Safety in Babywearing

First simple basic rules of babywearing is T.I.C.K.S.

T	Tight The carrier must be tight enough to hug the baby close to the wearer. It will provide the most comfortable position for both parties. Any loose carrier could lead towards a hazard to the baby when they sank inside the carrier or the pressure of weight being put incorrectly to the wearer. By wearing them tight, it could help in holding the baby in the best position and not risking the baby’s spine development.
I	In View At All Time The baby must be visible to the wearer at all time while being carry. It is essential to be able to see (even just by a simple glancing) the baby’s reaction or any changes while they are in the carrier. A simple glance to make sure the baby is breathing well and in their optimal position or not having any struggle to stay put in the carrier.
C	Close Enough To Kiss Your baby’s head is always as close enough for you to kiss on the forehead. Therefore, you will always aware and alert of the baby restless or being discomfort in the carrier. Having a baby sank in carrier will not only make the baby comfortless but the weight will strained the muscles of the wearer.
K	Keep Chin Off The Chest It is strictly prohibited to let your baby in the carrier to be curled as this could lead the chin forced to the chest and resulting in difficulties in breathing. Just like any adult whom slept with the chin forcing toward chest which could lead to snoring.
S	Supported Back Whenever carrying and wearing your baby in the carrier; be it in front, at the back or at the hips, the baby’s back must be well-supported naturally. This is due the spine of a baby is still developing thus ensuring the c-position of baby in the carrier will provides the best in baby needs.

By wearing your baby, you’ll have the benefits of both hands are free for you to juggle with chores or other activity including shopping, attending guests at the party or your other child or walking hand-in-hand with your husband. Although you could be multitasking while having your baby securely with you, there are few other guidelines on safety while wearing your baby.

A Few Absolute Rules

1.               Make sure baby can breathe. It is true to have your both hands-free to do other things when you wear your baby in a carrier but remain active in caring a child. One thing for sure, there’s no any baby carrier can ensure that your baby always has an open airway; that’s your absolute job.

                

Figure 1 : Credits to Babywearing Mamas group member

2.        Choose and use carriers that appropriate with your baby’s age as well as weight. Soft structured-carrier can be useful for older babies and toddlers but aren’t suitable for babies who haven’t yet to sit unassisted for extended periods. Front packs usually have a weight range of 8-20 lbs; smaller babies may slip out and larger babies will almost certainly cause back discomfort for the person using the carrier. Choosing a baby carrier is similar to using your child’s shoes, not any single carrier that could long lasting from newborn till toddler. It’s best to get the carrier suits your baby’s needs.

3.                 A baby carried, held or placed with his/her chin curled against his chest is a BIG NO at any time, with any carrier. This rule applies whether the baby held in arms, carriers, infant car seats or any kind of seat/situation. This position can restrict the baby’s ability to breathe. They need good back support in carriers so that they don’t slump into the chin-to-chest position.

               

Figure 2 : Picture Credit to Onyababy

4.                Avoid from covering your baby’s head & face with fabric that might lead to “rebreathe” the same air, which is hazardous. It is also refrains you from being able to check on her/him. Always make sure your baby has plenty of airflow. Check frequently.

5.         Never jog, run, jump on a trampoline or any activity that subjects baby to similar shaking or bouncing motion that can do damage to the baby’s neck, spine and/or brain. Carrying a baby while cooking subjects the baby to an enhanced risk of burns. Babies in arms or in a carrier are exposed to the risk of burns. The same goes while reaching into a hot oven while carrying a baby.

6.                 A baby carrier is not a substitute to a car seat hence, never use a carrier as a car seat when riding in a car. Soft baby carriers provide none of the protection that car seats provide.

7.              Inspect carrier regularly to ensure it is sound; fabric, seams & buckles/fasteners. Do this to avoid complacency. Don’t use a carrier unless it is structurally sound.

8.                   When using carriers out & about, check baby his secure by using reflective surfaces such as car, store windows or mirrors, to double checking your baby’s position, or by enlisting the help of another set of eyes especially when you are carrying your baby at the your back.

