In the fourth trimester, babies love to be held and cuddled. 

Sometimes it’s feasible to camp out on the couch for a few hours, and other times, Mom needs her hands free to tend to other things!!

I’ve used this Moby wrap (you can find it HERE) with 3 of my babies now–and they all love it.

Here are my 5 best tips for better baby wearing

These will not only keep your baby happy and napping, but will also help with your own posture, pelvic floor and postpartum recovery.

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1: Make sure your wrap is snug fitting

You want your baby to feel secure, and you want her to be safe, too! It's important that, with whichever wrap or carrier you choose, that you follow the instructions and make sure that you're using it properly.

If the wrap is too loose, as in the case with the Moby wrap, what can happen is that baby might slide down, end up slouched or with a curve in the spine, or not have adequate head support.

You might feel like you have to hold your baby while wearing the wrap, which totally defeats the purpose of the wrap!

Or you might feel that you have to alter your positioning or movement pattern in order to keep your baby in a good position. This can cause you to push out with your abs against the wrap, shrug your shoulders or lean back.

All of these things can cause pain, discomfort or unneeded stress or pressure on your abdominal wall or pelvic floor. Which, if you just had your baby, your abs and pelvic floor are both still very much healing (regardless of your method of delivery!).

2: Baby’s hips should be positioned into an “M” shape

This is safest for her hips which are still developing. A baby's hip socket is not fully formed or "deep enough" at birth. Keeping her in this position is optimal for hip health and development.

3: Baby’s head should be close enough to kiss

Not only does this allow you to see your baby, feel and hear her breathing, but it also helps your posture and positioning, too! The higher up your baby is on your chest, the more easily you both can "move as one." This will also prevent overarching in the low back which can contribute to low back pain.

4: No slouching!

This puts strain on your neck and shoulders. It also causes more downward pressure on your pelvic floor and outward pressure on your abdomen. Slouching can worsen or impair the healing of things like prolapse, leaking or diastasis recti.

5: Lift up energetically through the crown of the head

Use this imagery to help you to stand up straighter and have better posture overall. Other things to keep in mind: 

Don't allow your shoulders to round and be pulled forward

Don't lean back to try to counterbalance the weight of your baby

Keep your pelvis neutral--don't tuck your bottom down or stick your bottom out!

Make sure you're not pushing against the wrap or carrier with your abs as this can pull you out of a neutral postural alignment

A word on choosing a wrap or carrier

Ultimately, the wrap you choose doesn’t matter. The principles and tips addressed here apply to front carrying your little one.

Every mama has a preference for one type of wrap or carrier or another. If you're not sure what kind you like the most or works best for you and your baby, experiment!

There are SO many different kinds out there to try. You'll surely find one that you like!

Having discomfort or pain while baby wearing?

Some things to watch for that will indicate that either your baby is not positioned correctly or that your posture is not optimal:

You’re having trouble getting your baby to “sit” right

You’re having aches/pains in your low back, shoulders or neck

You're noticing increased abdominal soreness (especially in the lower abs) either during or after baby wearing

You notice the onset or increase of leaking or heaviness down there either during or after wearing your baby

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These are all things that I help troubleshoot with my clients. If you need more help or guidance when it comes to baby wearing or anything you're feeling in your body that just doesn't seem right, feel free to reach out to me: (you can email me at rachel@rachel.pope.co or find me on FB messenger at www.facebook.com/rachelpope802)