Safe Babywearing During Exercise

A quick guide to help you keep your baby safe and both of you comfortable while exercising together.

Heyyyyy, I’m Karen Ellis — formerly a midwife, now a mum of two living on the North East Coast of England. These days I teach postnatal recovery and babywearing exercise (mostly) online.

I’ve created this guide as a simple way for you to quickly check if you’re practising safe babywearing during exercise. You’ll also find some extra tips to help maximise comfort for both you and your baby.

First, I’ll take you through the must-dos for your baby’s safety while you babywear. I’ve highlighted the key points in yellow so you can scan them easily. Underneath each one, I’ve added a short explanation — because if you’re anything like me, you don’t just want a list of rules, you want to know why they matter.

After that, we’ll move on to comfort tips. These aren’t safety essentials, so if you and your baby already feel settled and comfortable, you don’t need to change anything. But as your baby gets bigger and heavier, you might find some of these adjustments really helpful.

Once your baby is safe in their carrier and you’re both comfy, it’s time to move! Why not try a babywearing exercise class with me? Click HERE to get a class sent straight to your inbox.

Must-dos for safe babywearing during exercise

• Your baby's head should be high enough up your chest that you can kiss the top of their head.

  Why: If you can reach down to kiss your baby’s head, that means your baby is resting their head on the hard part of your chest rather than your soft, squishy boobs, where there is a risk of suffocation.

  
  

• You should be able to look down and see your baby’s face.

  Why: We are the QUEENS at keeping our baby’s safe. If you can see their face, you’ll naturally check on them often during your exercise. It also reassures you that they can breathe easily while you enjoy your babywearing workout.

• The carrier should not cover your baby’s face or the back of their head.

  Why: You want the back of the carrier to end between the top of their shoulders and the nape of their neck. The back of your baby's head should be clear of the carrier, so if they need to move their head back to clear room to breathe, they can. A carrier holding the back of your baby's head down is a suffocation risk during exercise with a baby in the carrier.

  
  

• Your baby should be snug enough to keep their chin off their chest (no slumping)

  Why: A snugly fitted carrier will mean the baby’s chest is tight against yours, keeping their chin high off their chest, which is optimum for easy breathing. If your carrier is loose baby will slump down into the carrier whilst you exercise, causing them to curl around and their chin to fall down onto their chest. This is one of the most important rules for safe baby carrier exercises.

  
  

• Always have your baby in an upright position and never in a cradle position.

  Why: Exercising with your baby in a cradle position is dangerous. Cradled babies will naturally find themselves in a curled-up position with their chin on their chest, which is likely to affect their breathing. Please always exercise with your baby in an upright position during babywearing workouts.

  
  

• Keep baby snug so they move with your body, not against it.

  Why: Your carrier should fit snugly, so when you exercise, your baby's body moves with your body rather than against it, where your baby may end up getting jolted causing their head wobble around too much. You can always use an extra hand to support a head or cuddle your baby closer to your body if you feel they ever need extra support. Having your baby forward-facing during exercise when they are developmentally ready is safe as long as they are awake and alert. If they fall asleep, turn them around.

  
  

• Forward-facing your baby during exercise when they are developmentally ready is safe as long as they are awake and alert. If they fall asleep, turn them around.

  Why: Forward-facing your baby whilst exercising and when they are developmentally ready is safe as long as they are alert and awake. As soon as they start to become floppy and relaxed or sleepy, turn them around to face you. When they are forward-facing they do not have your firm chest to lay their head onto and keep their airways open. Instead, their head flops down and forward, their chin meets their chest, and their breathing is compromised. This is essential for safe babywearing during exercise.

Comfort Tips for Babywearing During Exercise

These tips are for comfort - not safety. Use the tips that work for you, skip the rest.

• Parent-facing babies distribute their weight around your body better than forward-facing babies.

  Why: When you wear your baby so they are facing you, their bodies and legs wrap around you, meaning it is easier on your body (back, core, pelvic floor) to carry your baby. It is also comfier for your baby because they have your chest to rest their head on and your body to wrap around. When your baby is forward-facing, their weight is shifted forward, making it harder on your body (back, core, pelvic floor). That being said, if your baby is awake and alert, forward-facing works well for both of you. Forward-facing is absolutely safe for you and your baby during exercise.

  
  

• If your baby is developmentally ready, consider back-carrying for exercise.

  Why: I remember being so reluctant to back-carry my daughter because I loved the snuggles so much. But when I did start back-carrying, I kicked myself for not doing it sooner — it was soooooo much easier. Back-carrying distributes the weight of your baby differently and makes it much easier to carry them. It can also help make exercising with your bigger baby more doable.

  
  

• Try on lots of carriers at a sling library and find the one that works for you and your baby.

  Why: I can tell you that my absolute favourite carrier is a Lenny Lamb buckle carrier. They have a great supportive structure that is also soft and flexible, with some amazing prints. BUT… I also know other people who really dislike this carrier. Different carriers fit different bodies and babies differently. You really need to go and try some on. Click here to find your local Sling Library. If there isn’t one near you, lots offer online support and postal hire. The comfier you both are, the better the experience will be that you will have exercising together. Choosing the right sling is key for babywearing sling exercise safety.