9.                 If you were advised on not doing something while pregnant because of an enhanced risk of falls, thus you shouldn’t do it during carrying your baby. For instance, climb a ladder, ride a horse, skating or spelunking. The risk of falling increases due to the slippery surfaces as you encounter when you go bowling, sailing, or spelunking. When a baby is in the mother’s womb, he has built-in protection, but a baby in arms or in a carrier does not have that protection. The same applies if you are doing activities that need you to wear protective gear. Baby carriers do not provide hearing/eye protection or protection from rocks flung from a lawn mower or fumes/ dust as household cleaning tasks. While it might seem more secure to use baby carrier to board a small boat than carry a baby in arms, the safer practice is to have the baby wear a personal flotation device. Personal flotation devices are generally not compatible with baby carriers.

10.         Avoid from overdress or dress your baby too warmly in the summer, and avoid using a baby carrier that could cause the baby to suffer heat stress. Don’t let your baby get too cold in the winter. (There are some excellent coats and ponchos designed especially for use with baby carriers, and you can also improvise or make your own.)

11.            Beware of what your baby can reach. In particular, be aware that a baby on your back can reach things you can’t see.

12.               Don’t put loose items in carrier with baby that can be choking hazards, poke your baby or cover baby’s face.

Please do find support group of babywearing community in Facebook in Babywearing Mamas for more information, gathering and also classes for those whom interested!!

Asas Menggendong Bayi - versi Bahasa Melayu

Apakah Ia?

Babywearing atau menggendong anak; pada asasnya suatu tindakan memegang atau membawa bayi, kanak-kanak mahupun prasekolah menggunakan sehelai kain atau baby carrier. Memegang atau mendukung bayi adalah tindakan semulajadi; baby carrier membuatkan perbuatan/tindakan mendukung anak itu lebih mudah & lebih selesa. Penggunaan baby carrier juga membolehkan ibu bapa dan penjaga membawa anak-anak dalam melunaskan rutin harian. Mendukung bayi atau anak; sama ada di belakang anda, pinggang atau di hadapan anda dan dalam masa yang sama kedua-dua tangan bebas untuk membuat kerja tanpa mengabaikan keselamatan anak yang dikendong adalah suatu yang sangat membantu. Anda boleh melakukan rutin harian, membeli-belah, menguruskan anak-anakyang lain dan solat. Apabila mengendong si ​​manja anda di hadapan, kedua-dua ibu bapa dan bayi boleh sentiasa berpelukan; membolehkan anak anda berinteraksi dengan dunia luar di samping dapat memastikan anak sentiasa selamat.

Menggendong bayi telah diamalkan selama berabad-abad. Dalam era terdahulu, ibu-ibu memilih untuk sentiasa menggendong anak mereka ketika menguruskan rutin harian. Pada zaman ini, menggendong bayi semakin menjadi pilihan ibubapa, sebahagiannya di bawah pengaruh attachment parenting. Walau bagaimanapun, tidak semua ibu bapa yang mengamalkan babywearing menganggap diri mereka mengamalkan attachment parenting.

Malangnya perbuatan menggendong anak dianggap sebagai kolot, pelik atau tidak selamat. Ternyata ia adalah sebaliknya dan sebahagian besar ibu bapa di seantero dunia terus menggendong anak manakala  ramai yang lain baru mengetahui kebaikan dan kelebihan menggendong anak. Babywearing baik untuk kesihatan bayi kerana ia mengurangkan kadar bayi menangis, bayi menjadi lebih tenang dan selesa, memudahkan penyusuan susu ibu, kurang masalah pencernaan / kembung perut dan membantu perkembangan leher dan otot belakang yang lebih baik.

Adakah ianya selamat?

