«Lying» position (head near the rings)
…for a newborn baby in the ring sling carrier
This position is suitable for babies from the very first day after their birth. It mimics the way we hold a newborn in our arms and fully supports the baby’s head. That said, most babies, from the very first days, prefer upright positions over lying ones.
1. Put on your sling in such a way that a large “pocket” is created in front of you (the inner side should rest against your chest and the outer one should be loose).
Hold your baby in your arms, high up on your shoulder, as if you wanted to burp them, on the opposite side from the one on which the rings are located
2. With one hand you will hold your baby by the bottom and legs, and with the other you will open the pocket, holding it roughly from the center of the outer side.
In a moment you will place your baby inside the pocket. As your baby comes down, their back and head will come forward, outwards. Don’t worry, you will hold them with the outer side of the pocket.
3. Take hold of the baby’s little legs with your hand and guide them into the “pocket” so that they rest against your ribs. The baby’s little feet will reach the side of your back. With the other hand you will raise the fabric of the outer side so that your baby can rest their little back there.
Raise the fabric so that it supports the baby’s little head and your baby ends up well inside the pocket.
4. Don’t try to lay your baby down towards the rings yet! Keep them almost vertical against your body, facing you, as if you wanted to see them “face to face”!
If the baby’s chin is resting on their chest, lift their little back with your hand, thus tilting the head slightly backwards.
5. Now you can tighten the fabric around your baby by pulling the inner edge of the tail. As you pull the tail, the baby’s head will move closer to the rings and come closer to your chest.
Remember that for safety reasons the rings “lock” with the weight of the baby. So, while you pull the tail you must support the baby’s weight with your other hand, holding them in the position where you want them to stay.
6. Once you have tightened the tail as much as needed, your baby will settle on their own into a “lying” position! Their head will be very well supported by the fabric, and their little back will be straight!
You are ready for a stroll (or for sleep)! Your baby is comfortably lying in the sling, as if they were inside a hammock!
7. Your baby’s back will rest against the outer side of the pocket and will still be relatively “vertical” to the horizontal sides of the pocket, in a relatively “upright” or semi-seated position (not parallel to them). Your baby will not be lying at the bottom of your sling’s pocket. On the contrary, their legs will be closer to your body while their head will be further away, outwards
Note: Many babies like to sleep in this position. It is also one of the easiest positions for beginner babywearers with newborn babies! However, many babies do not like this position, because as they are lying down and close to the chest they feel that they are about to be fed… and if no food is coming, they get fussy! If your baby is such a case, don’t be discouraged! You can feed them again and try again later, or try the “upright” position.
See detailed step-by-step instructions for this position with a video and many more photos of newborn babies lying in a ring sling, on the babywearing blog, here
Important note: In this position, when you have done it correctly, the baby’s legs are once again folded like a little frog and not stretched out and closed. However, if your baby has a predisposition to hip dysplasia, or some issue of tight or loose hips, or if you have instructions from your doctor to put two diapers on them to keep their legs open, then it might be preferable to avoid this position and to prefer an upright position.
read more: Open legs in babies – Hips and hip dysplasia
What to watch out for:
Because your baby is a newborn, you must take care that their little head does not bend in such a way that their chin rests on their chest, because they will have difficulty breathing comfortably. With correct positioning of the baby there must always be at least one finger’s distance from the chin to their chest.
You must also make sure that the fabric does not cover the baby’s face and that they are not too “deep” inside the “pocket” of your sling.
The first time you put your baby in the sling, try to have them fed, changed and rested.
Once you have put on your “asteraki”, start walking (almost immediately). They will like it a lot and this way they will get used to it more easily.
When the baby’s head is on the same side as the rings, it is up to you to decide how “lying down” or “upright” (semi-seated) you would like your baby to be in your arms!
This depends on how open you have your sling’s pocket before you lower your baby into it. A very open pocket at the start will result in a completely lying-down baby. A relatively more closed pocket at the start will bring your baby into a position with a more upright tilt.
If your baby has reflux, prefer the upright positions instead (either with the legs inside or with the legs out).
In the following video I am in the 8th month of my pregnancy, and in this position I am wearing a newborn baby, only 45 days old!
