Nine Reasons Not to Carry Your Baby Facing Out

I am new to this so i appreciate all the information!

Wow people chill. I wouldn't carry my daughter forward facing but although it's not ideal it's better than not being carried at all.

hipseat baby carrier helps me a lot

Once again another biased article.  You may be 100% correct, but you make yourself sound less than credible with your angle.  Try providing current information from both sides when attempting to educate.  ALSO, maybe instead of spending so much time trying to teach/convince others that forward facing is bad, try teaching/convincing others why you believe, or the research (current and peer-reviewed) shows that inward facing carriers like yours are the optimal choice for your child.  I didn't come to this website to hear why OTHER carriers suck, I want to learn about why yours ROCKS.  I guess I just find all this bashing to be less than professional when you could simply promote your own product with positive information about it.  Like mama always used to say "don't put someone else down to make yourself look better."

Disagree with all. Mothers and fathers will instinctively know what they and their baby need. The only true risk reason was not mentioned, risk of something inadvertently poking baby in the face.

get a grip people have been carrying their children like this for years with no health problems just something else to scare unconfident parents with!!!!!

I would face my kids out in the sling when they got a little bigger , and they loved that. I think they liked feeling like part of what was going on socially, and they could see everything. No pressure on their groin, or their back. 

I also have to say that everyone on here saying that a baby that is less than a year old has codependency issues. I can tell you that many doctors and psychologists would disagree with you. Babies that are a year and younger need interaction, warmth, closeness and stimulation. You can't spoil a newborn or an infant. It has nothing to do with codependency. You are supposed to react to your baby's cries, that's all part of nature, even monkeys know that for christ sake. How about you all take a damn cue from nature... Some people shouldn't breed.

I use the peanut shell sling, it's great. I always keep baby facing towards me. I don't get why anyone would want baby facing forward, I think it would blow my back out honestly. Plus, I like the cuddles and don't want every weirdo walking down the street trying to touch my baby or go "Googoo blah blah blah!" every time I walk by, it's annoying lol.

It should actually read TEN reasons, as number 3 is listed twice :D

I don't understand.  Can't you just leave them in the kennel when you go out of the house?

This is interesting! We were talking about this in my Anthropology class and how women had to work in the fields for long hours and had to carry their newborns in their back because they had no one to take care of them. I am a new mommy and I have lots to learn. Im just glad to hear so many different opinions of what worked for one mother and what doesn't for another. I will learn from my experiences.

I am really disgusted in the way this article has turned out. It's become an argument on co-dependence, etc, and that has nothing to do with the point of the article. 

An infant only has NEEDS, they don't manipulate and trick you. They aren't scheming. It's a BABY with limited brain development. When a baby cries it's because they NEED something. whether it's food, comfort, they're in pain or scared or tired or hot or cold! It's common sense. I'm amazed how many detached and plain ignorant parents can be these days. I just don't get it. How can a society be so brainwashed into believing that infants can be spoiled and need to "learn their boundries". They are INFANTS for goodness sake, not toddlers or children. Babies spend 9 months in the womb and it's rather uneducated to assume they should be able to sleep by themselves, and adjust to life outside of the womb so easily. 

Fact of the matter is there are PLENTY of codependent and incompetent adults whose parents spanked them, didn't co-sleep, and let them cry it out so that entire argument is invalid. Most of the kids that I deal with who misbehave on the regular ARE spanked and their parents have never once co-slept... 

Secondly, babies can't "see their mom too much". What kind of bogus debate is that? In this country many years ago, and in many countries around the world to this day, babies are worn daily and families all co-sleep. It doesn't breed codependent and whiny children, by any means. 

Also, the article gives many reasons why it's a bad idea to baby wear facing out. Does anyone not actually read? It's simple anatomy, really, same reason "crotch-dangling" carriers are a bad idea. As a baby gets older and more curious, high back carries and hip carries are still a lot better for mom and baby than facing out.

