There is nothing like holding your baby close to you, feeling their warmth, listening to them breathe while they sleep. Baby wearing can be beneficial to both caregivers and babies and can be a great way to bond with your newborn (or even your toddler). 
We were thrilled to do an interview with Natasha from Natural Urban Mamas about baby wearing basics. With so many different kinds of wraps and carriers out there, it can get pretty overwhelming and Natasha is a knowledgeable mama and business owner who can help clear up any questions. 

( http://www.naturalurbanmamas.com)

What do you recommend to new parents?
I recommend that you really think about your lifestyle and what you want out of your carrier for both you and your child.  Babywearing is an activity as well as a convenience and you need to make sure that whatever carrier you are using fits with what you are doing, as well as the age and stage that your baby is at.  Try out a few before you commit to one.  Borrow from a friend, head to your local natural parenting store to try some on, or even check out a La Leche League meeting and talk to other moms who carry their babies.

How should people carry their baby in a sling/wrap/Mei Tai/SSC?  
The same concepts for proper positioning of  baby in a carrier apply for ALL baby carriers and is of the UTMOST importance to ensure the safety of the baby and the comfort of the wearer.

The following criteria should be met at all times.  

Baby should be facing inwards (or on the back in a back carry) *More on this below

Baby is in an upright position and has a rounded spine**

Knees are higher than the bum or hips in a frog-like position

Legs are out (very newborn babies are the exception and will “frog up” their legs naturally)

Baby is HIGH on the wearer’s body (bum should never be lower than your belly button)

The fabric of the carrier is carefully tightened around baby, spread from one knee to the other

Baby’s head is tilted back, face uncovered, to ensure that there is no risk of the  airway becoming blocked. You should be able to get two finger widths between baby’s chin and chest, if not-REPOSITION!

*Why you should wear your baby facing in: when a baby is facing away from you, their weight is hanging off your body, as opposed to cuddling in to it - this causes strain on your lower back, shoulders & especially your pelvic floor (which can lead to incontinence, particularly after pregnancy/birth).

 **The upright position is a safer choice for several reasons: Baby’s neck is in a straight line with the body and his face rests on the wearer’s chest, with free airflow on both sides. Babies rely on the rounded spine to properly support and distribute the weight of their head and upper body and when a wrap or sling is tightened properly, the immature rounded spine gets maximum support and the natural “frog-leg”-position promotes the development of baby’s cartilaginous hip joints.**

What are the pros and cons of a sling?  
The first carrier I ever bought was a ring sling and I still use the same one to this day.  Slings come in two styles, a pouch sling that is not adjustable and fitted to the wearer and an adjustable ring sling that is more of a one size fits most.  I personally prefer a ring sling-it works from newborn to toddlerhood, can be worn by multiple wearers and is a relatively easy concept to learn.  

What are the pros on cons of a wrap?  
A wrap carrier is usually 3-5 meters of fabric that is tied in various ways around both the wearer and the baby.  It is probably the best carrier to use for a newborn because it keeps them close to mother, close to their source of nutrition (if mom is breatfeeding) and away from prying eyes and hands of strangers.  Wraps can help to distribute the weight of baby across both shoulders and on the hips and reduce stress on the back for most wearers.  There are a few different kinds of wraps, the most common being the stretchy kind (great for newborns to about 4-5 months) and a non-stretchy or woven wrap which can be used from newborn to toddlerhood.  And there is also no end to the different ways that you can wear a baby with a wrap--on your front, on your back, on your hip, and also for the ambitious wearers who like to double up and wear two babies, the wrap is a necessity.  The learning curve is a bit higher with a wrap and it takes practice to get baby in and out, and from a convenience standpoint,ie, I want to get baby into a carrier fast and run a few errands, the wrap is more cumbersome than other carriers.

What are the pros and cons of a structured carrier?  
A soft-structured carrier often has more hardware to it than other kinds of carriers.  Most are fastened onto the wearer with buckles and/or ties.  For those with a more active lifestyle or who anticipate doing a lot of traveling with baby these are the carriers for you.  You can wear them in the front (some come with infant inserts and can be used from the newborn stage), on the back and on the hip as well. They typically have a padded waist strap as well as padded shoulder straps not unlike a backpack, that greatly increase the comfort for the wearer as the weight of baby is distributed evenly across all three areas (2 shoulders and waist).  SSCs allow parents to extend their babywearing years way beyond the infancy stage well into toddlerhood as most have an upper weight limit around 35-40 pounds.  Personally, I think that SSC are a must have for all new parents, but I do think that they work best once babies are out of the newborn stage around 3-4 months and beyond.

What is the best way to carry a newborn?
See above for positioning criteria.  We all hold babies naturally in an upright position and that is usually where and when they are the most happy.  This upright and between mother's breasts position is also an important factor in enhancing/improving breastfeeding as well.  A cradle position where baby is held horizontally is NOT recommended and is part of the reason for the recent recalls of certain types of 'bag' slings.  In this position a newborn's head and chin can tuck down too far and because they do not have the neck strength to pull their own heads back, the baby can potentially suffocate.  When wearing your newborn baby, you should always be able to put two finger widths between baby's chin and neck, and they should bever be so far away from your face that you can not kiss the top of their head.

With so many choices out there, how do you know which carrier will be perfect for you?  
To be honest, you don't know.  And to be even more honest, you are likely to need more than one kind of carrier to suit different needs in your life and also the different stages of your child's development.

Why do you believe in baby wearing?
Babywearing has defined motherhood for me.  I did not now anything about attachment parenting before I had children and because I started wearing my first child while he was in NICU (Kangaroo Care and skin-on-skin carrying is highly recommended for premature babies) it just became a way of life for us.  I believe that my children are calmer, more content human beings because of the closeness we have had during our years of babywearing.  Babywearing has made my life easier in so many ways that I am often shocked to meet moms who have NEVER worn their babies.  I opened Natural Urban Mamas in the hopes of educating more parents about the awesomeness ( yes, it is a word!) of babywearing and natural parenting and I strive to find the best, mom-made or mom-designed baby carriers that enhance this lifestyle and can make all parents lives easier and babies happier!

Natasha Chiam is the owner of Natural Urban Mamas, a online mama & baby boutique that specializes in babywearing, cloth diapering and natural parenting.  Natural Urban Mamas is also an information hub for local mamas with listings for local doulas and midwives, lactation consultants, where to shop, and much, much more!  Natasha is mama to two kids under 4 (and she still wears them both) and is a firm believer that lowering your eco-footprint as a parent is possible and can be done one tiny footprint at a time, without compromising style or function! www.naturalurbanmamas.com

Thanks so much Natasha from the la la ladybug family.