Apabila dilakukan dengan betul, mendukung bayi menggunakan alat penggendong yang sesuai dan betul adakalanya lebih selamat serta selesa daripada mendukung bayi dengan tangan anda. Walau bagaimanapun, ciri-ciri atau langkah-langkah keselamatan perlu sentiasa dipatuhi serta di beri perhatian ketika menggendong anak; sepertimana perkara lain yang melibatkan bayi. Terdapat beberapa aspek yang perlu diamil perhatian ketika menggendong bayi termasuklah jenis carrier, bahan (material used for fabric, material used  for ring, sewing technic in ssc etc), ia mestilah diuji dan terbukti selamat.

Terkini, terdapat banyak syarikat yang mengeluarkan alat menggendong bayi; samada SSC, wrap or RS. Terdapat segelintir yang memilih untuk menggunakan sekeping kain yang terbukti selamat dan selesa untuk menggendong anak atau lebih dikenali sebagai wrap. Pemakaian setiap alat menggendong itu mempunyai keluk pembelajaran (learning curve) jadi bagi ibu bapa yang berminat untuk menggendong anak mereka seharusnya mendapatkan khidmat nasihat dan tunjuk ajar dari mereka yang bertauliah ataupun berpengalaman luas dalam menggendong bayi. Banyak teknik babywearing boleh dipelajari dalam hanya beberapa minit.

Untuk mencapai babywearing yang selamat, menggunakan baby carrier yang sesuai dengan umur bayi, berat dan ketinggian bayi anda perlu dititikberatkan. Ironinya, kita akan mula menukar atau membeli pakaian bayi, kasut dan juga saiz lampin mengikut tumbesaran anak. Begitu juga dengan penggunaan alat menggendong bayi ini. Penggunaan baby carrier dengan saiz yang lebih besar berbanding umur bayi atau saiz fizikal bayi akan meletakkan bayi berisiko dalam pembangunan tulang belakang mereka dan keselesaan bayi. 

Jenis-jenis Baby Carrier

Soft Structure Carrier (SSC) – Carrier berstruktur ini menggantikan mempunyai buckles dan padded di bahagian pinggang dan bahu. Hasilnya ialah pengagihan berat badan yang sekata dan rupa yang berbeza secara keseluruhan dari mei tai. SSC menawarkan kemudahan buckles namun sangat berbeza dari framed backpack kerana ia memegang bayi dengan selamat. Tidak seperti framed backpack, SSC adalah dinasihatkan dan digalakkan untuk bayi yang telah kuat otot di tengkuk (selepas berusia 4 bulan) hingga bertatih dan memberi manfaat body-to-body contact untuk bayi.
Mei Tai / Half Buckle – PSoft pack carrier terdiri daripada carrier tradisional seperti mei tai tanpa struktur yang jelas. Meitai adalah kain segi empat tepat dengan tali di setiap penjuru untuk diikatdi sekitar bahu & pinggang, diperbuat daripada kanvas kukuh & tali yang padded untuk keselesaan bahu.  Secara ergonomik, bayi dengan berat melebihi 20lbs adalah lebih baik dikendong di belakang anda (melainkan anda masih menyusukan dan boleh menyusu menggunakan carrier) untuk lebih keselesaan. Ia akan mengagihkan berat bayi secara serata ke bahagian pinggang & bahu pemakai. Half Buckle mempunyai dua buckles boleh laras di sekitar pinggang.
Ring Sling – Ringsling (RS) adalah sehelai kain (2-3m panjang) dilengkapkan dengan sepasang gelung dan dipakai di sebelah bahu disilang ke pinggang. Mereka boleh menambah padding di kawasan bahu untuk keselesaan pemakai. RS biasanya digunakan untuk menggendong anak di hadapan atau sisi pemakai. Faktor mudah laras menjadikannya sesuai untukdikongsi antara pemakai berbeza saiz. Kain tambahan yang tinggal di depan berguna untuk penyusuan yang tidak menonjol di khalayak ramai.  RS merupakan carrier yang ideal untuk bayi baru lahir dan juga hebat untuk anak kecil di dalam fasa baru mula berjalan. Saiz boleh dilaraskan mengikut saiz pemakai dan yang dikendong untuk memberikan sokongan yang sangat baik dan juga keselesaan untuk kedua-dua bayi dan anda. Ini menjadikan ia lebih versatile dalam penggunaan.
Pouch Sling – Sekeping kain dijahit ke dalam membentuk bulatan di tengah-tengah untuk menempatkan bayi yang dikendong. Ia dipakai pada satu bahu, boleh digunakan di hadapan atau pinggul pembawa. Pouch datang dengan pelbagai saiz dan pemakai perlu mengenalpasti saiz yang betul-betul sesuai dipakai atau pemakai akan merasa tidak selesa. Ia sangat mudah bagi bayi dalam fasa mula berjalan, mudah dan cepat untuk naik dan turun ke dalam carrier.  Kelemahan kantung adalah ia kurang selesa apabila membawa bayi yang lebih berat untuk  tempoh masa lebih lama lerana berat badan bayi ditanggung pada hanya satu bahu dan pinggang. Pouch datang dalam saiz dan tidak boleh laras maka kurang versatiliti.
Wrap Carrier – Sekeping kain (kira-kira 3-6m), diikat dalam pelbagai cara untuk mendukung bayi. Wrap datang dalam pelbagai jenis material seperti stretchy, tenunan mesin dan tenunan tangan. Wrap ini mengagihkan berat bayi secara rata ke atas kedua-dua bahu & pinggang; memberikan keselesaan untuk si pemakai bagi tempoh lebih lama. Wrap boleh digunakan untuk menggendong di hadapan, belakang & di pinggul. Menggendong menggunakan wrap adalah paling baik disarankan untuk bayi yang baru lahir kerana mereka menyokong floppiness dengan baik. Walau bagaimanapun, ia memerlukan keluk pembelajaran (learning curve) untuk mengikat. Ianya versatile dan sesuai untuk banyak saiz pemakai dan wearee itu. Wrap ini juga datang dalam beberapa campuran yang sesuai dengan keperluan si pemakai. Ia juga boleh digunakan sehingga prasekolah dengan cara yang selamat dan betul.

