On this episode I welcome Laura Brown, baby wearing expert and postpartum doula on Instagram @mamabirdlosangeles. In this episode we cover:

• The benefits of baby wearing
• Baby wearing limitations
• How to choose the right carrier
• The biggest mistakes when baby wearing
• What to look for in a fit

Find Laura at Mamabirdlosangeles.com and learn more at babywearinghelp.org.

00;00;08;22 – 00;00;34;05

Dr. Mona

Welcome back to the PedsDocTalk Podcast. I am excited to have you here today. We are talking all about baby wearing, so I had to get an expert in baby wearing Laura Brown. She not only is a baby wearing expert, she’s also a postpartum doula. And she is going to be talking with me all about baby wearing, how to choose a carrier, the benefits, the limitations, all these things that every parent has questions about.

 

00;00;34;11 – 00;00;37;02

Dr. Mona

Thank you so much for joining me today, Laura.

 

00;00;37;04 – 00;00;39;28

Laura Brown

Thank you so much for having me. I’m so excited to be here.

 

00;00;40;01 – 00;00;45;10

Dr. Mona

I’m so excited to have you. So tell me a little bit more about yourself and what you do.

 

00;00;45;13 – 00;01;02;06

Laura Brown

Sure. So I am a baby wearing educator, also known as a baby wearing consultant, which means my specialty is teaching parents caregivers how to wear their baby. How to use a baby carrier. Because my oldest, we were separated at birth, which I know you have.

 

00;01;02;08 – 00;01;02;17

Dr. Mona

A little.

 

00;01;02;17 – 00;01;22;25

Laura Brown

Bit of experience with that, and wearing him just felt really natural to me and I just wanted to teach others about it. So that sort of started me down a path of becoming a baby wearing educator. And then I also became a postpartum doula. I’m a lactation counselor, and I’m also a child passenger safety technician, also known as a carseat, that.

 

00;01;22;28 – 00;01;36;06

Dr. Mona

You were doing so many different things. That’s awesome. I didn’t even know about the car safety tag. That’s amazing. And the lactation counselor? That’s great. And of course you have so much expertise, but we’re talking about baby wearing. What makes baby wearing something that you’re so passionate about.

 

00;01;36;09 – 00;02;03;04

Laura Brown

I just think it can really be something that is for all caregivers, all parents. It has very little to do with parenting style. I think sometimes it gets associated with a certain style of parenting, and I think that really, it can fit into all persons lives who are caring for a child. And it really has a special place in my heart for those who, you know, really need to be close to their babies, to bond to their babies, of course, but it’s very practical.

 

00;02;03;04 – 00;02;06;15

Laura Brown

So really it isn’t for any one style or parent or person.

 

00;02;06;22 – 00;02;26;16

Dr. Mona

Well, I love that you brought that up, because I think baby wearing is such a great tool for so many families. And I also know that for you, it worked really well. You said that you were all separated for me, I loved it and then I just didn’t love it anymore and it was our personal choice. But I think it’s so important that parents know about baby wearing, know how it can benefit their family.

 

00;02;26;16 – 00;02;47;28

Dr. Mona

If it’s something they want to do, it’s similar to anything in parenting, right? It’s like, hey, this is something that you can do if it works for you. I want you to have the tools to make it work for you. So this is what we’ll be talking about. So first of all, in your opinion, like what are the benefits of baby wearing when you consult with families or mothers and fathers approach you, what are you telling them in terms of the benefits and why you chose to do it?

 

00;02;47;28 – 00;02;49;14

Dr. Mona

Also?

 

00;02;49;16 – 00;03;12;06

Laura Brown

So for me, I just found it to be really practical. I love to cook. I love to be in the kitchen, I love to be out hiking and in nature, and it just wasn’t very convenient for me to take a stroller. I laughed because my stroller collection rivaled my baby carrier collection. So obviously I like both. But for different activities, especially when you have a second child and you need to be there for them, let’s say at a park.

 

00;03;12;06 – 00;03;13;02

Dr. Mona

Yeah.

 

00;03;13;05 – 00;03;32;16

Laura Brown

Having the baby on my body was really the safest place for the baby. It’s also so good. Obviously we touched a little bit on the bonding aspect, but I found my partner, my husband. It really gave him the opportunity to be close and help with the baby, as well as the extended family, grandparents and such. But really, babies cry less when they’re being held and worn.

 

00;03;32;16 – 00;03;57;13

Laura Brown

We know this, it really leads to more confidence, I think, in the parent, because they’re really connected and reading baby’s cues, which I think when you have your first child, it can be difficult to sort of learn all these little things that the baby is telling you. We know it leads to earlier language, expressive and receptive language, because when the is close to you and hearing conversations, you know a carrier can help facilitate that language development, which is wonderful.

