Tips for carrying newborns

7 things you should make sure to pay attention to

In photos and videos it always looks super easy, but getting a tender newborn into a carrier is suddenly not so easy with your own baby. Somehow you always have one hand too few. Here are a few tips on how to make it easier:

1

Use a mirror:

For some people it may be confusing to see the steps in a mirror, but as a rule, using a mirror makes handling easier because I can see much better what I am doing and how the baby is sitting in the carrier. Even if I decide not to use the mirror when putting the baby in the carrier, I should always check the result in the mirror at the beginning. At some point, my body feeling will take over and I will decide whether everything fits the way it should.

2

Support your baby diagonally:

If I hold my child upright in front of my stomach, this works well with both hands, but in order to handle the carrier or the sling, I have to hold my child with one hand. To do this, I use my entire forearm. While my hand supports the baby's head at the nape of the neck, the forearm runs diagonally across the baby's entire back and gently presses it against my upper body. Now I can do things with the other hand.

3

Guide the knees upwards:

Newly born babies usually still show a strong squatting reaction when you pick them up. They pull their thighs against their bellies and prepare themselves to be carried. However, their feet often touch each other, so that it seems almost impossible to thread the back of a carrier between their legs. Instead of trying to pull the lower legs to the left and right, it is often easier to guide the knee upwards with the help of the thigh: So I grab the thigh and gently guide the knee up and to the side into the M-position: usually the lower leg follows the movement and the little feet separate.

4

Lift up the back section:

When the lower legs are separated for a moment, I can now quickly reach under the back of the carrier and lift it up along the child until I can hold the child and the carrier together at the neck with one hand. This is much easier than simply folding up the back part.

5

Tie/tighten tightly enough:

When I have such a little baby in the carrier, the worry about tying it too tightly is very understandable. However, it is very important that the babies are well supported and cannot slump down, so that above all the airways remain free. I can easily check whether I have tied them tightly enough or not: If I bend far forward (please hold the little head), my child's upper body should maintain body contact and the child should not fall into the carrier. If this is the case, I should tighten it again.

6

Corrective grips

Yes, of course! Closing the carrier first, even if the baby is not yet sitting perfectly, makes the whole thing less stressful. If the baby is upset when I put it in, I can also walk a few steps to calm it down. Then I hold the upper body and straighten it up again. I probably have to pull again afterwards. In the same way, I can grab the bottom of the carrier with both hands and push it into the middle if the child is sitting crooked. Pulling the fabric up to the back of the knee is always a good idea.

Center your baby

SIMPLE TIGHTENING

7

Finally, please always remember: the postpartum period should be a time of healing, recovery and growing together: only do what is good for you, pay close attention to your body! In the beginning, physical contact is the most important thing and you can have it comfortably in bed.