Lying-down position with a pouch

Note: I made the photos below when I was 5 months pregnant. My Vasilis was then 14 months old, already too big for this position! I use a special model doll for the instructions!
In the photo at the end of this page I am wearing my Rea, my new baby, in the lying-down position with a pouch! I hope that soon I will find time to update these instructions!

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 little head.

Many babies like to sleep in this position. It is also one of the easiest positions in which to breastfeed your baby. However, many babies do not like this position, because as they are lying down and close to the chest they feel they are going to be fed… and if no food is coming, they get fussy! If your baby is such a case, do not be discouraged! You can breastfeed them again and try again later, or try the “upright” position.

1. You put on your Pouch according to the instructions, with the seam in front of you.

2. You take your baby in your arms and hold them “lying down” in the inside of your elbow, on the same arm on which your Pouch is threaded.

3. You lower them slowly into the Pouch, taking care that they go inside the “pocket” (which you can “open” with your other hand). Continue to support the baby’s head if they are a newborn.

4. As you “lower” your baby, grab with your hand the outer side of the Pouch and pull it slightly upwards. (Try to have their bottom lower than any other part of the body). The seam will be at their side (roughly at their ribs).

5. Then, again pulling the outer side of the Pouch with your hand, you will rest their little head inside the Pouch (in the pocket, but close to your shoulder) so that it is supported.

6. Essentially their little head will rest more on the outer side of the Pouch. This way your baby is semi-lying, in a position that fully supports their spine

Important note: The baby’s legs in this position, when you have done it correctly, are 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 with tight or loose hips, or if you have instructions from your doctor to put two nappies on them so that their legs stay open, then it might be preferable to avoid this position and prefer an upright position.

Because your baby is a newborn, you must be careful that they do not fold their little head in such a way that their chin touches their chest, because they will have difficulty breathing comfortably. With the correct positioning of the baby there should always be at least a finger’s distance from the chin to their chest.

If your baby is very small and you feel that they “disappear” too deep inside the Pouch, you can pull the inner side of the Pouch (the one that touches your belly) a little higher. This way the outer side will be lowered.

The first time you put your baby in the Pouch, try to have them fed, changed and rested. After you 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.

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