Why should you use a hip seat?
There is nothing quite like holding your child close, feeling their skin and warmth against you.
Unfortunately, many new parents find themselves suffering from back pain, which keeps them from picking up their babies as often as they'd like.
These parents are often at a loss for where their back pain is coming from. They'd never guess that the culprit is something they may use every day: their baby carrier. The traditional means of baby carrying, such as back harnesses, often leave parents with aching backs, and also not using carriers, especially as their baby gains weight, grows, and ages.
Traditional baby and toddler carriers often place a lot of pressure on the spine as they rely on the parent's upper body to completely support the baby. While this can be convenient for parents at the moment as it leaves their hands free while keeping the baby close at hand, they ultimately end up regretting them later in the day, when they're popping aspiring to try to keep their back pain away.
Most parents don't even use any carriers and carry their baby and toddler on the hip, straining the back arms and shoulders.
Luckily there is a more ergonomic carrier out there: the hip carrier.
These carriers are exactly what they sound like: carriers worn around the parent's hip rather than the waist, shoulders, or back that support the baby and toddler in a more natural and comfortable way. These baby and toddler hip carriers are usually bands worn around the hip that have a small seat attached to them. The baby or toddler sits on top of the seat and is held in place by the parent.
This type of baby/ toddler carrier is more ergonomic because it doesn't rely on any part of the parent's body to support the weight of the child. Instead, the hip seat takes the brunt of the weight, while the parent simply helps to keep the child firmly in place.
The baby hip seat is also a more ergonomic baby carrier from the child's perspective as well. Unlike other baby carriers which may twist, squish, or scrape the child's legs, the baby hip seat allows the baby and toddler to move their legs freely and comfortably. Furthermore, since the child is held in place by the parent, rather than a complicated and uncomfortable series of straps, the child is all-around more comfortable. And of course, a hip seat provides more opportunities for the skin to skin contact between parent and child, which leads to happier baby overall.
The baby hip seat gives parent and child all the benefits of hand carrying, without any of the downsides. Parents can carry the baby and toddler for longer, as they are not bearing the brunt of the child's weight. The child gets a comfortable seat and the warm closeness of being carried by their parent without a carrier. Most importantly, using an ergonomic baby carrier like the baby hip seat prevents many of the problems that cause back pain in parents. The hip seat takes a lot of pressure off the spine and shoulders, thus preventing the muscle strain and tension that causes back pain.
If you're a parent suffering from back pain as a result of your traditional baby carrying it may be a good time to give a baby hip carrier a try instead. Your baby and your back will thank you.