When to carry baby on back or on hip position?

If you are in a hurry...

Usually around 3-4 months but it can sometimes be 6 months (depending on the baby). You can opt for this position as soon as your child: 1. can turn his head by himself. 2. can turn himself on his stomach. 3. Lifts his feet when lying on his back.

As we know, back carry in a baby wrap or baby carrier is very practical and can even be indispensable.

It is the position that offers the greatest freedom of movement for the carrying parent. This type of carrying remains a physiological carrying if it is done at the right time.

But then, when should baby be carried on back or on hip? From 3-4 months. Baby then has a growing curiosity and asks to see what is going on around him, without being turned only towards his carrier. Carrying on the back for the very young babies may surprise parents who do not practice it, but it means recovering a greater freedom of action by discovering a new way of communicating with your baby (yes, we don't have eyes in the back). 

If carrying on your back scares you at first, the hip carry is the perfect compromise. It allows you to open baby's view to 180°, just like the back carry with the booster seat (so that he can see over the shoulder of his carrier and not only his shoulder blades). This is also the period when his eyesight is maturing. 

Body signs that show baby is ready

To help you, here are the different signs that indicate the possibility of back/side carrying, that baby feels ready: 

1. Baby turns his head by himself, has a strong and consistent head control
2. When he is placed on his back lying down, baby lifts his feet from the ground (his abdominal muscles give him a bigger gap between the 2 knees). If he manages to swing with the weight of his body, his knees can now embrace the carrier (in the baby carrier, in a sling or on the arms)
3. He manages to turn on his belly and to take support on his arms to take off his torso. This means that the upper part of his body is sufficiently muscular and that he needs to be cuddled less when awake. 

Other signs that baby is curious and that the back/hip carrier will satisfy his curiosity are:

• he wakes up and tries to see 
• when you present an object to him, he grasps it 
• when you put him on his back, he looks around and tries to move 

We are available to answer any questions you may have about babywearing via email, Messenger, Instagram, Whatsapp or phone. Many video tutorials are available on our website. 

And if you'd like some training, know that we offer babywearing workshops with trained babywearing instructors.