silly question re baby in sling

[bunny85]

Hi,

I'm due in November and very determined to babywear. I've got one of those Moby wraps and read all the instructions on how to wrap and safety and etc. However there's just one question, probably very stupid, but I just can't get it. It says for wearing a newborn it's very important to not let baby's chin touch their chest as that can block their airway and they are not yet able to lift up their head. Now, the way to prevent it is to wrap baby really snug and tight to your body so he doesn't slouch, they say. But I still don't understand, even when the baby sits tight against your chest, surely he still can bend his head down and bring his chin to the chest? That leaves the only option of constantly, literally non-stop, watching the baby and not letting him do that. This bit really makes me very very paranoid. Yet I see lots of newborns in slings and their mothers happily go about their day with no panic. Am I missing something?

TIA

Is there a sling meet or library near you? i think slings are easier to get your head round with a live demo (you tube has lots of videos if not possible).

I think the baby head faced sideways so their face was clear when tiny. I had a moby sling for dc3. I really miss sniffing his head

There were some deaths a few years ago from babies being in pocket type slings where it is easier for them to scrunch up into a ball and occlude their airways. Less chance of this ever happening in an upright like a moby but this is why they have the guidelines.
I used the moby and loved it. Took a bit of practice putting it on but once I got the hang of it it was a doddle. As long as you follow the initial safety checks then the baby doesn't really move and you can feel baby breathing against you anyway x

When the sling is tight, the pressure of the fabric acts in the same way that your hand would if you were holding the baby in your arms. Newborns don't have much head control, so once they are in place, they will stay there. And you will keep checking the baby anyway because you will stroke it and kiss its head quite often, and at those moments you will do a teeny check that the baby is in the right position.

It is much easier to understand what they mean when you have an actual baby in the sling don't worry! Also what someone else said, quite often you can turn their head to the side. Enjoy the baby snuggles!

If you wrap baby up tight then they are high up so you can kiss top of their head and yes they face sidewards anyway so face clear

Like in this picture
www.ethicalshoppingforbabies.co.uk/2011/08/close-caboo-carrier-review-by-josie-elizabeth/

Thank you all. Yes it makes perfect sense baby's head will face sideways, but can't the baby bend their neck down and touch the chest with his chin anyway from this position? I thought with wobbly head that could happen very easily...

I didn't know this advice with my baby (now 10 months) she was slouched and all over the place. I wore the wrap sling wrong and she was too low for about 4 months! Hopefully you'll do a better job of it than I did! Try a sling library I wish I had!

Well generally small babies with wobbly heads you have the sling so the side of their head is inside so it isn't wobbly. You also wrap them so they are at a slight angle so neck is kept back or straight rather than forward.

It's hard to explain, but once you have baby in sling you can see how it's easy to inch them over slightly so they are in the right angle/ safe/ comfy etc

I put my baby in a Moby wrap every morning and take the dog on a fairly strenuous cross country walk. I've been doing it since he was 3 weeks old.
As all the others have said, when he's in nicely, the fabric around the head is quite taut and holds the head very well. I can climb fences with my baby snoozing. I have even slipped and landed on my bum (in the kitchen, not while doing anything crazy!) and he stayed in place and barely woke. The head doesn't really drop and if it did, you couldn't be closer to adjust it anyway.

Jw35, thanks for sharing, shows that it's not that easy for them to get in trouble even when being worn incorrectly! That's a huge reassurance.

Artandco, no what you said is very clear to me! I didn't think baby could be placed slightly at an angle. This makes perfect sense. As does the fact that wrap can go over the head and hold it in place. I definitely got it now!

Villainous, really that's probably one of those things you have to see it to believe it! In my mind, baby in a sling is something so extremely fragile that it almost prevents you from walking at the usual pace, let along running/falling etc! Gradually getting it now though. Thanks!

No they are very portable in a sling. Not us personally but in Vietnam everyone races around on mopeds with babies in slings! Slightly hairaising and prob not recommended but it obviously works for most!