Tying a wrap around a baby who is already nursing is often the easiest way to learn to nurse in a wrap, because instead of having a hungry baby becoming frantic and making you frantic while trying to learn a new skill, your baby is happily nursing from the beginning, buying you contented time to figure it out!

I would, however, start in a seated position, and not standing in the middle of a beach!  I made a video of this with Annabelle when she was very young, in our living room–on the very couch that she was born on, in fact! In this video I had already pretied a front cross carry. I sit down and insert her into it, latch her on, and then get everything tightened up so that it becomes truly hands-free.

Usually while wrapping up my nursing baby, he gets jostled off the breast at some point, and I just stop to help him get latched on gain, then continue.

Patience is important as staying calm will get you a lot farther faster than anything else!  If you work at it for a few minutes and it almost works, then baby wants to get down, or needs to burp, or even just because you’ve had enough and don’t want to get frustrated, go ahead and stop.  Work on it more the next time. You’ve made progress–take a win!

A note on nursing in the cradle position: Make sure you can see your baby’s face, and that your baby’s nostrils are clear and have access to plenty of fresh air.

You also need to be aware of your baby’s airway which is especially delicate in very young infants.  In order to keep the airway clear, be sure that your baby’s neck is not bent forward bringing your baby’s chin to his or her chest as that can fold the tube closed that your baby needs for air.  You should be able to fit two adult fingers between chin and chest at any time.

My wrapping style, like my parenting in general, has gotten more comfortable and relaxed now that I’m on the third baby.  You know how they tell you that your newborn baby needs to wake up to nurse every two hours, should have 6-8 wet diapers per day, and needs to wear a hat?  These are rules designed to help out new, nervous parents, and they’re designed to reassure them too: baby’s peeing enough, thank goodness!  The rules are training wheels.

Like riding a bike, once you learn to parent you never forget.  And you never need training wheels again.  So I haven’t counted diapers, have no idea how often Cassidy is nursing, or how long he’s slept in between.  I know enough to know he’s healthy and thriving without those measurements.

Wrapping has rules, too, and once you understand what they’re for and what really matters, you don’t need them anymore.  For example, if you know why your baby’s knees should be positioned higher than his or her bottom, you understand enough to know that your baby is positioned well without checking knee-butt level ratio.

Sure a Front Cross Carry is supposed to cross in between your baby’s legs, but as long as your wrap job provides a good seat, you can cross over the legs instead, rebozo style.

Sometimes my baby’s feet are wrapped in the wrap, sometimes they stick out.  Sometimes one sticks out.

And when I lower my baby to nurse, in an upright position, he often ends up reclining in more of a cradle position–without my having rewrapped him.  And it doesn’t matter whether he’s upright or cradle, just that I know he’s supported ergonomically and can nurse comfortably.

I don’t want to give the impression I’ve given over to lazy wrapping.  Rather I feel that it’s effortless (for the most part) and more like improvisation.  Maybe I don’t plan exactly what carry I’m doing.  I just get my baby positioned where I want him and when I’m done, he’s all wrapped up!

And while I’m worrying less about the details, in a way, I pay more attention to them, too.  For example, this baby is my littlest and as such I pay closer attention to his vitals.  I’m not worried, I just want to make sure his face isn’t buried in a blanket, since he’s not as buff as my others (yet).  And by this point in my babywearing career I understand the physiology behind the danger of letting my baby’s chin fall against his chest.  And I recognize that this can happen in an upright position as well as a cradle position, so I am attentive to his chin position and far more likely to tilt his head back, than I am to worry so much about supporting the back of his head.

From this perspective, I have advice for babywearers that perhaps haven’t gained this confidence: RELAX!  Yes, it is important to use your carrier correctly for safety and comfort, but remember that you can adjust on the fly, you can take it off and try again, and you can learn something from every attempt.  So try to keep it light.  And if it’s working, don’t fret over whether it looks just the same as in the picture.  In fact, don’t be afraid to mix it up, some!  Remember, wrapping isn’t just functional…it’s an art!  Art is meant to be a unique expression, not a reproduction!

It’s about the nine months I carried you in my womb; the hopes, dreams, and smiles with which I anticipated your earthly arrival; the sight and smell and knowledge of you that keeps my heart doing flip flops; and the fact that neither one of us wants to be separated.

