Babywearing: Knee-to-knee

When babywearing, position is REALLY important. Many Soft Structured Carriers (SSCs) come with “infant inserts” that you use until your new bundle of joy is “big enough”. But what exactly is “big enough”? For a legs out position, “big enough” is when the carrier goes “knee-to-knee”.

Knee-to-knee is when their legs not only poke out of the carrier, but that the edge of the carrier actually hits the inside crease of their knee. You want their legs to be able to bend downward. Liam’s legs are able to do this (though his bunched up jeans keep them from bending over at times) – so he is only ever “legs out” now.

Some carriers have a narrower base than others, allowing you to go “legs out” sooner. If you want to go “legs out” sooner, look at the Infantino Sash™ Wrap  or the Becco Gemini. The Infantino (or any Mei Tai style carrier for that matter) can have the base of the seat cinched. Some come with a strap to do that, but you can use something as simple as a ribbon or shoelace to tie it smaller. The Gemini actually has a snap option to make the seat smaller and wider.

What do you do if your little one isn’t big enough for “legs out” quite yet? As I mentioned above, there are “infant inserts” available. I prefer the Tula insert, over the Ergo insert, because of the position it holds the baby’s legs in. What’s really nice is that the infant inserts can be used interchangeably with any SSC. For example, you can use the Tula insert in a Becco, Ergo, etc. Now, you may not want to spring for an infant insert, with how short of a time they will need it. Your other option is to roll up a receiving blanket, place it under their bum, and put them in the carrier “froggy leg position”. The picture below, from the Didymos site, shows you how their legs should be situated, inside the carrier, for “froggy position”.

As always, whenever you are babywearing, be sure that:

• You can see their face – they should be close enough for you to kiss
• You can feel them breathing
• Their chin is off their chest

❤ Tara