Getting Started Safely: 6 Essential Tips

Whether you are new to babywearing or returning to this tradition, safety comes first. Here are six
key things to know.

01. The M-Position is Essential
Position your baby with knees higher than their bottom — like a frog or M-shape. This protects hip
development and is the position used in healthy traditional carrying worldwide. Avoid any carrier
where the baby’s legs hang straight down.
02. Face Inward for Newborns
Young babies should always face you — not outward. This supports their spine, allows them to
regulate against your body, and prevents overstimulation of their developing nervous system.
03. Keep Airways Clear
Always ensure you can see your baby’s face. Their chin should not rest on their chest. If you can
kiss the top of their head easily, the position is right. Check on them regularly, especially when they
fall asleep.
04. Start Early — But Any Time Works
Skin-to-skin carrying from birth has the greatest impact on brain development. However, the
benefits of babywearing are significant at any stage of infancy and toddlerhood. It is never too late
to begin.
05. Anyone Can Wear Baby
Fathers, grandparents, older siblings — every caregiver who wears the baby builds their own bond
and benefits from the same oxytocin release. Share the carrying, share the love.
06. Listen to Your Body Too
Babywearing should feel comfortable for you as well. Use a carrier that distributes weight evenly
across your hips and shoulders. Take breaks when needed and adjust the carrier if anything causes
discomfort.

Carry Them Close
You are not creating bad habits. You are building a brain.
Those moments when your baby falls asleep against your chest, when they calm instantly in your
arms, when they gaze up at you with complete trust — these are not just sweet memories you are
making. You are literally building your child’s brain, regulating their nervous system, and creating the
secure foundation they will carry with them for life.
So hold them. Wear them. Keep them close. You are doing exactly what nature intended — and
exactly what thousands of years of African and Asian wisdom, and decades of modern neuroscience,
confirm is right.