1 week before birth

1 week after birth

Because there is no place you would rather be, and it’s the most and the least I can do for you.  Because the world is new and wide, and my presence is the perfect reassurance and introduction.  Because you have entered into a safe and loving world, and you are close to those who love you.

nursing

You have time enough to stand, and walk, and run, and I look forward to chasing you . . . but not yet.

nursing again

Because sleeping peacefully in your cradle is not as nice, as safe, or as happy as sleeping on my chest.  Because here I can see your face, lips, and breath, your fluttering lids and lashes, and every momentary smile or wince as you dream.

at the park

For almost a year my body has kept you safe and focused, reminding you to breath, keeping you connected to humanity, and earth, and life, as no molded plastic seat can.

3 weeks old

The coziness, comfort, safety, and closeness is familiar, as are our heartbeats, and the rhythms and smells of our bodies.

with daddy

with grammy

sweet sister with doll

This is good and right, and no one should be able to threaten it.  If you have a babywearing love story, share it here http://www.adventuresinbabywearing.com/2010/10/babywearing-and-call-to-action.html and know that someone will read it who needs it.  Learn more about protecting babywearing on the Baby Carrier Industry Alliance Facebook page.

Usually there is no difficulty.  But in the case of a very young infant, especially premature or weak infants, extra care is wise as the baby may not be able to move their head to get a clear breath, or to move away any obstruction.  They are entirely dependent and should ideally never be out of sight.

I love a baby wrap for keeping your baby always under your attentive eye.  What you should be looking out for is that the baby’s face is always clear–not covered by cloth or blankets or anything else; and the baby’s neck is straight–not doubled over with chin close to chest.

• When using a cloth baby carrier, make sure it holds the baby in such a safe position and that you can see your baby’s face.
• When putting your baby down to sleep make sure it is on a firm surface with nothing nearby that can end up covering your baby’s face.
• When baby is being held, maintain their position so that their necks are not overly bent.
• When baby is in a car seat, try to keep baby’s head from folding down into an unsafe position.  When possible, have an adult where they can see the baby, and do not use the car seat more often than necessary.

Any recommendation that slings and baby carriers be avoided is not necessary when parents understand how to safely care for their infants in AND OUT of carriers.  The rules for breathing are the same.   Please comment with any questions you may have about this.  I teach safe babywearing locally, and will be happy to let you know of any babywearing classes I may know of in other areas.

a few weeks old . . . face clear, head tilted upward

Double Hammock Carry in Neobulle Vert Anis (thank you, Dana)

I finally put up a page for the Double Hammock Carry.  Photo tutorial now available, thank you dear husband for photographing!

I also have a couple of videos:

This one with my god-daughter Aurora, shows a toddler in a double hammock carry.

This one is my newborn in a double hammock (legs tucked in).

I love this carry, which is also called the Chunei Back Carry.  It is easy, secure, gives the baby a view, and my all around favorite wrap carry.  Check out the new instructions and give it a whirl!

And let me know if there’s anything that I need to clarify.  I aim to serve!

So here are some tips:

First, make sure you have your baby wrapped high and tight on your chest.  You should be able to kiss the top of your baby’s head easily.  My last post had some tips for tightening baby up to the right height.

Next, realize that your wrap is probably wide enough for a toddler, and that width may be swallowing up a little baby.  I personally like a wide wrap with a little baby.  The width is nice to have when you know how to use it.  You can choose where to spread it, and where to bunch it.  In the pictures below, the wide, alternating stripes of orange, green, yellow, and red, make it easy to see where I’ve bunched and spread the wrap.

The middle two stripes are spread, and the outer edges are bunched.

The upper half of the wrap is spread, the two lower stripes are bunched.

The lower half of the wrap is spread, with the top half bunched.

The wrap can also be evenly bunched over baby.  The trick is to make sure that the tightness along the length (from your shoulder to opposite hip) is uniform no matter how it is bunched.  And if you find that the edges (orange and red stripes in above wrap) are tight enough, check to see if the middle of the wrap is also pulled tightly, otherwise you may have too deep a pouch that your baby can sink down into.

Another thing that you can do to keep your baby above water, is just to poke out one of your baby’s arms.  My tiny infant often slept against me with the wrap supporting her head while one arm and shoulder hung out.  When awake, both arms can be out if the baby is supporting his or her own head.

Baby's right arm is out of the wrap.

