Are you more of a baby carrier, scarf or stroller? How to carry a baby is a question that arises for all young parents, because it concerns both the health of the infant and that of the carrier.
What method of carrying for baby?
The method of carrying depends on the desired use, the preferences of the baby and the lifestyle of the parents. “Some babies need to be carried more than others, depending on their emotional demands and physiology“explains Juliette Brasseur, midwife at Lariboisière hospital in Paris. If your baby is eager to carry, don’t worry:”a baby will not become capricious if it is carried too much, it is his way of building his internal security“recalls the midwife. But conversely, if neither you nor your child expresses the need or the desire to practice babywearing, nothing obliges you to do so.”there is no difference in motor development between a baby carried or a baby in a stroller“reassures Juliette Brasseur. The stroller therefore remains a very practical solution for people who suffer for example from back problems.
Do not hesitate to discuss your choice with a pediatrician, a midwife or a physiotherapist. “This choice depends on life history, personal opinions and desires“underlines Doctor Manon Bachy, head of the orthopedic surgery clinic at the Trousseau hospital, in Paris.”The most important thing is to trust yourself and, whatever the choice, to make sure that the baby’s airways are visible and unobstructed.“she warns.
The portage must be practical and physiological
If you choose to carry your baby, attachment will be facilitated. Carrying indeed provides a closeness with the baby which makes it possible to reassure him and to exchange tenderness and affection. The technique of portage “skin to skin” is for example widely used in the case of premature babies and “makes an ideal bond after birth even for full term babies“confides Catherine Fontenel, childcare assistant in the neonatal department at Saint-Cloud hospital.
In a sling or in a baby carrier, the portage is reassuring for the child, “on condition of leaving the newborn coiled in his physiological posture, the back rounded and the legs flexed“also specifies Catherine Fontenel. Carrying does not mean shaping, because each baby will unfold at its own pace. But don’t worry, you don’t risk injuring your child.”Certainly accidents can happen, but you just need to have common sense“reassures Doctor Manon Bachy. She also underlines that”there is no medical recommendation from a mechanical point of view for one carriage over another, unless the infant suffers from a congenital dislocation of the hip (or dysplasia)“. In the case of slings, the major risk is that of suffocation of the child. This is why for this type of carrying, training during workshops organized by professionals is essential to learn how to use the sling. scarf, to tie it and adapt it to the morphologies of the wearer and the baby.
Carry in front of the world or in front of the wearer?
Whether carried or installed in a stroller, the child himself chooses his interlocutors by turning his head or expressing his dissatisfaction. If he wishes to be brought to the world, there is no contraindication “provided that he already holds his head well, that is to say from six months“indicates Doctor Manon Bachy. Nevertheless, the porterage in front of the world”can exert tension on the wearer’s cervical and lumbar region, unlike the position facing the wearer where baby and carrier become one“warns Juliette Brasseur. All you have to do is start negotiations with baby to find the best solution so that babywearing remains a pleasure, while allowing your child to grow up with full confidence.
Source: Round table on babywearing “Wear it as you want”
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