Join us in Babywearing Mamas for more info and discussion... Stay Calm and Keep wearing your baby

Strip-washing my cloth diapers!

I barely talked about cloth diaper, need to talk on it more perhaps in future. Anyway, post kali ni kita share how to stripwash your cloth diapers. I'd happily stripwash my CD every 6 months or so (bergantung kepada kerajinan) and the last time i did stripwash was on May. Tapi disebabkan these few days Syakir would scream his lungs out after an hour or so his diapers changed so I suspected it must be from his CD. After I checked and rechecked any abnormalities, then I found 1 thing. My hubby voluntarily wash the CDs with new laundry detergent, which I guess he used after the normal detergent used up. Biasa kami guna BabyOrganix O'Clean Laundry Detergent tapi disebabkan sabun habis, he use the detergent from a hamper we won from BabyTalk. So far (for 2 years) memang tiada masalah guna sabun tu. gambarnya yer..

Happened to be, my hubby accidentally use another brand which I would strongly not recommending to use for CDs. It produce fragrant smell which I doubt a good thing for CDs.

Lanjutan daripada itu, maka mencucilah saya untuk menghilangkan sebarang tinggalan / kesan / selaput yang tidak sewajarnya ada pada CD. It's time for stripwashing.

Apa yang saya guna? My 1st step, cuci pocket diapers dengan Sunlight untuk menghilangkan kesan minyak atau selaput yang terbentuk. Cuci dengan tangan di permukaan dalam CD dan dalam poket. Cuci sehingga yakin ia bersih atau hilang bau. Kemudian, bilas sehingga bersih dan hilang sabunnya.

Kemudian, masukkan ke dalam mesin basuh dan cuci tanpa sabun untuk cucian pertama. Dalam cucian kedua, bancuh 1 sudu soda bikarbonat dengan sedikit air suam dan masukkan ke dalam mesin basuh. Tambahkan juga sedikit distilled apple cider / cuka untuk menghakis lapisan minyak dan kulat pada permukaan dalam CD. cuci sehingga bersih. ulang 2/3 bilasan untuk menghilangkan sebarang bau.