Both arms and shoulders are out of the wrap.

Whenever you carry a newborn you must make sure that the baby’s chin is not tucked against his chest as this closes the airway so that the baby cannot breathe.  A person of any age will find it easier to breathe when the neck is not folded over, and the littler the baby, the more vulnerable to this problem.

When choosing a baby carrier, avoid ones that curl babies up so that this chin-to-chest position is possible.  The bag sling–unlike traditional slings–has baby sunk down in a deep pouch in a curved shape and there is nothing to protect a newborn from this unsafe positioning, or from rolling to the side so that mouth and nose can be pressed against the side of the carrier.

A good pouch, sling, or wrap should always be worn so that your baby is held tight against you–not dangling off your shoulder like a purse.  Even aside from the issue of safety, all the benefits of babywearing are gained by having baby’s body pressed against yours!

Newborns can be worn in an upright position from birth to avoid being pushed into the unsafe position.  As most babies prefer the upright position, it is the way I usually teach new parents to wear their wraps anyway.

However, a cradle position can be used safely if desired.  If your baby seems to sink into a deep pouch of the carrier, you are probably placing your baby straight down the center, or deepest part, of the fabric.  Instead of placing your baby parallel to the sides of the pouch, you should put your baby in diagonally: baby’s head should be towards the outside of the carrier and baby’s bottom should be towards your stomach.  By resting baby’s head on the outer side of the pouch, it is held up (your baby’s head will be higher than his bottom and legs) where it is unlikely to be pressed against the chest and where you can clearly see to ensure that it is not!

In other words, in the striped wrap below, if I had placed my baby parallel to the stripes she would be sunk down somewhere along the purple stripe with her head on my right on the purple stripe and her bottom and legs toward my left side, still along the purple stripe.  This positioning would curl her body up.  Instead she is diagonal to the fabric with her head on the outer gray stripe which is much higher and this keeps her body much straighter along her spine.

Note that this was an upright carry which got lowered and tilted for purposes of nursing, but because of the stripes I felt it was perfect for the purposes of this discussion!

Cradle carry with baby's head toward the outer rail of the wrap fabric.

You should always follow these rules while babywearing:

• Wear baby tight against you so that there is no possibility of rolling or turning in the carrier.
• Do not cover your baby’s face with fabric–you want your baby to get plenty of oxygen and you also want to be able to see him!
• Keep baby’s head from slumping forward–you should be able to fit two fingers between your baby’s chin and chest at all times.
• Do not use any positioning that causes your baby’s breathing to sound labored.

Any carrier that does not allow you to follow these rules is a dangerous place to put your baby.  There are several other brands of bag slings that were not involved in the recall but have the same basic design and inherent risk.  Here is a good video that can help you identify dangerous carriers: Proper Infant Positioning in a Baby Sling

Babies sink down into bag slings so that their heads can curl forward onto their chests--dangerous for a little baby!

Cradle carry with a Storchenwiege Wrap holding baby's upper body (head to butt) in more of a straight line so the chin isn't tucked.

Let me explain, then I’ll post some pics to clarify.  I loosen the wrap a little, then lift Belle’s body so her weight’s not on the wrap, then I pull one of the crosses down from between her legs and around her body so that both legs are sticking out one side.  If I’m going to nurse her on my left side, then the cross coming over my right shoulder is the one that I’ll remove from between her legs.  Now that cross will be coming from my right shoulder, around her body, and around my left hip.  Her cute little legs will be sticking out on my right side, with the other cross still between them, and her head will be positioned at my left breast.

And I suspect that this is one of those cases where a picture is worth a thousand words so without further explanation…

Legs sticking out of one FCC cross.

At the nursing end of the Front Cross Carry.

Something about this particular position is very easy for me to get adjusted just so and does not require adjustments thereafter so I’m what you call a fan!

Wrapping Belle meant that I wasn’t interrupted by a baby needing to be picked up.  Wrapping her on my back meant that I was even able to lean over the washing machine, and there was no bundle in front of me to interfere with sweeping!  It also meant that Belle was a happy baby, cuddled up to her momma.  Having just  nursed, she happily went to sleep and my body movements kept her asleep for the duration.  Lucky kid woke up to find all of the work finished!

Sweeping while Belle snoozes in a Reinforced Rear Rebozo Rucksack.

Doing laundry with Belle on my back.