This is getting silly and I am surprised there are bunch of grown women on here acting like catty teenagers; I had to comment though after reading all of this mis-informatipn on "spoiling" an infant. As someone that has studies infant brain development I can tell you that children under the age of two don't have the brain development capable to manipulate; that takes a high level of reasoning and knowledge of cause and effect which just hasn't developed yet. Further more, studies show that parents that don't feed infants on demand have children that grow to have more eating and behavioral issues because food was used as a means of control instead of them naturally learning when they are hungry and when they are full. That isn't to say you don't set boundaries with older toddlers when it come to other thing such as food choices, toy purchases, and things that aren't in their best interest but limiting their feeding to your schedule is detrimental especially with small infants. Its very sad to me that you would ever think such a small little being is just manipulating you, do some research. 

I was expecting this article to be a lot more hilarious. For reference: http://www.marcofolio.net/imagedump/how_to_and_not_to_take_care_of_a_baby.html

I'm so sick of people saying "well i did this with my kids and they are fine." You know that's wonderful, it really is, but the fact that you did something and data/science studies come out that say that thing might be harmful does not a: make you a bad parent nor does it b: mean the study is flawed/wrong/opinion.

For many many years cars were driven without seatbelts, and many many people went through their lives perfectly fine while never wearing one. However no one can dispute seatbelts save way more lives than not wearing one.

Babies are extremely resilient, especially healthy ones, and they can take a lot of bending stretching, bad ergonomics, falling, banging, etc.And do so while coming out perfectly fine. This does not mean in anyway shape or form those activities are safe. Again front face or don't but don't assume that just because your kids turned out fine it's fine for everyone. If you recommend to someone that they front carry and then find out years later that that child has definitive health problems from that how will you feel.

Just remember when studies come out that contradict how you raise your kids it is not a comment on your parenting ability, you are fine, your skills are fine, you are a good parent, just learn from it, and let other people learn from it, because no matter how good a parent you are, you are in no way the end all be all of parenting.

sorry to say,but my babies are upstanding kids...foward facing,face down sleeping amazing kids...thanks for the warning,but 10 and 6 years too late on the paranoia...They slept in a bassinet next to my side of the bed,my hand resting on them constantly for fear of SIDDS..face foward walking in the sling...guess what..my 10 year old now learned to crawl at 7 months,walk at 9,talk words before 1 year...my now 6 year old faster...crawl at 6 months,walk at 8 and talk bout  a year..full sentence before 16 months....sorry honey.your hypothesis is inadequate for 90% of the baby population...thanks for the effort,sorry if i do not apply or share this..

In my country the pediatrician doesn't let you carry the baby in any sort of carrier or wrap until they are able to sit  up. Otherwise it puts too much pressure on their spine. And honestly I don't really blame some parents carrying for their little ones facing forward because, as we all know they like to explore. My little one always liked to be in the pushchair facing forward. And at the end of the day, the companies who produce this kind of things should put a leaflet in every pack to let all the unexperienced parents know how to carry their child. they have many may years of experience, not like most of us, first time parents!!!!!

I have a sleepy wrap for my last two and its brilliant - I have pretty much always carried in but found recently my daughter was happy in 'hammock' mode so sort of sitting with the wrap support her head, back bum and legs so she could see out she's 8.5 months.   And when she slept I just tucked in her head nice and snug!  She was completely supported!

Thought I agree to the fact that it's not good for baby I don't think it's not good for interaction. I don't think it's good for baby to see mommy all the time, I think it's good for learning about their world to see people walking down the street or around the store. I think there are times when the babies needs (wants) don't need to be met. Eating or rooting isn't missed most mommies know when it's dinner time not by looking at baby but by time or sound of cries. I think one of the things wrong with today's society is babies and children believe a want is a need and expect parents to respond right away. A lot of the violence is based from the same thing, adults throwing tantrums because they're not getting what they want. So aside of all the facing away from parents I think they are correct. All the physical things I figured also. I'm surprised parents can't figure that out on their own. I wouldn't want to sit or hang that way... would you?

I don't think it is impossible to carry a baby front-facing comfortably; it depends on the carrier and the technique, and that is why I feel the article makes some great points but over-generalizes a bit. I wish you had illustrated it with some more photos of front facing carriers used correctly, mot ones that are incorrectly positioned and way too loose.

