Babywearing in a wrap can be as safe as carrying your baby in your arms.  However, as with anything dealing with babies, good safety practices are vital.

First of all, always listen to your instincts.  If something feels unsafe, don’t do it.  Every parent and child pair is different, and knowing yourself and your child is vital to safe wrapping.  Just because something is comfortable and safe for me does not necessarily make it comfortable and safe for you.  Always listen to your instincts.

It is your responsibility to ensure your child’s safety.  Newborns and young infants, especially, depend entirely on you to make sure they are safe, and require constant supervision.  Wrapping can make this easier, by allowing you to have your hands free while keeping baby close to you, but you must still be constantly aware of your baby.  Here are some important safety tips:

• Always make sure baby’s chin is not pressed to her chest.  This can block baby’s airway and make it difficult for her to breathe.
• Always make sure your wrap is not covering baby’s face, as this could make breathing difficult.
• Always make sure baby’s face is not pressed tightly against you.  Baby’s face should be positioned in such a way as to never block her nose and mouth and impede breathing.
• Check on baby frequently.  Immediately adjust baby’s position if she has any signs of breathing difficulty.

These tips are most important for very young babies (from birth until around 4 months, when they have good head control), as they are most at risk for breathing difficulties.  However, it is important to check on your baby frequently, no matter what her age.

I am not an expert on babywearing.  I’m just a mom trying help other moms learn how wonderful wrapping can be.  For more information on safety, please visit some of these awesome articles:

• Correct Positioning for the Safety and Comfort of Your Newborn
• Babywearing Safety
• Baby Sling Safety

If you use common sense and pay close attention to your baby, wrapping can be a wonderful experience for both you and your baby!

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