Rules for Safe Babywearing

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ticks_safebabywearing

The TICKS Rule for Safe Babywearing – not the loveliest name, but a good way to remember some basic principles. Keep your baby close and keep your baby safe. When you’re wearing a sling or carrier, don’t forget the T.I.C.K.S.

TIGHT
IN VIEW AT ALL TIMES
CLOSE ENOUGH TO KISS
KEEP CHIN OFF THE CHEST
SUPPORTED BACK

TIGHT – slings and carriers should be tight enough to hug your baby close 
to you as this will be most comfortable for you both. Any slack/loose fabric 
will allow your baby to slump down in the carrier which can hinder their 
breathing and pull on your back.

IN VIEW AT ALL TIMES – you should always be able to see your baby’s face
by simply glancing down. The fabric of a sling or carrier should not close
around them so you have to open it to check on them. In a cradle position
your baby should face upwards not be turned in towards your body.

CLOSE ENOUGH TO KISS – your baby’s head should be as close to your
chin as is comfortable. By tipping your head forward you should be able
to kiss your baby on the head or forehead.

KEEP CHIN OFF THE CHEST – a baby should never be curled so their chin
is forced onto their chest as this can restrict their breathing. Ensure there is
always a space of at least a finger width under your baby’s chin.

SUPPORTED BACK – in an upright carry a baby should be held comfortably
close to the wearer so their back is supported in its natural position and
their tummy and chest are against you. If a sling is too loose they can slump
which can partially close their airway. (This can be tested by placing a hand on your
baby’s back and pressing gently – they should not uncurl or move closer to you.)

A baby in a cradle carry in a pouch or ring sling should be positioned carefully with their bottom in the deepest part so the sling does not fold them in half pressing their chin to their chest.

If you like the above graphic, you can download a PDF of it for printing or sending to others.

Babywearing: Proper Positioning for Your Baby’s Legs and Hips

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Here’s how to correctly position a baby’s legs while babywearing in a soft structured baby carrier such as the Boba G3, Beco Gemini, Ergo, Pikkolo, Tula and similar.

Legs shouldn’t hang straight down. Put your baby into the carrier, then grab your baby gently under the thighs on either side, and lift the thighs a little while pulling towards you lightly.

This will seat your baby more deeply into the carrier, and lift the knees to hip height, for an even distribution of weight across the baby’s back, bottom and legs  (crotch dangle position causes a pressure point at crotch and base of spine).

babywearing_leg_position

Babywearing Leg Positioning

You want a carrier that is wide enough on the bottom to allow for this, of course. Avoid narrow-seated carriers like the Baby Bjorn, as they do not support your baby under the legs enough to allow for a seated position with knees at hip height.

Homemade Playdough

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How can you occupy your children on those long days when they are driving you crazy, and you are fresh out of ideas? I recommend making up a double batch of homemade playdough, and giving your child an unopened  can to roll it out with, cookie cutters, spoons, small blunt butter knife to cut with, etc. Whatever you have in your cooking utensil drawer that looks fun (and safe) to use with playdough.Enjoying some homemade orange playdough, rolling it into snakes!

If you have a big cookie sheet with edges, put everything on there and let your child go to town. Easy cleanup, contains the mess! Then put it away in an airtight container when done, and it will be ready for use next time when you are looking for a fun activity. Lasts much longer than store-bought playdough. Also, kids are not inclined to eat it past a little taste, because it’s REALLY salty. Bonus!

BEST HOMEMADE PLAYDOUGH RECIPE

Ingredients:

2 cups of plain all-purpose wheat flour

2 cups of water (you can add food coloring if you like)

1 Tbsp. of cooking oil

1 tsp. cream of tartar (available in baking/spice section of grocery stores, keeps dough fresh and pliable)

1 cup of salt

Directions:

Place all of the ingredients in a medium size or large pan. Cook slowly on low-medium and stir it until the playdough thickens and comes together, then let cool and knead until smooth, just a minute or two.

Keeps best in an airtight plastic container, and will last for *months* if you put it away after playing.

This recipe takes less than 10 minutes to make, but provides hours of fun!

