… and our friends at Magic City Slingers have found a great video tutorial on how to do it. Two great things about the video are that it shows how to twist the tails of the FWCC to make a cooler carry (this would work really well with a summer newborn) and making a headrest out of a burp cloth.

If you’ve got a newborn or know someone who has, check this video out!

What are your best newborn wrapping tips? Leave a comment and let us know!

Thanks to Jess, who always puts a smile on our faces. What’s been your most glamourous babywearing moment?

On a babywearing blog, I suppose the argument I’m going to make here isn’t that surprising. It’s the cure, not the cause.

Here’s my story: I have a high needs baby.  She’s mindblowing. There is only one person she wants to hold her (and, sometimes, touch her): me. At 11 months, it’s been a long and draining year so far. At first I wore her because it was the only way she could be comfortable. She can sit independently and move around quite a bit these days, her reflux is largely resolved, so I don’t have to wear her so often and as such haven’t been (see the injured shoulder saga).

But she’s still very, very anxious with other people and is unwilling to let anyone else care for her. Funnily enough, on the days I wear her all day long (she comes to work with me once a week), she’s as happy as a clam.

Here’s my plan: I’m going to wear her. I’m going to wear her every opportunity I get- not just when she asks for it, not just when she needs it. I’m going to actively hold her as much as she’ll permit. If holding my clingy baby is the cause of her anxiety, then her behaviour won’t change. However, if (as is my theory) responding to her need to be near me and embracing it will help her grow through this stage, we should see some improvement soon.

I’ll report back soon and let you know how it’s going. (Wish me luck!)

Do you have a high-needs child? How do you cope? What’s your strategy for dealing with a child who needs you All. The. Time.? Leave a comment and let us know!

As part of our “How to Breastfeed Hands free series” which started here, this post discusses breastfeeding in a long wrap. Specifically, we’ll discuss breastfeeding upright in a Front Wrap Cross Carry. If you’re not familiar with the carry, instructions can be found here. Another carry with a similar technique is the Front Cross Carry which is slightly cooler. Instructions for this carry are here.

Breastfeeding upright in this carry involves the same technique as breastfeeding in a mei tai which Sarah explained last week.

• Place baby in the carry, untie and bounce down to the correct level (mouth at nipple height or a little higher) and retie.
• Latch the baby (if you are larger breasted, it may be easier not to undo your bra, but to remove the breast from over the top of it for extra support, see the mei tai post for more detail).
• Once baby is latched, you can use the crosses of the wrap to offer head support or privacy as desired.
• That done, go about your business! (Thanks to Lara for some great spur-of-the-moment photography.)

It’s obvious that this method of breastfeeding works best for a child with some head control. It’s also possible to nurse newborns (and other sized kids) using this carry in a cradle position, however that’s the subject of its own post in the future. The upright nature of this method is great for babies with reflux who don’t do well being breastfed in a cradle position. See this post for more details on babywearing with reflux.

Do you breastfeed in public? Do you prefer to do it in a carrier? Why? Leave a comment and let us know!

OK, I’ll admit I’m an addict. When I was pregnant with my second child, I looked forward to two things: the end of morning sickness and newborn babywearing. I hadn’t worn my eldest child as a neonate- we got our first sling when he was about 4 weeks old, so I was looking forward to the experience.

Our daughter was delivered on Sunday night. By Monday morning I was hungry and it was the first time in about 30 weeks that I didn’t feel like I was going to see breakfast twice. I was thankful to be doing this the second time around. No need to leave my baby in an unfamiliar tupperware container while I went to find food! No need to drag the cart that carries the tupperware container all over the postnatal ward! Just pop the baby in the sling and continue as normal.

And then I dropped cereal on her head.

But it was nice to have a cuddle and even to breastfeed her and be able to tend to my own needs at the same time.

Our baby had a nasty case of reflux. She spent her first six months utterly miserable unless she was carried. Some of our best tips and tricks on that can be found here. She had an intense need to be upright all the time and we found a tummy to tummy position in a ringsling great for those first two weeks.

