Babies in an upright position in a cuddle carrier

Many parents think the upright position in an ergonomic carrier is only for older babies. The truth? 8 out of 10 babies prefer upright positions from the very first day of their life — and even newborns are 100% comfortable and safe upright in a proper carrier.

Article from the Babywearing blog, published on 21/02/2010

Just like in your arms

A newborn in dad's arms — A newborn in dad’s arms — legs bent like a little frog

See the baby in the photo? Dad is holding it upright and the baby has its little legs bent, like a little frog, to the left and right — just as all newborns do.

Dad doesn’t need to put his hand under the baby’s bottom; he simply supports its little back. So, even though the baby is upright, no weight is placed on any part of its body — it simply rests against dad’s chest.

This is exactly the position the baby is in, upright, inside an ergonomic carrier — whether a ring sling, a pouch, a wrap or a mei tai.

In a ring sling

Babies upright with legs inside the carrier — In a ring sling, with the legs inside

With the legs inside or outside in a ring sling, the newborns in the photos have exactly the same position as the baby in dad’s arms. Their knees are high, their legs bent, and they rest comfortably against the parent’s chest. In place of the hand behind the back, the soft fabric of the carrier plays that role.

The baby is in a natural position, with no part of its body burdened — neither the back nor the genitals. It doesn’t “dangle” from anywhere; it almost “lies” against the person wearing it, even while upright! (So no — the fabric behind the knees does not “press” or “cut” into it.)

Newborns in a ring sling — In a ring sling, with the legs outside

In a pouch or wrap

The same holds for every type of ergonomic carrier. See it with a pouch and a wrap (legs inside or outside):

In a mei tai

Many think the mei tai is for older babies and not meant for newborns. Perhaps the photos are to blame (many show older babies), or the fact that babies in a mei tai are in an “upright” position. I hope it’s becoming clear that the mei tai is suitable even for newborns:

The difference with conventional carriers

In slings, the baby is just as we would hold it in our arms, even when upright. It doesn’t “dangle” from the crotch, the legs don’t hang straight down, the back isn’t rigid and stretched, the baby isn’t forced into any unnatural posture.

We would hold our baby in our arms upright, even a newborn! There are babies who, because of reflux, spend most of the day upright in their parent’s arms. They could just as well be in an ergonomic carrier from day one — that way the babies are calmer and the parents more rested!

There are also cases (tight hips, loose hips, hip dysplasia) where the upright position is recommended and clearly preferable to lying down, and is used therapeutically. Read more: Open legs, carriers and the hips.

Even more newborns in an upright position

All the photos are of newborns (under 40 days old), from a personal collection. They are published with the parents’ permission, for which I warmly thank them.