Tummy to tummy- legs out

Posted on July 5, 2008 by Orit

Somewhere between 1 and 4 months you’ll find that your baby has become too big for the frog legs position. If you have a big and long baby you will notice it sooner. If you think that tucking his legs inside the carrier is becoming uncomfortable, try carrying him in the tummy to tummy position as seen in the picture above, with the legs spread apart and hugging your body, knees at the same height as the bottom, and the carrier supporting the thighs at least as far as the knee.

Some parents recoil from spreading the baby’s legs. Actually, it is a position recommended by Orthopedists as a way of preventing and treating problems with thigh joints. Most babies I’ve seen don’t objects to having their legs spread, but if they do, listen to them. It would be better to wait a couple of weeks and then try again. However, if your baby persists in refusing to have his legs spread, you might want to check whether he has high body tonus.

Taking the legs outside doesn’t necessarily mean taking the head outside as well- you may continue supporting the head inside the carrier all or some of the time, with or without frog legs position. You can use the same carrier as before, be it a sling, a mei tai, a podegi or a wrap. If your baby holds his head by the time you switch to tummy to tummy with legs out, you can start using a soft backpack as well.

This position is also possible in rigid traditional carriers, such as the Baby Bjorn, but as you can see in this picture, in this type of carriers the baby is supported only under the crotch and his legs are dangling unsupported. There are certain argumentations against this mode of carrying babies, especially very young.