How to use ergonomic wraps and slings?

Recent years have seen a real boom in the popularity of wraps and baby carriers. It happens that families considerably limit the use of traditional prams. Are slings and scarves a good solution, and if so, what should you consider when choosing and what issues to pay attention to?

Initially, the fashion for scarves and slings was associated with an ecological lifestyle and the so-called parentage of closeness. Today, the phenomenon is much wider, and in every major city there are workshops on babywearing, led by trained advisers. Both the scarf and the ergonomic carrier have similar benefits for the baby, parent and the bond that connects them. Parents most often ask how to tie a baby wrap, and how to choose the length and size.

Babywearing scarves and slings: benefits

Carrying a baby like this satisfies him the natural need for closeness with the caregiver, which has a very positive effect on the emotional development of the toddler. It is also important that thanks to the wrap / carrier the baby falls asleep easier, is more relaxed and calm. Babywearing can also help with infant ailments such as colic, constipation, pouring food.

The benefits for parents who choose this way of carrying a child are also very important. It is first and foremost an extremely convenient method of traveling with a child, especially in urban spaces. Most new parents face architectural barriers that make it difficult to move around with a pram. If the baby is in a sling or a carrier, it is much easier to move with it.

What is important, a properly tied scarf makes the spine much less stressed than in the classic holding of the baby in the arms. Thanks to the fact that the hands remain free, it is easier to make additional movements. The proximity of a baby carried in a sling also supports lactation.

How to choose a baby wrap?

While reviewing in Institute of Mother and Childare analyzed in detail type and strength of the material (preferably when it is supported by the results of specialist laboratory tests), as well as its weave and the dyes used to color the material.

Type of material

Linen or bedding materials are not suitable for scarves. Slings suitable for carrying a child are made of 100% cotton, the raw material can also be cotton with an admixture of hemp, linen, silk or bamboo. For the first scarf, it is best to choose a pure cotton model, without any admixtures. You can also look around among your friends and use a used scarf. Many parents appreciate such products for their softness, "breakage" and easy stacking.

Material strength

When choosing a scarf, you should also pay attention to weave that affects strength. Safe for a child are scarves woven with a cross-twill, jacquard or diamond weave. As a result, the fabric gains elasticity and is resistant to deformation and rapid wear.

Dyes used for production

Few parents pay attention to dyes used for the fabric and just as few manufacturers can boast of documentation confirming safety in this area. Meanwhile, it is of great importance for the health and safety of the child. When buying a scarf, make sure it has certificate Oeko-Tex standard 100 class I, i.e. a leading and recognized worldwide certificate awarded to textile products. Products with this certificate are free from harmful substances in concentrations that have a negative impact on human health (e.g. pesticides, chlorophenols, formaldehyde, allergenic dyes, extractable heavy metals).

Wraps and baby carriers

For newborns carried in a sling, it will be important to maintain the optimal kyphosis of the spine and free from pressure towards the axis of the body of the hip and shoulder girdles. In general, scarves are recommended for the youngest ones, and carriers for older ones. Both of them ensure eye contact, tactile contact and verbal contact between the mother and the child, which is the basis for the correct stimulation of emotional and social development.

The sling also seems to be more comfortable for the mother, and remembering about it, when buying a baby carrier, you need to adjust it not only to the requirements of the child's development period, but also to the physical conditions of the mother. The expected time of carrying the child, both daily and monthly, may play a significant role here, which explains the legitimacy of fitting an ergonomic carrier. Among other things, for this reason baby wraps and baby carriers are not suitable for every family.

The final choice should always be preceded specialist consultation. It is also too early to give an unambiguous answer to the question of to what extent and whether there is a beneficial effect on the development of children carried in slings compared to children who do not use this method of transport. This requires many years of research.

Tying a scarf - how to deal with it?

The methods of tying and the position in which we carry a child may be different, depending on the type of scarf used, but we must always adapt them to the age and weight of the child, as well as to our own comfort and possible health restrictions. We have a choice different types of scarves:

• woven;
• elastic;
• circular;
• pocket money (type pouch).

The first two types are classic knotted scarves. Woven scarves are the most universal – they can be tied in many ways and carry the baby in different positions (front, back, on the hip), but they require some practice, because we tie them together with the baby and hold them at the same time.

Made of delicate fabric elastic wraps are often recommended for the beginning of the bra-making adventure, as well as for kangarooing premature babiesbecause tying them is easy to learn, and the baby can be put into an already tied scarf. Elastic wraps usually cost less than woven wraps, but they are only intended for babies in the first months of life (until the baby weighs more than 8-10 kg). Woven and elastic wraps can be tied on both shoulders, thanks to which the child's weight is distributed symmetrically on the shoulders and the entire back of the wearer.

The case is different ring slings (tied with circles sewn on one side) and pocket money (without adjustments, not requiring binding), which are worn asymmetrically - only on one shoulder, which may cause discomfort, especially during prolonged use.

The first attempts to carry a baby in a sling should be made when the baby is rested and full. Of course, you should practice tying the scarf earlier, even before the birth of our child. There are no obstacles to sling also in winter. There are even special jackets for two that allow you to carry your child also in cold weather.

What size of scarf to carry a baby?

When choosing a scarf, you should take into account parental height and weight. Due to the fact that the size of the scarf is selected according to the wearer, the sizes of the scarves are marked, similarly to the size of the clothes, with the letters XS, S, M, L, XL (there are also less typical sizes, e.g. XXS or XXL). In the case of woven, elastic and circular models, the size of the scarf refers to its length, which is usually additionally given in meters.

Before buying, it is worth knowing how to choose the length of the scarf to carry our baby. Due to the type of raw material and purpose, woven wraps can be up to twice as long as elastic ones.

The woven wrap is usually 4,6 m long (suitable for people up to size 42-44). Small and petite people are recommended to choose a 4,2 m long sling, while those wearing a size 44 or larger should get a 5,2 m long sling.

When and how to use a baby carrier?

Once your baby is seated on its own, it usually becomes more impatient with tying the scarf. You can then decide on the so-called ergonomic carrier. They are very comfortable to use, easy to put on, handy and compact. Like scarves, The carrier can be used both on the back and in the front. However, you should always remember to carry your baby with the back facing the world.

Despite the undoubted advantages, scarves or slings do not turn out to be a good solution in practice for every parent. To find out if this way of carrying a toddler is appropriate, it is worth going to a baby wrap workshop, try on different models and check if this is what it is all about. During the classes, we will learn not only how to properly tie wraps for babywearing, but also how to choose the length of a scarf and what size will be the best for us. Even a newborn baby is completely safe in a well-tied sling - however, it should be remembered that carrying a baby in a sling requires a position appropriate to its age.