 

00;03;57;15 – 00;04;10;02

Laura Brown

And then I always say, like whatever feeding method you’re doing, carrier can help. So if you’re breastfeeding, body feeding, or if you are bottle feeding. Yeah. And want to get baby introduced to a bottle, a carrier can help with that too.

 

00;04;10;04 – 00;04;26;14

Dr. Mona

Yeah. Awesome. And I think it’s definitely great to have these options for families. The language thing I will say I have people who don’t baby wear, and you can still promote language in other ways if you’re not baby wearing. But I definitely agree with yeah, the closeness and all that. But yeah that’s awesome. Do you see any limits to baby wearing or.

 

00;04;26;16 – 00;04;36;17

Dr. Mona

I guess my biggest question would be when people come to you or when you talk to families, what are some things that they tell you? Well, it’s not working or they don’t like, like what are some things that may be limitations, if you will.

 

00;04;36;17 – 00;05;04;05

Laura Brown

For baby wearing? So my experience is most people choose the wrong carrier. So for their body. So it can be hard to find the right carrier. And I would definitely call that a limitation is that there is no right carrier for every like there really is. It’s such a personal thing as far as how fit works. You may need different carriers for different stages that you’re in with their baby’s age and developmental stage, as well as the price factor.

 

00;05;04;05 – 00;05;27;02

Laura Brown

Carriers can be expensive, but I also think that we tend to put a high price value on things like car seats, obviously important strollers, things like that. In comparison, carriers aren’t very expensive, but you can also buy used. This is one of the best ways to get to know carriers is to buy secondhand. While you can’t do that with car seats, you absolutely can with baby carriers.

 

00;05;27;04 – 00;05;54;16

Laura Brown

I would say that it can be hard on your body if you don’t have the right carrier for you, but we also know that often postpartum, you know, if you have separation distances, recti or anything like that, where your core is not very strong. Yeah, it can absolutely aggravate that. But I also think that people tend to carry in arms anyway, so a carrier can actually be a more comfortable way to transport their baby if given the opportunity to get fitted correctly.

 

00;05;54;19 – 00;06;04;29

Laura Brown

Definitely can’t sleep. I can’t sleep with a baby on you, right? You can’t. But the baby can. Yeah, and there’s also some medical conditions underlying where you need to seek out some help.

 

00;06;05;02 – 00;06;28;03

Dr. Mona

And so I think the next question is like okay so there are oh you’re right. There are so many different carriers different price point. And then there’s also carrier slings. Like if you can actually just kind of talk about terminology or maybe you kind of break it down like what a parent should be looking for when they walk into a store or online trying to find a sling versus a carrier, like the terminology, all of that.

 

00;06;28;05 – 00;06;49;07

Laura Brown

Sure. So a carrier is an overarching term for something that carries your baby. So that’s really all it involves. A sling is actually a carrier that goes over one shoulder, commonly called a ring sling. It is one piece of fabric that’s threaded through two rings. There’s also, Asian inspired or Asian origin carriers, like Mad Eyes or on behemoths.

 

00;06;49;10 – 00;07;09;08

Laura Brown

There’s also wraps, which is one long piece of fabric that you need to learn how to wrap. That’s really the most common terms. They all have sort of pros and cons, just like anything else. So in the United States, bottle carriers are the most common, right? Something that buckles on to the body. The perception is that they’re easier.

 

00;07;09;11 – 00;07;29;11

Laura Brown

It’s actually my opinion that they’re the most complicated style of carrier. I know that that sounds, you know, probably outrageous, but they have so many features now that often parents don’t know how to use those features, and they get really confused, whereas something like a sling or a wrap is going to tell you when you’re using it correctly or not using it correctly, if that makes sense.

 

00;07;29;14 – 00;07;52;20

Laura Brown

So there really is, depending on activity, whether you’re going to be working from home and you need to sit if you’re active and hiking, if you want the option to face the baby out or wear the baby on your back, all these sort of ones are going to help you narrow down the style of care that you need or would work best for you, but really, there is no replacement for trying them on, which is where baby wearing groups and communities come in.

 

00;07;52;20 – 00;07;55;12

Laura Brown

Or working with an educator in your community.

 

00;07;55;14 – 00;08;01;23

Dr. Mona

That’s great. So it really comes down to finding what works for someone’s body type and then what the needs are for the family.

 

00;08;01;25 – 00;08;23;24

Laura Brown

Yeah, absolutely. And really, I try to remember that just like other products, like clothing, is that buckle carriers are based on US average dress sizes. Right. So they’re trying to cater to the masses. That means if you are plus sized, if you are petite, you may have a harder time getting fitted for a buckle carrier. But there’s definitely carriers out there for you.

