The Importance of Positioning Your Baby In a Baby Sling
Baby slings can be an amazing tool for any mother or caregiver, and they have many benefits for babies. Just like any other product, it is important to use your sling correctly. Positioning your baby correctly can play an important role in how your baby sling is used.
Recently the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a warning to parents and caregivers about the way they position infants in baby slings. This warning was specifically made for infants under four months old. There was no recall for the baby slings, but they did want to stress the importance of making sure your infant is positioned correctly in the sling to lower the risk of harm to your infant.
We recently posted a blog article about safety guidelines that should be used when wearing a baby in a sling. In that blog article we explain different ways you can position your baby, and how your sling should fit you. It is an excellent resource for safety guidelines.
baby sling
It is very important, especially for infants under 4 months old, to be positioned the right way so they can breathe properly. Babies under 4 months have weak neck muscles and are less able to control their heads than babies that are older. Since sling fabric is meant to stretch, it is important to position your child so you can see their nose and mouth.
We also warned in our blog article not to position babies where their chin reaches their chest. Babies can have a difficult time breathing this way. If your baby moves to this position simply adjust their position so they are more flat. If your child needs more support consider using a small receiving blanket behind their neck so that you do not have their chest on their chin.
Baby slings are a convenient way to nurse your baby. When you nurse your baby with your sling remember to change the baby’s position after the feeding. You want to be sure that your baby’s head is facing up at you, and that baby’s face is clear of your body and the sling material.
When wearing your baby the correct way it is easy to see them. Be sure to check on the baby often. This is a good habit to learn as a parent, regardless of whether they are in a baby carrier or not.
As mentioned before, no two baby slings are made the same. Mod Mom is committed to providing the safest and most comfortable slings out there. Use your sling safely so you and your baby can benefit from babywearing and bonding together.