RICE FLOUR ALTERNATIVE

If your child is allergic to wheat or gluten, try this recipe instead, same procedure:

1 1/4  cups  rice flour
1/2  cup  salt
2  tsp  cream of tartar
1  cup  water
1  Tbsp  oil

Family Camping Checklist

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I’m thinking about our annual Spring family camping trip in the California desert. Love the trip, hate packing for it. Packing for the family is a big chore.

Ready for dinnerHere’s my camping checklist. This is a car camping list, not a backpacking list, which you probably would have figured out by the time you got to “carpet remnant for tent entrance”. Still, I can fit everything in a smallish VW station wagon with two giant carseats in back, so it’s really not all that much stuff, either. You certainly don’t need an SUV.

If you don’t have a camping checklist, try this one as a base. As you find yourself making additions and subtractions, write them down to make the list your own!

SLEEP + SHELTER

  • tent
  • air mattress
  • sheets for air mattress
  • manual or battery-powered pump
  • sleeping bags for everyone
  • pillowcases (stuff them with sweatshirts/towels to make pillows)
  • carpet remnant for tent entrance
  • lantern
  • flashlights
  • headlamps for little kids (or for everyone, if you prefer. Little kids under 5 need headlamps because they don’t get the concept of pointing the beam where they want to go, also they tend to drop flashlights and lose them)

EAT

  • tablecloth
  • Tuffo Mat
  • camp table (don’t need if there are picnic tables)
  • camp chairs
  • firewood
  • kindling
  • newspaper
  • camp stove
  • propane bottles
  • tea strainer/tea
  • coffee press/coffee
  • dishwashing bucket
  • Dr. Bronner’s soap (not peppermint – stings eyes when used as face wash)
  • sponge
  • scrub brush
  • Klean Kanteens, one for each person.
  • sharp knife
  • cutting board
  • scissors
  • corkscrew
  • can opener
  • bottle opener
  • matches and lighter
  • ice chest w/ice (if you are bringing perishable food)
  • trash bag
  • large water cooler
  • saucepan
  • frying pan
  • dutch oven
  • plates
  • bowls
  • forks
  • spoons
  • knives
  • mugs
  • aluminum foil
  • roll of paper towels
  • vegetable peeler

PERSONAL CARE

  • toothbrushes
  • toothpaste
  • nail clipper
  • nail file
  • washcloths (one per person)
  • towels (one per person)
  • shampoo (or can use Dr. Bronner’s soap)
  • conditioner (for long hair)
  • moisturizer (body and face)
  • sunscreen (body and face)
  • lip balm
  • sun hats for everyone
  • sunglasses
  • diapers (for kids who still need them, or for bedwetters. You do NOT want to experience a peed-in sleeping bag. Better safe than sorry)
  • wet wipes
  • deodorant
  • hairbrush/comb
  • ibuprofen
  • first aid kit
  • any necessary medications or vitamins
  • portable potty for little kids
  • toilet paper
  • tweezers
  • tampons/pads/menstrual cup, etc.

CLOTHING

  • underwear, one pair per person per day
  • socks, one pair per person per day (ideally Smartwool, as they do not get stinky or feel damp)
  • jeans
  • sweatpants (can be used as pajamas)
  • sweatshirt (ditto)
  • black or dark-colored wool sweater
  • shorts
  • T-shirts
  • fleece vest
  • fleece hat
  • warm coat
  • hiking/walking shoes
  • Crocs (for going in the water, beach, pool, wearing in campsite showers, slipping on to go pee in the middle of the night, etc.)
  • bathing suit
  • swim/sun shirt
  • swim goggles
  • Swim Cushions for beginning swimmers

MISCELLANEOUS

  • baby carrier
  • screwdriver
  • pliers
  • camera
  • camera charger
  • journal
  • maps and guidebooks
  • pens
  • Swiss Army knife
  • clothesline (for hanging towels, bathing suits, washcloths, rinsed out clothing)
  • prefold cloth diapers (used for drying dishes, cleaning up random spills and wet spots, padding, endlessly useful to have 5-10 of these along)
  • guitar and pick
  • games, books and toys for kids. My favorite is a big bucket of Legos.
  • iPod for car stereo
  • cell phone
  • cell phone car charger
  • laptop
  • laptop power supply
  • batteries
  • duct tape
  • daypacks for carrying lunches, water, camera, maps, etc.

