Baby Wearing:
Promotes bonding and attachment,
Calm and soothes a fussy baby by keeping them close
Encourages breastfeeding.
TICKS (is an acronym to help mothers remember the safety points of baby wearing)
Recommendation:
T – Stands for “tight”. The sling itself should be tight, with the baby’s position high and upright with the head supported. Avoid loose material that can cause the baby to slump down and restrict their breathing.
I – Stands for “In View at all times”. Mother should be able to view her baby’s face by simply looking down and the baby’s face, nose, and mouth should remain uncovered
C – “Close enough to kiss”. The baby’s forehead should be near enough to mother’s chin and mother should be able to kiss them easily.
K – “Keeping the chin off the chest”. This is to ensure the baby’s chin is up and away from their body and that will ensure that their airway is never restricted.
S – “Supported back”. Support baby back in a natural position with their tummy and chest against you.
The International Hip Dysplasia Institute recommend that to minimize the risk of hip dysplasia:
Baby’s knees are to be spread apart so that their legs are wrapped around your body
Baby’s hips should be bent so that their knees are slightly higher than their bottom
The baby’s thighs to be well supported so that when you are looking at your baby’s legs, they formed the letter “M” or a frog-like position – a healthy hip position. (Please refer to the diagram attached)
For the first 6 months of life, use only inward-facing carrier or slings to promote the optimal healthy hip position
Allowing baby to play while on their tummy or backside is essential for the baby’s primary growth, fine motor development as well as brain development.
Prolonged baby wearing limits baby’s ability to move around freely and can potentially affect baby’s developmental milestone like rolling over, crawling, sitting, standing, and walking
“C” Shape Spine
Make sure your baby is cuddled into you and almost hugging you. Their spine should be in the naturally formed “C” shape like the picture below.
In this picture, the baby is too held close to the mother, and this can restrict baby’s airways, increase the chance of overheating and causing the baby’s spine to be in the wrong curve.
To correct this, simply loosen the straps at the sides to allow the spine to relax, this will allow the spine to form its optimal “C” Shape
“M” Shape Position
Focused in positioning the legs with the knees above the hips creating the optimal “M” shape like in the picture.
In this picture, the baby’s legs are hanging with the knees sitting lower than the hips.
To correct it, adjust the seat of the carrier to suit your baby’s size and carrying position according to manufacturer instructions.
Do the Pelvic Tuck by putting your hands under the baby’s thighs inside the carrier. Hold the baby’s legs under their knee pits and gently scoop them towards your body in an upwards motion. Make sure the carrier support the baby from knee pit to knee pit and across their back up to the necks.
In this picture, the baby’s legs are splayed and being pushed too far apart. The carrier fabric has been pulled too far across, preventing baby knees from bending.
To correct it, adjust the seat of the carrier to suit baby’s size and carrying position, according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
