Having been a fan of babywearing throughout my years working with babies and young children, I have been familiar with the general guidance around safety when doing so. However, when I trained as a Peer Supporter, I was introduced to alternative guidance and I thought I would share both versions here.

The one I - and perhaps you too - am most familiar with is T.I.C.K.S

T - Your sling should be tight so that you baby is held close against you, unable to slump down and therefore comfiest, and safest, for both you and your little one

I - Your baby should be in view at all times i.e. you should be able to glance down and see your baby's face without moving any of the fabric. 

C - Your baby should be close enough to kiss so that you are able to plant a kiss on their head or forehead easily

K - Your baby's chin should always be kept off their chest. If baby is in a position that forces their chin to rest on their chest, their airway is compromised. There should therefore be at least a finger width space under their chin

S - Your baby should be supported in their natural upright position - in a standard front-carrying sling - so their tummy and chest are against you and they aren't hunched up and compromising their airway. You should be able to place a hand against their back and apply gentle pressure without them moving in closer to you in response. 

During my training, I was then introduced to H.A.N.D.S

H - While babywearing, you should be primarily hands free! There are moments you may want to use your hands for extra support, such as when bending down, however for the majority of the time you are carrying, you should be able to use your hands without feeling the need to use them to support your baby

A - Baby's airway should always be clear so that airflow is protected. This means their chin should be kept off their chest (as referred to in T.I.C.K.S) as well as their nose free from any squishy areas of your body - you don't want your baby's face faceplanting into your breasts for example. They should be up at the hard part of your upper chest just under your chin.

(These 2 first letters are the most important in regards to actual safety, however the rest are good for ensuring most comfort)

N - The fabric of the sling should reach from (k)Nee to Knee to create a comfortable seated position for your little one - I like the way Carrying Matters illustrates this as being the difference between your little one being seated in a hammok versus on a stool (a hammok is always going to be more comfortable than just having your legs dangling). 

D - Baby should sit deeply in the carrier so that their bottom is positioned lower than their knees (creating a shape like the letter 'M'). This allows their spine to sit in a naturally curved position

S - As with the S in T.I.C.K.S, we want baby's body to be Supported. When discussing this one, we talked about support being from the neck to the knees as it's not just about baby's (or your) back but the whole body feeling supported.

If you have questions about babywearing, have a look at some of my other posts on the what's and why's and reach out so we can have a good old chat!