Kemudian boleh la sidai...

My Birth Story

Assalamualaikum and a great day to all…

It’s a full moon for my lil princess that I got the chance to write my birth story. Trying to VBAC makes me exhausting all sorts of efforts to make it a reality. I took my class with Nadine Ghows as early as 20^th weeks. It’s really an eye-opening for me and my husband about the whole process of laboring and birthing.

It’s a smooth sailing pregnancy, just like my 1^st one. At 36^th week, I started consuming RLT. Took it a cup a day as a starter but the effect hits me immediately. The bearable surges start to kicked in, daily from 11pm till 3am, every day when I took my RLT which lead me to sleep deprivation. I became restless during day and having unstable mood *cepat nak marah* so I PM-ed Nadine and consulted her. Then, I stopped my daily RLT intake and Alhamdulillah, everything back to normal.

Time passed to 39^th week, which I don’t get it during my previous pregnancy (Akir delivered at 38^th week) but still no sign of anything except the surges comes and go. We tried everything for natural induction (everything that listed, u named it, we’ve tried LOL) but I guessed my lil one just love n enjoying her time in my womb. Just enjoying the bearable surges that visited me from time to time. At this point of time, I had a terrible diarrhea and vomiting every single food I ate. Yet, I was told, this is some cleansing process and my body is getting ready for the big day, insyaAllah. 

40^th weeks, no surges, nothing but my feet were badly swollen. I was given a week of medical leave *yeay!!* by my gynae. So, being at home, I got more chance to do my activities. Cooking, washing, cleaning up etc. I went on window shopping, walk a lot to do groceries, anything that require me walking. The surges keep coming but it's bearable. The pool is readily inflated to be use..

26^th June – The day I was scheduled for my next appointment with Dr Idora. So, my husband and I went out as early as we could to avoid the long wait in hospital. After sent off my son to his playschool *this day, he is super clingy and refused to get into his school*, we went straight to the hospital. It’s only 8.30am and normally I will get #4 or #5 but today my turn was #14.

10.30am – we took the number and went out for lunch. Before that, we stopped by at UM as my husband out of the blue reminiscing his good ‘ol days in UM. So, we go around the area he used to walk, jog and play football..

11.30am – we went straight to Midvalley Megamall for our lunch. Had a quick last minute shopping for our lil one and hubby’s new pants for raya.. Felt thirsty and get a cup of pineapple juice from Gelato booth. Then, we had our lunch in Sushi King, tetiba teringin nak makan sushi so indulging myself with lotsa sushi..aaaand, another glass of pineapple juice. My husband just get along the way but feeling nervous with the amount of pineapple I’ve had.. BTW, I had the surges comes and go that is bearable since morning..

1.00pm – Dr Idora’s assistant rang me, asking my whereabout. Gave me 15 minutes before she’d call my turn. We arrived about 15 minutes at the hospital, walk up to her clinic. Awaited for 30 minutes before we were called at around 2pm. Masa ni, I dah duduk bangun sekejap2 tu bear the waves.

2.00 pm – In the Dr’s clinic, she greeted us like usual, asking my condition. So, I was asked to lay down for further assessment. Once she touched my tummy, “ Hurm, ni tgh contraction ni, kan?” Yeah, memang masa tu tgh layan waves.
She kept smiling and nodding, “ lama ni, dah consistent ker mcm ni?”.
Unfortunately, I don’t timed my surges so agak2 ja jawapan, “blum consistent Dr.”
She asked for my permission to do the ultrasound, from there everything seems very good; the amniotic fluid, plassi and the baby, just like the last 4 weeks, engaged tapi masih mengiring on my left tummy.
Gently n politely she asked me again, “boleh tak kita check if u had dilated, I need to made myself clear.” In her smiled, she sounded serious and curious.. so I followed my inner instinct and agreed to her.
So, she did d assessment, gently and smiling, nodding and shaking her head.
Then, she burst into laughed,"Nana, u know what? U r now already 5cm dilated. Tak rasa apa2 ke? Tak sakit?”. And I just shook my head. Immediately after that, she filled my admission letter and asked me to go straight to the LR. We nodded and went out of her clinic.

