Although it's an incredible practice that allows you to create a strong bond with your child, babywearing can also present a number of challenges for parents. The sensation of the baby's weight in the front, tension in the back and shoulders, as well as the adjustments needed to find the ideal position, can make this experience a bit difficult at first. Fortunately, with the help of strength exercises and preparation, one quickly overcomes these initial difficulties and appreciates the richness of babywearing.
In this article, discover several practical solutions to prepare for babywearing before your baby is born or in anticipation of your baby's growth. And yes, your little one will grow, and if you want to continue carrying them while fully enjoying these moments rather than enduring them, nothing beats good preparation.
Be sure to adapt the exercises mentioned in this article if you are pregnant or have recently given birth. To find out about possible variations, we recommend seeking advice from a perinatal kinesiologist
1- Strengthen your back and shoulder muscles:
While babywearing, the muscles of the back and shoulders are directly engaged by the baby carrier.
Whether you're preparing for the birth of your little one or your baby has just been born, keep in mind that your baby will continue to grow and become heavier over time. Therefore, it's important to strengthen your muscles to avoid injury and, most importantly, to fully enjoy all the benefits of babywearing with peace of mind
For your back muscles, Véronique Brouillette B.Sc., a perinatal kinesiologist, suggests the exercise of alternating bent-over rows. This exercise involves slightly bending the knees and leaning forward from the hips while keeping the arm extended towards the ground. As pregnancy progresses, it becomes increasingly important to support your lower back. It is therefore advisable to keep your buttocks against a wall throughout the exercise.
When pregnant or in the postpartum period, it is recommended to return to an upright position between each repetition of the movement.
To help you, you can count up to 4:
1- Lean forward;
2- Bend your elbows to pull the weights held in your hands or the elastics under your feet towards your chest;
3- Straighten your elbows;
4- Return your back to an upright position.
Repeat the movements from 1 to 4 according to the recommended number of reps.
For your shoulders, lateral raises are very effective. By lifting light weights to the sides up to shoulder height, you strengthen the deltoid muscles and stabilize the shoulder joints, thereby reducing fatigue and tension generated by babywearing.
2- Strengthen your pelvic and abdominal muscles:
Although they are not in direct contact with the baby carrier, the pelvic and abdominal muscles significantly contribute to maintaining stability during babywearing. When well-developed, they act as a natural support for the back and shoulders, allowing for more comfortable and confident babywearing. If you've recently given birth, they are especially essential for gradually aiding in your postpartum recovery. Postpartum, we also recommend the Maman Active program available here.
Here are some exercises you can put in practice:
Deep abdominal muscles should be trained. They are harder to feel because we often didn't pay attention to them before becoming a mother. Nevertheless, they are definitely there! To train them, you can lie on your back and extend one leg or bring the leg towards the chest by bending the knee and ensuring to contract the lower abdomen through our deep abdominal muscles.
Pelvic floor rehabilitation exercices target the muscles of the pelvic floor. These muscles play an essential role in maintaining pelvic stability, which is also important during babywearing. To practice them, contract the pelvic floor muscles for a few seconds, then release. Make sure to exhale during the exercise while contracting your pelvic floor. How? By squeezing and lifting the contraction towards the navel like an elevator.
Repeat this exercise several times a day to strengthen these muscles, which are often weakened during pregnancy and childbirth.
3- Improve your posture:
Maintaining a correct posture is essential for comfortable and pain-free babywearing. To help you maintain an optimal posture during babywearing, we suggest upper body stretches and posture correction exercises.
Upper body stretches are simple yet effective exercises for releasing muscle tensions and improving flexibility in the spine, shoulders, and neck. Try stretches such as side bending of the spine towards the sky, open torso rotations, and shoulder stretches to release tensions accumulated in these areas often engaged during babywearing.
In addition to stretching, posture correction exercises are essential for strengthening the muscles that support an upright and aligned posture. Simple exercises such as shoulder blade retractions, strengthening the back muscles, and stretching the chest muscles can help correct muscular imbalances and prevent back and shoulder pain.
4- Practice babywearing with a weighted doll:
Before the birth of your little one, you can start getting used to the feeling of babywearing by practicing with a weighted doll or regular doll. This will allow you to simulate the weight and movements of a real baby while enabling you to train using different babywearing positions.
Here are some tips to help you practice babywearing:
- Choose a weighted doll that corresponds to the average weight of a baby.
- Try out different babywearing positions, such as the front carry, the hip carry, or the back carry. To see demonstrations of babywearing positions, you can watch this video. You can also practice different wraps with a baby wrap.
- Start with short babywearing sessions and gradually increase the duration as you get more comfortable.
- Remember to listen to your body and make adjustments if necessary.
5- Carry your baby daily and gradually:
To gradually get used to babywearing, it's recommended to start with short periods every day and then gradually increase the duration over time. Begin with babywearing sessions of just a few minutes while paying attention to your own comfort. As you become more comfortable doing it, you can gradually extend these sessions, always ensuring to respect your baby's need for rest.
It's also important to vary your babywearing positions to evenly distribute weight across different parts of the body and avoid excessive muscle tension. This not only helps relieve muscle fatigue but also provides your baby with a variety of perspectives and stimuli. For more advice on babywearing a newborn, feel free to check out our article on the subject.
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By following the advice presented in this article on muscle strengthening, posture improvement, preparation, and regular babywearing practice, you'll make your babywearing experience more comfortable and enjoyable. Take your time to get used to this new practice and cherish every moment spent with your child. You'll find that the world of babywearing is filled with beautiful surprises and numerous benefits for both you as a parent and for the development and health of your little one.
A big thank-you to our contributor Véronique Brouillette from Maman Active - Espace Périnatal et Familial for her support on this article. Maman Active offers physical and mental health services to mothers and the whole family. To learn more about it here.
For more advice on babywearing, check out our various resources:
- Read our other articles on babywearing on carrying a newborn, safe babywearing or physiological babywearing.
- YouTube de Chimparoo' YouTube channel s full of demonstrations on babywearing positions and discussions surrounding baby development.
- Visit our FAQ which covers commonly asked questions from our customers.
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