Babywearing advisor, María.

I am tremendously happy that Pilar (Founder of Somomu) has given me the opportunity to help her so that ergonomic and safe babywearing reaches everywhere, and in this case through the use of her baby carriers.

My name is María Barreras I am an early childhood educator and BABYWEARING ADVISOR. Both professions are vocational by excellence, and that is why I live them with real passion, and although my work at certain moments may not have financial compensation, it does not matter to me because “getting paid” can be done in many ways, and if it means getting certain information to as many people as possible, no amount of money can pay for that. So let’s get to it:

An ergonomic baby carrier does not mean ergonomic babywearing, because we are the ones who will give it ergonomics depending on how we use it.

To be sure that we are doing optimal babywearing, we must make sure we are following the guidelines for safe babywearing and ergonomic babywearing.

If these are done well, we will ensure long-lasting babywearing, since both the baby’s physiology and the adult’s body will be cared for 100%, avoiding possible interference caused by different reasons that lead babywearing to end.

SAFE BABYWEARING

Safe babywearing is based on applying the three keys that make it safe.

1º UNDERSTANDING THE ERGONOMIC POSITION:

Knowing how to tilt the pelvis well is essential in order to ensure the correct position for our baby. The baby rests on our body at the midpoint between the pubis and the pelvic floor

If we tilt the pelvis well, the knees will rise, so that they are higher than the bottom.

As a result of the above, the back will round, creating the “C” shape

2º CORRECT TENSION:

Babies are not fools; if the baby carrier is adjusted too tightly, the baby will complain because it will be uncomfortable. But on the contrary, if it is too loose, it will not.

When we make the correct adjustment, the height and position we set at the beginning will be maintained, so if we start losing the baby carrier’s position it will mean we adjusted it incorrectly.

It is a matter of safety. A poor position with good tension will be safe for the baby. But a good position with poor tension will not be safe.

3º CLEAR AIRWAYS

Clear airways is not the same as visible airways.

Chin away from the sternum.

Head tilted.

If the airways are positioned well but the tension is not good, the position will be lost.

ERGONOMIC BABYWEARING

Ergonomic babywearing is so because it respects the baby’s natural posture, adapting to each stage of development, distributes the baby’s weight evenly over the adult, and ensures continuous contact with the caregiver.

But ergonomic babywearing does not always mean an ergonomic baby carrier; we will give it ergonomics ourselves according to how we use it.

It is true that there are some baby carriers that, although sold as ergonomic, are not actually ergonomic, and we have to be careful with these items because their use could be harmful to the physical development of our babies and to our physical well-being, by causing forced postures for the babies and distributing their weight poorly on our body. So the guidelines to follow will be:

1º Properly adjusted.

It should be adjusted so that the baby does not separate from your body if you lean forward, but with a slight amount of slack. A trick is to allow us to fit one finger between our baby and us.

If it is too loose, the baby will adopt an incorrect position and it will be neither ergonomic nor safe.

And if it is too tight, you will push your shoulders forward, forced by the pressure of the fabric, and you will flatten the baby's back, making it unsafe and not ergonomic again.

It should be adjusted as many times as necessary until we are comfortable and safe

2º Kissing height.

The baby should be placed at a sufficient height so you can kiss their little head but not bump them with your chin. When they are newborns, the reference is to place them above the navel, but as they grow, the height will need to be adjusted and they will sit lower.

3º Clear airways.

Avoid letting their chin rest on their chest, because this closes their airways.

Their face should not be completely covered.

We will check the position of the head; it should be tilted to the side and looking slightly upward.

4º Back in a C shape.

It is important to take into account the stage of development the baby is in and always try to respect what their nature can do at that moment.

5º Pelvis in retroversion.

The pelvis should be tilted forward at the lower part, with the perineum resting against your body.

6º Legs in M.

“Frog position”. From the front it should look like a M. Respecting the baby's stage of development.

7º Comfortable adult.

Safe babywearing also includes the adult doing the carrying; if we are not comfortable and we start having pain due to poor practice, we will stop babywearing but we will not stop carrying the baby in our arms, so let’s do everything possible to prevent this, because it is going to be a great help to us.

Straight back.

Centers of gravity as close together as possible.

Pelvis aligned with your legs and feet parallel.

PERSONALIZED CONSULTATIONS

I hope this information is very helpful to you; I give it to you with all my heart. But if, with all this, you feel you could carry better, or you want to be sure you’re doing it right, you can contact me to book a consultation and do it in a more personalized way.

segunda.a.la.derecha.estrella@gmail.com

Phone: 659655930

IG: segunda.estrella.a.la.derecha