After that, she got bigger and still wanted to be upright. A short wrap was our next most-used item in the stash. I found the hip cross carry, tied with the cross in front and the newborn tucked into the folds of the cross, froggied,  to be a great, poppable carry. It’s just as quick to tie as a ring sling and was more supportive since some of the weight is distributed to the waist.

Once she was two weeks old, my partner was back to work. It was time for the back carry! More on that in another post…

Have you worn a newborn? What worked for you? What concerns did you have? Leave a comment and let us know. If you are wearing a newborn or intending to, don’t forget babywearing safety!

One of the common misconceptions circulating in babywearing circles is that time upright in a carrier can be equated with “tummy time”, or time an infant spends playing on its tummy. These two activities should not be equated, there are important differences for the child’s development in each position. However, there are also many similarities and time in a carrier is a good alternative to tummy time when the latter is not practical.

Tummy Time

“Tummy time” is commonly defined as time an infant spends playing on its stomach while awake. It is commonly recommended by many medical professionals to start at birth as a way of reducing or avoiding the mishaping of an infant’s head (plagiocephaly) caused by too much time in one position.

Tummy time also has the benefit of strengthening an infant’s abdominal and chest muscles while offering a different view of the world and an opportunity to engage with it directly as a tactile experience, rather than observing it while lying on the back.

However, some babies, especially those with reflux, protest and detest tummy time.  Many parents are left wondering whether an activity so distressing to their child could be beneficial developmentally while worrying that failing to engage in regular tummy time may result in an avoidable disfigurement for their child in the form of plagiocephaly.

The good news is that babywearing is an alternative to tummy time. The common misconception, however, is that the two are equal.

Sling Time

Like tummy time, sling time has many benefits for an infant’s development. Upright time in a carrier removes pressure from the back of the head (present when the baby is lying on its back), reducing the chance of plagiocephaly quite effectively.

Time spent upright in a sling also exercises many of the same core stability muscles that are used during tummy time, however these muscles are not being used to the same level of exertion over the same time period as tummy time. Consider doing a pushup on the floor (or not). Now, think about pushing up while leaning against a wall. The latter is much easier, thanks to gravity. This is a similar comparison to tummy time and sling time. Another difference is that upper abdominal muscles may be used to a greater extent than lower abdominal muscles during sling time. The reason for this is the way the child is secured to the caregiver in the sling.

Since a baby is less likely to be frustrated in a sling and spend much longer in a sling more regularly throughout the day, the overall cumulative effect of sling time will be very beneficial to the development of these core stability muscles. The stimulation of the world around the very young infant will provide a very good incentive for the baby to develop its neck muscles from a very early age. In addition, since the babywearer is generally moving about while carrying the infant, the baby’s sense of balance and movement will also be developed.

There are several benefits of tummy time that sling time does not replicate, however. When a child is playing on its stomach, it can reach for (and usually mouth) toys. Gradually this will develop into a desire to move towards a desired object. Although a child can be given a toy to manipulate while it is in a carrier, this latter encouragement to take the first steps towards autonomous movement is missing in the carrier. Not all the same muscles are used to the same degree when in a carrier compared to when a baby is on its stomach. With this in mind, however, there are many benefits of closeness to a loving caregiver while in a sling that tummy time cannot replicate. Time babywearing can be used as a good way to develop those gross motor skills an infant needs to find tummy time less frustrating.

Conclusion

Although tummy time and sling time are not entirely interchangeable, they are two similar forms of exercise for an infant, each with benefits. Sling time, while not replacing tummy time, can help reduce the probability of placiocephaly while also developing core stability muscles in the worn infant. It is a good alternative to consider when a baby is frustrated by tummy time and an easy way to develop a child’s muscles in preparation for tummy time. However, time spent on the stomach should be introduced at some point for optimal development of gross motor skills.