This is when my husband got nervous maybe? I asked to follow him going back to Putrajaya tapi he a bit reluctant. Convinced him that it is still bearable so he just agreed to it. Went to solat and now the surges became more intense *psychology maybe* It is really soothe me during sujud. Went back to Putrajaya, I squatted in the car and it felt better than sitting still on the seat. Sampai rumah,my husband grabbed our bags while I rushed to the bathroom and took a warm shower, so soothing and relaxing. The surges came in and swaying my hips made it went away. Masa ni la nak igt balik on breathing, my husband truly a great doula as he coached and assisted me to get d correct breathing rhythm kalau tidak, ke laut..

   I missed my son and was thinking going to his nursery just to passed his bag but his nanny convinced us that he is ok and they’ll (atuk and nenek, the nanny) took care of him. Just sent us their prayer for a safe and smooth delivery. So, we went straight back to hospital.

5.20pm – arrived at the hospital, my husband was about to drop me at the Emergency but I insisted that I could walk so we just went to the parking level and Alhamdulillah, it was so easy to get a parking lot *despite the normal situation of hunting a car park*So, I walked slowly from basement carpark to labour room, stop once or two during the surges and swayed my hip to get the sensation went away.

  Once arrived LR, we were told that our gynae has been looking for us, lol..she’s been calling every half an hour from her clinic.. we were given a suite and left there. I immediately went to the toilet and sitting on the loo is just comforting. The nurse kept knocking the door asking about me being too long inside. I even had my shower again to bear the sensation.

  Once I came out of the loo, the nurse asked me to lie down on the bed and I was strapped up. This is when I got annoyed. I let my husband went down for admission and by then, the nurses kept asking me questions for her paperwork.. annoyed to the max tapi layankan jer, when the wave came in, i kept quiet, focus on my breathing and smiled to them. Satu lagi yang menggeramkan, the nurse kept asking me *somehow urged me* untuk ambil gas to ease my pain. She just can't get it when I kept repeating I don't need it. I was still strapped. I asked them to remove the strap after a while as what Dr and I agreed in birth plan. But the nurse, said she called my Dr and she needed me to be monitored continuously. But I couldn't care less, as the wave came I will sit straight rather than lying down on my back. That's the best position for me to enjoy the waves. This made the nurses to come in as they can't get 'a good chart'. But i don't care. LOL

6.30pm- We were left all alone in the room sebab nurses dah tak tau nak cakap apa to make me sit still on my back. No way I will.. The surges were more intense. Each wave all I can do is to grab to my husband and hug him. I always remind myself not to clenched my jaw nor to hold my fist. I kept on smiling, humming and hug my husband as the waves visited. I just couldn't describe it in word as it is so soothing, as it took away the intensity of the wave. He did coach me on breathing too, dah ke laut la jugak kekadang dgn nurse asyik offer drug. Sigh, nurse baru 4 hari dkt situ...

Around 7pm, Dr arrived at my suite. She checked everything needed and sit quietly at the corner, doing her thing. She let me off the strap, lega and I asked to be on my knee. So she adjusted the bed to be 45 degree up and i hugged the bed head. This is really a help for me. She is just so patience and calm, MasyaAllah. Nurse yang kelam kabut asyik tanya nak gas ke tidak till lastly, Dr told the nurse to let me be alone and focus on birthing. Relieved. Dengar la the midwife cerita she just came back from Dubai and it's normal there gas being on demand. Dia tak pernah lagi tengok org tolak gas and me being her 1st case, terkejut dia.. Suddenly my water burst and Dr checked me. She smiled and asked me if I felt like pushing. Then, she waited again. Kurma and zamzam mmg sentiasa dikunyah.

It's really intense by then, Dr suspected I have fully dilated. By this time, I dah mula meracau. And my body trembling and shaking as the waves came..

