat = one warm little burrito. Use caution when babywearing in hotter months!
Bend at your knees, not your waist: This helps keep Baby from falling out (or your back from going out if you’re picking up toys for the 20th time today!).
When should you stop babywearing?
There is no right or wrong time to stop. It all comes down to what feels right for you and Baby. However, if they’re feeling too heavy to carry or constantly resisting the carrier, it may be time to retire from your carrier career (until the next baby, maybe!).
And remember, toddlers are often eager to explore their independence and ability to move—it’s important to encourage it, even if they still love babywearing. Reducing time in baby carriers at this age can benefit you both (think of how much more you can do without a kid on your hip!)!
