Baby Wearing & Healthy Hips
Me and my dad, July 1987
I love this picture of me and my dad. I was only 9 weeks old. It’s been 34 years, and baby wearing isn’t looking all that different.
If I could hop back in time, I’d just tell him to try wearing me a little higher up – so that he could easily kiss the top of my head. It might be a little easier on his back. And I would check the position of my legs.
When I was born, I was very lucky that the doctors quickly noticed that I had hip dysplasia. Basically, my hip joint hadn’t finished developing by the time I was born, and the ball of my hip joint easily slipped out of the socket. I had to wear a little harness for a few weeks that held my little hips in the optimum position as the joints continued to develop. By the time that picture was taken, I was out of the harness, and I went on to develop perfectly healthy hip joints. But here I am at 2 weeks old, growing healthy hip joints 👇🏼
Since the hip joint continues to rapidly develop in the first 6 months of life, the way that we position babies is important.
If you want to support healthy development of your baby’s hips while baby wearing…
Try this:
Wear your baby facing inward and with legs in the M-position.
M-position:
Thighs spread around your torso and baby’s hips bent so their knees are slightly higher than their buttocks, with thighs supported.
The M-position is the natural clinging position for babies and it encourages healthy hip development.
As you’re wearing your baby with them facing inward, they reflexively cling to you. If their hips are in the M-position, their muscles activate to evenly press the ball of the hip joint into the center of the hip socket. This type of muscle activity is beneficial for healthy joint development.
P.S. This information is for educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not a substitute for skilled physical therapy intervention. While I am a physical therapist, I am not your child's physical therapist. If you have questions or concerns about your child's health and/or development, please contact your pediatrician.