"Dr, tolonglah bagi cepat' and all..hahaha, mcm2 dlm otak dah but Alhamdulillah, my husband never stop supporting me and Dr just smiled. Her words, "Nana boleh, sikit jer lagi."

It's was during Azan when I felt the urged to push. I asked Dr to be on my feet and she let me change my position from knealing to squatting. My surges becoming quite apart from each surges. So, Dr wanna make use of each waves came. Breathing out my baby and by then, I am quite lethargic. That's the point bila Dr asked my permission to assist me. Just focus on your breathing. And she did mentioned about vacuum. I am not sure why and when I nodded to her. It's just my internal guts and decision. And it was fast, saw her prepped her thing and then the wave came in. 

"Ok nana, breath your baby out, contraction here." I tried to breath out, boleh tersalah pulak, instead of breathing out I pushed really hard and made the vacuum slipped from Dr's hand...she set it up again. And this time with 1 breath, I could felt 'plop' and another breath I could feel my baby slide out..

Alhamdulillah, it was 2100H 26 June 2014 I had my vbac with vacuum assisted for my little princess.

She was placed on my chest immediately and we had a skin-to-skin moment. MasyaAllah, Alhamdulillah biiznillah...Can't thank enough. I will still burst into tears, reminiscing those moment. While Dr checking up, I have no tear Alhamdulillah and the plassi came out in less than 5 minutes, all intact. Once the cord stop pulsating, my Dr honoured our wish and let my husband cut the cord. Blood still flowing, non-stop. Bila ditekan di bahagian rahim, lagi byk keluar. Dr awaited for almost 10 minutes when she decided not to wait anymore. Being too much bleeding, she suggested for a jab and my husband agreed to it. Then after, we were left for our skin-to-skin time and delaying any procedure for my lil bubs till about midnight when they took her for measurement. Alhamdulillah, we had a great journey of VBAC.

Nur Aisyah Sofia binti Sarizuan
9.05pm / 26 June 2014
Hospital Pantai Kuala Lumpur
Vacuum Assisted VBAC

Babywearing - basic

Proudly sharing this article which published in BabyTalk Malaysia April 2014 issue. Credits to my babywearers team for the photo contribution and one of Certified Babywearing Educator in Malaysia, Shahida Radze and our support group, Babywearing Mamas Malaysia.

 

What is it?

Babywearing is basically an action holding or carrying a baby, young child, toddler or even a preschooler using a piece of cloth or a baby carrier. Holding babies is a natural gesture and universal action; baby carriers make it easier & more comfortable, allowing parents and caregivers to carry children while attending to the daily tasks of living.  It makes life infinitely easier as carrying your child with a carrier, be it on your back, hips or in front of you and having both hands free yet baby is still securely near you. You can do laundry, go shopping, attending your other children or even performing prayer with your child contently and securely with you. While front carrying your little one, both parent and baby can have snuggled time; allowing your child to interact with the world on your level yet safely snuggled against your body.

Babywearing has been practiced for centuries. Mothers wore their children on backs and hips since the dawn of humanity. In ancient civilizations, mothers needed to have baby close while tending to dailychores. In the industrialized world, babywearing has gained popularity in recent decades, partly under influence of advocates of attachment parenting. However, not all parents who practice babywearing consider themselves as attachment parents.

Unfortunately babywearing is considered, by many, as backwards, weird or unsafe. It’s none of these and much of the world continues to babywear while many others are only just rediscovering the joys and the convenience of babywearing. Babywearing has to be wonderful for health of babies; to cry less, calmer and content, nurse better (in a front or hip carry), fewer digestive problems/ colic and develop neck as well as back muscles better.

Is babywearing safe?

When done properly, carrying a baby in a safe, appropriate baby carrier can be safer than carrying a baby in your arms. Using a carrier, you won’t have any tired muscles, and your carrier doesn’t have arms that reflexively reach out to balance you or catch you when you fall. But, as with anything concerning babies, good safety practices are of paramount importance. There are few aspects to be consider for a safe babywearing including the type of carrier, types of material used for the carrier, tested and proven safe carrier (just to name few).