 

00;08;23;26 – 00;08;30;02

Dr. Mona

Oh, this is so great. And in terms of finding like a list of resources, where can people go, like you said, to get started on that.

 

00;08;30;05 – 00;08;51;22

Laura Brown

So I always recommend, if you’re from a culture that wears babies, this is a great place to start. So elders or folks from your community, but also most major cities have what’s called baby wearing groups or baby wearing communities where there are typically free nonprofit where you can go try on carriers and get help from educators. It’s a great resource.

 

00;08;51;25 – 00;09;00;19

Laura Brown

There’s also consultants like what I do. Yeah, who can teach you one on one? Sometimes they have classes. And help you get fitted correctly.

 

00;09;00;21 – 00;09;26;04

Dr. Mona

This episode is brought to you by the New Moms Survival Guide, an online digital course and community created by me, Doctor Mona Amin. Using my experience as a board certified pediatrician and mom, I created this course to guide you through your first year of motherhood from the foundations of parenting, newborn feeding, sleep in the first year, introduction of solids, and understanding child behavior and development.

 

00;09;26;06 – 00;09;48;22

Dr. Mona

I will be your guide and support you throughout this incredible journey. Make sure to visit Pedes Doc talk.com and be one of the first to get your hands on this incredible resource created to support and empower you as you embark on the joyous path of parenthood. So what would you say are the biggest mistakes you see people make when they start to baby wear?

 

00;09;48;24 – 00;10;11;04

Laura Brown

So carriers actually have to be compliant. They have to meet certain safety standards, just like corsets. Right? Is that we know that we meet these minimum testing standards. And I think what is happening with e-commerce and with buying things online is that people tend to listen to their friends and then go searching on sites like Amazon, where they are not necessarily required to be compliant.

 

00;10;11;07 – 00;10;28;03

Laura Brown

So I tend to see carriers who don’t pass testing standards. This is important, and they just don’t really know what features are important to them. And then they never try on a variety. And so they’re not able to compare and contrast.

 

00;10;28;06 – 00;10;45;21

Dr. Mona

And one of the biggest things also that from a pediatrician standpoint is I always get asked about hip placement because the hip placement is actually really important like that. You’re putting the baby in correctly because of, something called developmental dysplasia of the hip. Do you hear that? Do you see that? Do you teach families how to correctly place baby?

 

00;10;45;23 – 00;10;48;25

Dr. Mona

Can you describe how they should be placed in like a carrier?

 

00;10;48;28 – 00;11;07;03

Laura Brown

Sure. So developmental dysplasia of the hip is really primarily genetic, right. So we do tiny bits of screening for it here. Most countries actually do a little bit more screening than we do. You know I can go on all day about that. But really most carriers now have the ability to adjust the width of the carrier, which is fantastic.

 

00;11;07;06 – 00;11;28;19

Laura Brown

So what that means is we can keep baby in a spread squat position where their knees are at or higher than their bottom. But most newborns or really all newborns are born in the squatted position. They have the expectation of being held right or being worn also because of, you know, how we carry them in our bodies, how they’re born, but they are naturally in this spread squat position.

 

00;11;28;19 – 00;11;47;29

Laura Brown

And so really any carrier is going to be an ergonomic carrier in the beginning. And then over time, what’s nice is if you have a wrapper, a ring sling, which is custom always that will maintain that position. But almost all Buffalo carriers now have the ability to gradually widen the carrier as the baby grows to support this position, which is wonderful.

 

00;11;48;01 – 00;11;56;05

Dr. Mona

That is great. And in terms of like how long you can baby wear for, I mean, I’m sure weight limits on these carriers. Correct.

 

00;11;56;07 – 00;12;10;22

Laura Brown

There are. But most of the weight limits now you’ll almost never reach. Right. It’s similar to infant car seats where it’s really just good marketing. Most of the weight limits on carriers are around 40 to 45 pounds. That could easily be a young toddler.

 

00;12;10;22 – 00;12;11;14

Dr. Mona

Yeah.

 

00;12;11;16 – 00;12;35;03

Laura Brown

And then there’s also toddler carriers and preschool carriers if you want to continue to wear. So you have lots of options to keep doing it if you’d like. There are reasons to continue wearing for longer periods of time. If you have a child that has, limb differences or special needs or medical needs, a carrier can be an absolute, you know, godsend, amazing tool for you.

 

00;12;35;05 – 00;13;01;29

Laura Brown

I have children on the spectrum, and so a carrier really was incredibly important for us to keep my child safe. But really, it comes down to personal preference of your family. Are you an active family? You may want to carry longer. If you’re out hiking, you know your child gets tired. You may not be wearing them as many minutes or hours per day as they get older, but it’s still a nice tool to have for those days when they get tired or they just need a little closeness.