FOOD

This depends on the facilities available, personal taste, etc. I don’t really like to cook a lot when I’m camping. Some people are really into it, I am not, unless I am camping with a group to share the labor. When camping with kids, if I spend time and effort cooking over a campstove and they don’t eat it, it’s a GIANT PAIN. With my camping pantry staples below, they can just grab what they want and not waste food or create a pile of dishes that need to be washed. After all, the whole point is to have fun and relax, not chore like I do at home.

  • apples
  • avocados
  • hard-boiled eggs
  • cheese
  • salami
  • chocolate
  • oranges
  • hot dogs
  • peanut butter
  • jelly
  • bread
  • nuts
  • crackers
  • Clif bars
  • marshmallows (for toasting over the campfire)
  • Nutella
  • graham crackers
  • fruit leather
  • dried fruit (dried cranberries, raisins, etc.)
  • trail mix
  • carrots and/or celery
  • salt
  • sugar
  • hot chocolate packets
  • canned baked beans
  • canned corn (mix beans and corn together in a pot and heat. delish!)
  • TetraPaks of milk – dairy, almond, soy, rice, hemp, etc.

What did I forget?

Is it safe for my baby’s legs to be spread apart in a baby carrier?

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How can I be sure that putting a baby in a carrier is safe? I was told by someone once that you should always use slings for babies, because their legs aren’t supposed to be spread apart.

Knees up at hip height and legs spread is actually a very therapeutic position. You never want to *force* the legs apart of course, and a newborn will want to stay in a fetal position for a while after birth, but very quickly babies relax into a spread seated position.

This spread seated position is the same one used to treat hip dysplasia in young children (a condition where the hip socket is shallow, and the ball of the leg bone pops out either partially or completely). A spread seated position promotes correct development and alignment of the baby’s hip sockets.

Treatment for hip dysplasia involves wearing a harness or even a cast that holds the baby in the exact position as the standard carry of most soft structured baby carriers (Beco Gemini, Pikkolo, Boba G3, Ergo, etc.)!

Here are some therapeutic treatments for babies with hip dysplasia. Does this position look familiar?

Pavlik harness - treatment for hip dysplasia.

The Pavlik harness is used on babies up to 6 months of age to hold the hip in place, while allowing the legs to move a little. The harness is put on by your baby’s physician and is usually worn full time for at least six to eight weeks, then part-time (12 hours per day) for six weeks. Your baby is seen frequently during this time so that the harness may be checked for proper fit and to examine the hip. At the end of this treatment, x-rays (or an ultrasound) are used to check hip placement. The hip may be successfully treated with the Pavlik harness, but sometimes, it may continue to be partially or completely dislocated.

 

Spica cast for hip dysplasia

If the other methods are not successful, or if hip dysplasia is diagnosed at age 6 months to 2 years, surgery may be required to put the hip back into place manually, also known as a “closed reduction.” Children older than 2 years may require an “open surgery” to realign the hip, followed by spica cast. If successful, a special cast (called a spica cast) is put on the baby to hold the hip in place. The spica cast is worn for approximately three to six months. The cast is changed from time to time to accommodate the baby’s growth and to ensure the cast’s rigidity, as it may soften with daily wear. The cast remains on the hip until the hip returns to normal placement. Following casting, a special brace and/or physical therapy exercises may be necessary to make the muscles around the hip and in the legs stronger.

Now let’s look at a baby in the standard carrying position for a soft structured carrier:

Beco Gemini Jake

Beco Gemini Baby Carrier – Jake

Notice any similarities?

I think we can safely discard the misguided notion that babies can’t and shouldn’t spread their legs, or that it will somehow damage their hips. The key is to have your baby sitting with knees at approximately the same level as their hips. That’s the general rule for proper ergonomic seating of your baby in a carrier.

If you’re still unconvinced, check out any baby over six months being held on his mama’s hip. Those legs are spread WIDE around the hip. Babies are built for that.

Now on the other hand, slings that hold your baby’s legs tightly together are not OK. When you force a baby’s legs together, it torques the tops of the thighbones outwards at the hip socket, and makes a hip dislocation or dysplasia more likely.

Here’s what that looks like:

For this reason you should also avoid swaddling your baby’s legs tightly together. Swaddle the arms and upper body tightly (within reason, of course), while leaving the legs only loosely swaddled.

How to Hip-Healthy Swaddle your Baby:

Hopefully that helps clear things up. Any questions?