How to Wear a Newborn in a Baby Carrier

I specify carriers and I've worn two babies in them, and the thing I'd most like to fix is that almost nobody is shown how to do this in person. There's one rule. Everything else is a way of keeping it. A newborn in a carrier is safe when her airway is open and stays open, and every check, every position, every mistake below exists to serve that single thing.

Here's why it needs to be got right: a baby under about four months can't lift her head off her own chest, can't turn away from fabric lying across her face, and can't tell you that either has happened. She has no way to fix it and no way to report it, which leaves you.

TICKS, and it deserves memorising

Five checks. Ten seconds. Learn them well enough that you can run them without thinking, because you'll be running them in a lift, in a queue, and with one hand full of shopping.

• Tight. The carrier should hold the baby firmly against you, with no slack that lets them slump into a curled position. A loose carry is the one that closes an airway.
• In view at all times. You should see their face by glancing down, without moving any fabric.
• Close enough to kiss. The top of their head should be at your chin, so you can tip your head and kiss it.
• Keep chin off the chest. At least a finger's width under the chin. Chin pressed to chest is how a newborn airway closes.
• Supported back. Their back should be held in its natural gentle curve, tummy and chest against you, not slumped and not pulled straight.

Run through all five every time you put her in, and again whenever you've been walking for a while. It takes ten seconds and it's the entire safety practice.

The position itself

Upright, chest to chest, high, and nothing anywhere near her face. The detail underneath counts, and that sentence is most of it.

• Upright and vertical. Never lying flat or curled chin-to-chest in a bag-style or cradle position. This is the position most associated with airway obstruction in slings.
• Chest to chest, facing in. Newborns face inward only.
• High on your body, above your natural waist. A carrier worn low is uncomfortable and lets the baby slump.
• Knees higher than bottom, thighs supported to the knee, legs in a spread squat. In the first weeks the legs are often froggied inside the carrier and not out of the leg holes, which is fine if the carrier is designed for it.
• Face turned to the side, cheek against you, nose and mouth completely clear of fabric and of your body.
• Nothing over their face. No muslin, no blanket, no coat flap.

Getting them in and out

The transfer is where most of the risk is, and it's also the part nobody demonstrates properly in a shop.

• Put the carrier on first and adjust it to your body before the baby goes anywhere near it.
• Support the head and neck with one hand throughout for a young newborn.
• Do it over a bed or a sofa the first several times, and with someone else present if you can.
• Tighten from the bottom up, panel, then straps, then waistband check, so the fabric supports and never compresses.
• Check TICKS after tightening, not before.
• To take them out, support the head, loosen gradually, and lift them out towards you and not lifting the carrier off around them.

The mistakes that matter

Not all errors are equal. These are the ones with consequences, roughly in order of how often they happen, though the order is my estimate and I'm not certain anybody has counted.

• Too loose. Far more common than too tight, and far more dangerous. A baby who can slump has a chin on a chest.
• Worn too low, so the head is at chest height and out of sight.
• Fabric over the face for warmth, sun or privacy. This is the most common serious error.
• A newborn insert used incorrectly, or a carrier used without one when it requires it.
• Wearing a coat over the top of the baby, which restricts airflow and hides them. Use a babywearing cover designed to leave the face clear, or a coat worn open.
• Bending forward from the waist. Bend at the knees, with a hand supporting the baby.

Which carriers suit a newborn

There's no single best one. There are four that work and two categories to avoid outright.

• Stretchy wrap. Excellent for the first months, snug and adjustable, and the fabric can be pre-tied before the baby goes in. Outgrown fairly quickly.
• Ring sling. Fast, one-shouldered, good for short carries and discreet feeding. Takes a little practice to thread and tighten evenly.
• Soft structured carrier with a genuine newborn setting or insert. Easiest to put on, but check that it narrows properly. An oversized panel is the usual problem.
• Woven wrap. The most adjustable and the steepest learning curve; excellent once learned.
• What to avoid: bag-style slings that hold a baby lying curled and low, and any carrier that supports only the crotch with the legs hanging straight.

What not to do while wearing her

Obvious once written down, and every one of these happens because a carrier makes you feel like you've both hands free. You don't.

• Cooking at a hot hob, carrying hot drinks, or anything involving hot liquid.
• Travelling in a vehicle. A carrier is never a substitute for a car seat, and a baby should never be worn while seated in a moving car.
• Cycling, running or any activity with a fall risk.
• Drinking alcohol, or wearing a baby when your own alertness is impaired.
• Reclining or lying down with a baby still in the carrier, or falling asleep yourself while wearing them.

If anything looks wrong

Take her out and start again. There has never been a situation where leaving a baby in a carry you're unsure about was the better option.

If she looks floppy, grey or blue, is breathing noisily or with obvious effort, or can't be roused: take her out immediately, hold her upright with the airway open, and call emergency services.

Sources

• The Lullaby Trust: Swaddling and slings
• NHS. Reducing the risk of sudden infant death syndrome
• International Hip Dysplasia Institute: Baby carriers, seats and other equipment

This guide is general information, written to help you understand a topic and ask better questions. It is not medical advice and does not replace your own doctor, midwife or paediatrician. Anything that worries you about your baby belongs with them.

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