Before I had my first baby, back in 1998, I read about ergonomic baby carrying - the Wilkinet company used to write about making sure baby's weight was not all taken its pelvic floor. I have since carried 6 children in a variety of carriers, and sometimes they want to look out. It is interesting reading the views on overstimulation because I found that could certainly happen, but also that sometimes my babies would get bored and irritable facing in, usually after 3 months, and they enjoyed an 'exercise' period facing out. they loved the interaction they got from other adults, and with each baby i could see clearly how much of a treat it was to get to look straight out sometimes - like baby gymnastics!

I had trouble making back carrying work safely with babies under 6 months, had a couple of potentially dangerous situations, so decided to leave that till after 6 months. I know many women manage, and there is probably more support now, but back carrying tiny babies is not for everyone. Front facing carrying was a good experience, and *could* be done while still promoting good posture!

For instance, with a tie-on wrap in a non- stretchy, woven fabric, I understood that the fabric should be stretched out under the baby's thighs so that they are lifted and separated, ie baby is in a squatting position, weight taken on its thighs, not on the crossover point under its crotch. The photo accompanying this article shows a very poorly- fitted stretchy wrap, but of course that wrap might have been very comfy for baby if it had been tied differently. Probably harder with stretchy cotton-jersey wraps though. Also if you are using a tie on wrap then to support the mothers back you can wrap horizontally around mother's and baby's middle, again like the photo on this page but it all needs to be much tighter. I used to make this band really wide so it was supporting most of baby's weight and the leg supports were just holding thighs up. Another Alternative is ring sling, baby cross legged, though you do need to keep an arm round baby to stop him toppling forward.

This article suggests better front carrying - what I have used is in pics 3 and 5 : http://www.slingbabies.co.nz/Site/Articles/Forward_Facing_Out_in_a_Baby_Carrier_-_what_you_should_know.ashx . I also used to sit baby sideways in a ring sling - I guess the cradle hold you see here, but would slide baby more upright as he grew older :

http://www.slingeasy.co.uk/acatalog/Wearing_SlingEasy.html

I suppose that doesn't count as a forward facing position, but it worked very well for me even with babies of 6 months and older, and did allow em the choice to snuggle in or look out. However, it was much harder on my back than a symmetrical position, and that's where front facing carries worked well.

Inward- facing positions have served my family well and I have never met a baby who could not enjoy them, maybe after a little practice, *but* babies do get fed up with it sometimes, especially as they get older; sometimes they, turn their heads sideways craning to look round, and arching away, and at that point I often found that front- facing was just what baby wanted at that point. Having focused on listening to my babies, having made a 'religion' of attachment parenting over 6 kids and 15 years, I can say with confidence that my babies often preferred facing out. Listen to the baby, not the textbook ;-)

Re head support and asphyxiation, surely this risk depends so much on age and head control? the degree of head support necessary for a wide-awake 5 month-old is quite different from for a sleepy newborn. I always thought that if the head was dipping at all, baby was too tired to be facing out. The warnings on airway obstruction when the chin falls to the chest are aimed at cradle holds in pouch slings mostly and from what I understand of anatomy I think this would be unlikely in a forward facing position, especially as many front packs donprovide some chin support. Try it yourself - if your back is held upright and then your chin falls to your chest, breathing is a little harder, but if you then allow your spine to slump back, so your back is rounded, it's much harder. A baby in a front facing carry is in the former position, whilst one in a ring or pouch sling is potentially in the latter, if in a cradle hold. So my understanding of the guidance is that it is probably not really applicablemtomthis situation, although of course I may be wrong.

I would like to see more advice on how to make any baby wearing position better. We'd all rather see babies getting carried more rather than bunged in a pram, wouldn't we?

It's a shame that people trying to spread information are being made fun of and shamed. If the doctors here: http://www.hipdysplasia.org/Developmental-Dysplasia-Of-The-Hip/Prevention/Baby-Carriers-Seats-and-Other-Equipment 

can't convince you that it's LESS safe but not the most dangerous harmful thing ever, then just leave it alone. I just can't relate to having a baby "insist" because I was a nanny for a long time before I had a baby of my own, and I've never encountered a baby who didn't like being held in a carrier facing in. If you don't want to hear what the International Hip Dysplasia Institute and the people who believe them are saying, here's an idea: don't read posts like this.