Contents
The importance of carrying the newborn close to you is no longer to be demonstrated. “ Carrying a baby is necessary care », Thus affirms the psychologist and psychoanalyst Sophie Marinopoulos *. The warmth of contact creates and maintains the emerging mother-child bond. Smelling the scent of his mother, being lulled by her footsteps gives the newborn a sense of security which he needs to set off later to discover the world. “You don’t carry a baby against you just because it can’t carry itself,” she continues. It is also carried by thought and feelings. The great English psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott called it the “holding”. There remains the method! The arms are the most obvious and the best possible nest. But for small errands, a walk or even at home, we want to keep our hands free and not have to bother with the stroller in public transport.
The classic baby carrier: it’s practical
It is the most common method of carrying in France and in the Nordic countries.. It is even developing at high speed in China! Initially, in the 1960s, the baby carrier looked more like a “shoulder bag” or a kangaroo pocket. In recent years, models have continued to become more sophisticated and are the subject of extensive research with psychomotor therapists, physiotherapists and pediatricians to optimize their ergonomics and best respect the morphology of the toddler.
The principle : they are easy to use, once the first adjustment of the support straps and the lap belt have been made to your measurements. The newborn (from 3,5 kg) is turned in front of him to protect him from the environment and to watch him. To install it facing the road, you have to wait four months for it to be toned and keep your head and bust straight. You can place the harness on or under a coat, and many current models allow you to keep it on you, while just removing the child part with the baby in it. Without disturbing him.
Most : for the baby, the headrest (made compulsory by the European standard) is important during the very first months, in order to support his nodding head and avoid the “whiplash” effect. The seat adjustments – height and depth – are used to adjust it precisely. At last, it provides good back support. For the wearer, the distribution of the child’s weight between the shoulders, back and hips with shoulder straps and a padded lumbar belt avoids points of tension. Its often high price can be explained by the complexity of its design, as well as the quality of the materials used, such as an Oeko-Tex® labeled fabric, without heavy metals in the dye. Normally expected up to 15 kg, some baby carriers are suitable for a higher weight, with the possibility of carrying a larger child on the back for long walks.
What we reproach him: the followers of the portage in a sling reproach the classic baby carrier of hang the baby with dangling legs and dangling arms. Some also talk about the fact that, sitting on his genitals, little boys can then have fertility problems. Old or low-end items, maybe. On the other hand, the manufacturers of current models claim to study them so that the child is seated on his buttocks, the legs placed in a natural way.
* Author of “Why carry a baby?”, LLL Les Liens qui libéré editions.
The wrap: a way of life
Inspired by traditional carrying techniques used in many African or Asian civilizations, the babywearing scarf has appeared among us in recent years, in the wake of the movements of natural mothering. Its use has since developed widely, and it now joins the circuit of more traditional childcare stores.
The principle : It’s about a large fabric strip of several meters (from 3,60 m to nearly 6 m depending on the method of knotting) that we have skillfully placed around us to accommodate the toddler. The fabric is made of cotton or bamboo to be soft against the skin, and at the same time resistant and flexible.
Most : swaddled this way, the newborn becomes one with his mother, glued to his belly, like an extension of their fusion. From the first weeks, the sling allows different positions of the baby depending on the time of day: straight in front of you, semi-lying down to be able to breastfeed discreetly, open to the world … Another benefit noted by Anne Deblois **: “When ‘it is worn close to the body of an adult, it benefits from the wearer’s thermoregulation system, in winter as in summer. “
What we reproach him: less quick to install on oneself than a baby carrier, the wrap is not necessarily easy to tie with the right technique according to the age of the baby, to ensure a physiological position in complete safety. Taking workshop classes may be necessary. Unlike the baby carrier, the sling has practically no age limit. Only the weight bearable by the wearer … hence the temptation of some young parents to carry it in a still fusional way at the age when the child must learn to walk by himself and become independent. But this is more a question of lifestyle and education than a technical one! On the controversial side, studies have recently shown that the frog outfit used as a sling or, on the contrary, legs tight against each other, when the child is worn in a “banana” the first weeks, do not respect the natural opening of the infant’s hips.
** Co-author of “Le pirtage en écharpe”, Romain Pages Editions.
The “physiological” baby carrier: the third way (between the two)
For those who hesitate between these two portages, the solution may be on the side of so-called “physiological” or “ergonomic” baby carriers., developed by brands following the leader Ergobaby.
The principle : halfway between the scarf and the classic baby carrier, it is generally inspired by the way of carrying Thai babies, with a large pocket with a wide seat and shoulder straps.
Most :it does not have a long piece of fabric to tie, which eliminates the risk of improper installation. It closes either with a simple buckle or with a quick knot. The pocket which contains the child ensures an “M” position, the knees slightly higher than the hips, the rounded back. On the wearer side, the lap belt is generally padded to ensure good support.
What we reproach him: we still lack perspective to comment on the benefits of the position of the baby in relation to his morphology. There remains the fact that it is not recommended to use it as is with an infant before 4 months. He would float there without good behavior, especially at the level of the legs. The parade: some models offer a kind of removable reducing cushion.