  
  

• Wear the back buckle at bra-strap height, not on your neck. If your straps X make sure they sit on your shoulders, not your neck.

  Why: You know that buckle you have at the back of your neck? It adjusts! Take a look at it. Most carriers will let you move the buckle down so it sits further down your back, preferably in line with your bra strap. It takes the pressure off your neck and is soooooooo much comfier. If you have a carrier where the straps cross at the back, have the straps sit on your outer shoulder rather than right up against your neck. You’ll find they pull on your neck much less this way.

  
  

• Position the waistband on your waist, just below your boobs (not your hips), straight and snug to keep it from sagging at the front.

  Why: The position of the waist band can be a game-changer for so many mums. Get it right and the support your carrier gives you will feel completely different. The waistband should sit around your waist, not your hips. You likely need to move it up. I realise this may not be possible for much bigger or longer babies. But try it. Most babies do manage to be in a carrier that sits much higher up their parents body. Also make sure the band is snug around your waist so when you put your baby in it it doesn’t sag down and the front.It should be horizontal when you put it on and stay horizontal when you have your baby in it.

• Use a carrier that has a band around your waist as well as shoulder straps.

  Why: Some carriers don’t have waistbands. It blows my mind that these can even be comfy. But some mums tell me they are comfy. And you know what?! This isn’t a safety feature - so if you find your carrier with no waistband comfy, you do not need to change that. But if you find your carrier to become uncomfortable as your baby grows, definitely swap it for a carrier with a waistband. It means that the weight of your baby is distributed around your middle and your shoulders rather than your shoulders alone.

• A wide base carrier offers more support for you and your baby.

  Why: The wide-based carrier vs narrow-based carrier debate. Some people can get a little bit uppity about this and tell you that you HAVE to use a carrier with a wide base. But this isn’t the case.

  
  

  However, I am in team wide based carrier. I think they are better for lots of reasons (I am going to explain) BUT - If you use a narrow-based carrier and it works for you both - this is fine! I am not here to tell you what to do. Just give you the info to make the right decision for you and your baby. Hips - If your baby has any underlying hip issues, narrow-based carriers are not OK for them. If your babies hips are healthy narrow based carriers are safe.

  
  

  But you do have to consider the fact that hip issues with babies do not always get picked up on at first and carrying a baby in a narrow-based carrier with an undiagnosed hip issue can make things worse.

  
  

  Comfort for baby - Imagine being suspended from a height in a harness shaped like a pair of pants and all of your weight pushed into your groin. Not so comfy. Now imagine being suspended in a seat that holds your legs in a seated position. Much more comfy, right? That being said, if your baby is happy and settled in a narrow-based carrier. This is ok! You know them better than anyone else.

  
  

  Your comfort - having your baby in a wide-based carrier with their legs wrapped around your body keeps their weight into your centre of gravity, making them easier to carry. When you carry your baby in a narrow-based carrier with their legs dangling, they hang more from your body with their weight pushed more forward, making it less comfy. Again, if you feel comfy with your baby in a narrow-based carrier, this is ok!

  
  

  If carrying becomes uncomfortable as your baby grows, consider a wide-based carrier for better support for you both.

  
  

What about the type of exercise?

• Find an exercise class designed with baby wearing in mind.

• Just because the instructor suggests a move doesn’t mean it’s right for you and your baby. If it doesn’t feel right - don’t do it.

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  Use a hand to support your baby’s head - or both arms to cuddle them in whenever you feel they need a little extra support.

• Make sure your instructor has babywearing training and is someone you trust.

• Move in soft, flowing movements. Don’t jump or jolt whilst wearing your baby.

• For safe babywearing during exercise, your baby should move in flow with your body — not against it or jiggling around. A properly fitted carrier and supportive arms will help make sure this happens.

• Ask your instructor to check your carrier fit before you start class - and again after if you’re not 100% comfortable during class.

Hi, I’m Karen Ellis, Who the frig am I?

Former Midwife and now a Postnatal Recovery Expert who has helped thousands of mums rebuild core strength, recover their pelvic floor and exercise safely after having a baby. I:

• Am babywearing trained with a peer support worker qualification

• Wore my youngest until she was 5! And supported other mums to do the same at a local babywearing support group.

• Designed exercise to music for new mums that is safe to do whilst wearing your baby. So it's fun and accessible.

• Am a Mum of two - At the time of writing, my children are 11 and 19.

• Am trained in pre and postnatal exercise on top of my midwifery qualifications.

• Created this guide so you can feel more confident and comfortable trying a babywearing exercise class. Try a class for yourself from the comfort of your home, HERE.

Wanna try a class?

I run live, online postnatal exercise classes every Monday morning at 10AM as part of The Postnatal Recovery Membership. These classes are safe babywearing exercise sessions designed for new mums, with the option to include your baby in a sling if you’d like.

BUT… you don’t have to make it to the live class each Monday, as every class is recorded and uploaded onto the membership platform for you to watch at a time that works best for you.

Plus, you can replay any past classes as many times as you like during the week too.

It is an amazing way to introduce exercise into your life with your baby. Try a class here.

Jump right into your Postnatal Recovery with me in The Postnatal Recovery Membership. Click here for more info.