What is an ergonomic baby carrier? Benefits and indications
I’m Elvira Salgado of Emikoala guest writer and again I am very pleased to share more about babywearing with you, this time I want to talk about ergonomic carrying, previously I told you about the advantages of carrying your baby, among some are the constant contact with your baby, reduction of stress and crying, improvement of sleep, improves digestion, hands-free for mom, comfort for baby and adult, etc.
Now, to deepen the last point of comfort for the baby and the adult, as well as the health of the physiological posture of both it is necessary to talk about ergonomic carrying.
Ergonomic carrying is one that respects the natural posture of the baby in all its stages of growth and at the same time respects the body of the adult, that is, not forcing postures that are not suitable for the age of the baby, I explain further:
Posture of the baby’s spine when carrying
When a baby is born his natural posture is back is C-shaped, remember that babies are in a fetal position inside the mother’s womb, the natural thing is that when his spine is born it is hunched over in the shape of a C, an ergonomic carrying must respect that posture and not force the back to a straight position like a child who already walks, thus, the characteristics in the posture of a newborn baby are different from those of a 6-month-old baby and those of a child, ergonomic carrying must be adapted to the different stages. An ergonomic bearing accessory is one that respects its natural position.
Source: https://hipdysplasia.org
Muscle tone:
A newborn baby does not have the strength in any of his limbs to support his head, legs, and arms, his back does not have the strength to stay seated, ergonomic carrying must provide the baby with the necessary support according to his age, in newborn babies, the support must be total, support in the head, back, hip, a 6-month-old baby who already holds his head even feels has other support needs in back and hip.
A baby carrier where the baby’s legs are hanging (kangaroos, hangings) is not ergonomic since it does not give the support that the baby needs in his thighs letting the baby carry the weight of his legs on his groin by himself, also causing tension in the joints of his hip.
Source: https://hipdysplasia.org
In addition to respecting the shape of the spine and giving the appropriate support to the age of the baby, there are other characteristics of ergonomic carrying such as:
Clear and visible airways, an ergonomic carrying should allow you to always see the nose and mouth of the baby, Baby carriers in the form of a canoe are not recommended since you force the baby’s chin to touch his chest in addition to the fact that literally the baby is hidden in a bag avoiding seeing if he is breathing correctly.
Adequate height: it is commonly said “at the height of kisses”, because the baby should not be at the height of the mother’s chin, since you can accidentally hit him, nor should he go very low, not below your chest, because when he goes loose he loses the support that his body needs and automatically loses the ergonomic position.
Position in M: we refer to the position in M or frog to the fact of tilting the pelvis of the baby so that his knees are higher than his buttocks, this makes his legs supported and that his hip is in a more stable position, asé when going in movement the tension on his legs is minimal, unlike going with the legs hanging along with the movement, a force is applied to the hip joint which can contribute to hip dysplasia when it is diagnosed.
To practice ergonomic carrying it is necessary to have the indicated baby carrier and use it correctly, having an ergonomic baby carrier such as a scarf, backpack, etc., does not guarantee that you are practicing ergonomic carrying, it is necessary to review the previous points, practice and if you have doubts consult a porting advisor, the portage should be comfortable for both the baby and the adult.
Now that you know the basics of ergonomic carrying, do not stop practicing it and prolonging continuous contact with your baby.
Do you have any questions about carrying your newborn or larger baby? Write to us!!
Elvira Salgado
Have you practiced babywearing? Tell us!
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