There are many baby carriers on the market, too. Many people use simple pieces of cloth to safely & comfortably carry their babies. Additionally, there is a learning curve with any baby product, including commercial baby carriers. Parents and caregivers often benefit from thinking of babywearing as a skill they can learn. Many babywearing techniques can be learned in just a few minutes. Techniques like back carry a baby take more time & practice to master.

To achieve a safe babywearing, use a carrier that is appropriate for your baby's age. Ironically, we keep on changing baby’s clothes, shoes and even nappies size thus the same situation applies in choosing your baby carrier. Having a bigger size of carrier compared to the baby’s age or physical size will put the baby at risk of their spine development and comfortness. Many soft carriers and all frame backpacks are not recommended for use with young babies. At the other end of the scale, most baby carriers have weight limits.

Types of Baby Carrier

Soft Structure Carrier (SSC) – Soft structured carriers replace knots with buckles and add a thickly padded waistband and shoulder straps. The result is a different weight distribution and overall different look and feel from a mei tai, putting this style of carrier into a category of its own. Soft structured carriers offer the convenience of buckles yet are vastly different from framed backpacks in that they hold the baby securely against the wearer's body. Unlike framed backpacks, soft structured carriers are advisable and recommended for baby with a firm neck (after 4 months old) till toddlerhood and provide the benefits of body-to-body contact for the baby (although some require or include a special insert for newborns).
Mei Tai / Half Buckle – Soft pack carriers range from traditional carriers such as the mei tai to more structured buckle carriers. A mei tai is a rectangle fabric with straps coming off each corner & tie the straps around shoulders & waist, made from sturdy canvas-type fabrics & have padded straps for added shoulder comfort. Ergonomically, babies over 20 lbs are better off on your back, a soft pack carrier is more comfortable & easy to use. These carriers distribute baby's weight between wearer's hips & shoulders, making back strain virtually a non-issue even when wearing for long periods. They feature dual adjustable buckles that are completely adjustable around the waist and shoulders. They're easy to get on and off -- and the back carry only takes a bit of practice.
Ring Sling – A ring sling is a long piece of fabric (2-3m long) that is adjustable to fit over one shoulder by pulling the material through two rings made from either metal or nylon, leaving a long tail of fabric hanging in front. They can be padded in shoulder area for added comfort. They are usually used for front, hip carries or sometimes back carry. The adjustability factor of a ring sling makes it suitable for sharing between different sized wearers. The extra fabric left in front is useful for very discreet breastfeeding in public. Ring Slings are an ideal newborn carrier and are also fantastic for the up-and-down toddler phase. The size can be adjusted according to the size of the wearer and the wearee to get excellent support as well as comfort comfort for both the baby and you. This made it more versatile in usage.
Pouch Sling – A single piece of fabric sewn into a sash-like circle seam in middle to creates a deep seat for baby. They are worn over one shoulder. It can be use for front, back and hip carries - distributing weight across shoulder so no single point of strain. Pouches have no rings, snaps, buckles or ties. Pouches are sized to be fitted to the wearer and it is made from variety of fabrics such as stretch cottons or fleece as well as size. It's very easy for a quick ‘ups and downs’ phase - baby can be taken in and out quickly, for those practicing elimination communications, running errands or toddler that wants up & down every 5 seconds. The downside of a pouch is it’s not as comfortable as a two-shouldered carrier for wearing heavier babies for longer periods as the weight bare by only one shoulder and the waist. They came in size thus they are less in versatility as well as adjustability.
Wrap Carrier – A wrap is a piece of fabric (about 3-6m), tied in multiple ways to support baby. They come in both stretchy knits & woven fabrics. This carrier distributes baby's weight evenly onto both shoulders & comfortable for longer wearing periods. They can be used for front, back & hip carries. Wraps are really nice for newborns as they support their floppiness beautifully. However, it needs the learning curve for tying a wrap. The most versatility and high adjustability to suit the size of wearer and the wearee. The wrap also comes in few blends to suit the need or the wearer. It also can be use up till preschooler with a safe and correct way of wrapping.

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