Wearing a Newborn

This page is still a bit “under construction,” but we’re sharing it anyway. 

The first rule of babywearing with a newborn is to make sure the baby’s airway is unobstructed. This includes making sure the baby is not in a chin-to-chest position, which can partially or fully obstruct the baby’s airway.  Floppy newborns can’t necessarily protest or correct bad positioning.  Read this article on Correct Newborn Positioning by M’Liss Stelzer.

There are a lots of great tips about wearing a newborn (in LOTS of different carriers) in this great thread on TheBabyWearer, in which an Australian babywearing advocate shares his babywearing experiences during his baby’s first three months.  (He even included links in the first post directly to many of the most informative posts in this long thread.)  (If you’re not already a member at TheBabyWearer, consider joining … it’s fast and free, and the forums are a goldmine of babywearing information.  There are forums about choosing and using different carriers, a forum about teaching and advocacy, a forum about babywearing business, and even a forum for selling and trading carriers, where you can often find great deals on carriers in excellent condition.)

Instructions from around the web (and around the world): 

Wraps:

Newborn tummy to tummy with a woven wrap, with a headrest and twisted straps (highly recommended), MCS blog post featuring a YouTube video.

Newborn cradle carry with a stretchy wrap, MCS blog post featuring a YouTube video of cute European daddy wrapper.

Newborn cradle carry with a woven wrap with the wrap folded in half lengthwise, instructions and photos, from Peppermint.

Newborn tummy to tummy with a woven wrap, and transition to nursing, instructions and photos from Peppermint.

Newborn burp carry (high on your shoulder) with a wrap.  It’s in Greek, but the photos are fairly explanatory.  To see the configuration of fabric without a baby (or doll), click here and scroll down to “Front (Proper) Cross Tie On First.”  To do the burp carry, you wrap the fabric like that but wear the baby high in the inner cross with the outer cross supporting the baby’s back and bottom.

Newborn carries at www.WrapYourBaby.com. 

Ring Slings:

Tummy to tummy in a ring sling, and transition to nursing, instructions and photos from Peppermint.

Preemies:

For more information about babywearing a premature infant, see this thread on www.TheBabyWearer.com. Please note that preemies are at enhanced risk for positional asphyxia because of their low muscle tone, and it is critical to keep their airways open and protected. For information about Kangaroo Mother Care, which involves a special kind of skin-to-skin babywearing, see this website.