 

00;13;02;01 – 00;13;15;09

Dr. Mona

And one common questions parents asked about baby wearing is is there a time where we go from facing you versus facing out, or is that a preference? I know a lot of it has to do with development as well, but what are your thoughts on when you switch them?

 

00;13;15;11 – 00;13;35;08

Laura Brown

So it definitely is about development. There isn’t a magical age, but for a baby to be able to face forward or face outward world face, they need to be able to have complete head and neck control and clear the top of the panel of whatever carrier that you’re using. So there really is no set age. Sometimes that’s four months, sometimes that six months.

 

00;13;35;08 – 00;13;54;05

Laura Brown

And the nice part is, is by that point, something like hip dysplasia is really less of a concern. So by the time you even get to that stage, we’re not as concerns about baby’s hips, which is nice, but it’s very cultural. The United States very much wants the option to face the baby out in other countries. They’re not interested in that.

 

00;13;54;05 – 00;14;16;00

Laura Brown

So I think it’s it’s good to remember that each country, each culture has very different views of how a baby can be worn. But I see it as a natural orbit. The baby’s high and tight on your body, kissable height when they’re a newborn, and then they sort of move over to your hip. Right? You naturally start carrying baby on your hip, and then you can face baby out if you want, if your baby’s curious, but also they can move to your back.

 

00;14;16;00 – 00;14;21;15

Laura Brown

So that’s also a great next stage if you enjoy baby wearing and you want your front free.

 

00;14;21;18 – 00;14;39;25

Dr. Mona

Oh, I love this. And I love that you brought up the cultural aspect, right? Because I think in America, baby wearing is common, but it’s not really as common as I know. It happens in a lot of other communities and cultures. I mean, we see it all over the world. So this is why I thought this episode was so important, is that I want parents to understand the benefits.

 

00;14;39;25 – 00;14;52;10

Dr. Mona

And if it’s something that works for them, and I think this is just so great. What would be your final message for everyone listening? May be a parent who wants to baby wear or, you know, something uplifting. For all of our listeners today.

 

00;14;52;12 – 00;15;10;25

Laura Brown

I think that really, if this is something that appeals to you, there is a career for you. So there are lots of great free options for help, not only in your community, but often. I think parents are afraid to turn to the manufacturers of their carriers, but all of them I know have free one on one help. So you’re definitely not alone.

 

00;15;10;25 – 00;15;15;07

Laura Brown

And if it’s something that you want to do, there is definitely ways that we can help you do that.

 

00;15;15;09 – 00;15;25;09

Dr. Mona

That is wonderful. And where can everyone find you in terms of website, Instagram? I want to put this all on my show notes for everyone to be able to get your resources.

 

00;15;25;11 – 00;15;46;14

Laura Brown

So my business is mama mama bird Los angeles.com. Same handle on Instagram and Facebook. I’m also available at Baby Wearing help.org. I have a free map of baby wearing help where you can find help in your community if you just plug in your zip code. And I also run baby wearing LA, which is one of the largest baby wearing communities in the United States.

 

00;15;46;14 – 00;15;56;17

Laura Brown

I also sit on the board of our industry’s trade organization, and I always recommend caregivers and other professionals get familiarized with the baby Carrier Industry Alliance.

 

00;15;56;20 – 00;16;16;07

Dr. Mona

Laura, thank you so much. This was actually so helpful for someone who, you know, I again, I did it for three months. I loved it for the first three months and I think for me, it changed when he just was getting so upset, facing me and then having to go world facing. He hated it. And I think maybe if I had more help or guidance, we would have loved it a little bit more.

 

00;16;16;07 – 00;16;39;01

Dr. Mona

But we moved to a stroller and it worked for us. But when I have a second child, I may reach out to you. Because maybe it’s something that I would want to do. Like, truly, this is so interesting and helpful for me and so many of my followers asked about, you know, baby wearing and help. And I think the resources you have provided, I can’t wait to put on the show notes and, you know, allow people to get the help they need so that if this is something that they want to do, it works for them.

 

00;16;39;01 – 00;16;40;23

Dr. Mona

So thank you so much for joining us today.

 

00;16;40;24 – 00;16;42;20

Laura Brown

Yeah. Of course. Thank you so much for having me.

 

00;16;42;20 – 00;16;58;10

Dr. Mona

Thank you for tuning in for this week’s episode. As always, please leave a review, share this episode with a friend, share it on your social media. Make sure to follow me at PedsDocTalk on Instagram and subscribe to my YouTube channel PedsDocTalk TV. We’ll talk to you soon.