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Babywearing Hair

You don't have to go bald from wearing your baby on your back all the time! Most babies love hair, and wearing them on your back puts them right where the action is! However, it's possible to be fashionable and comfortable while keeping baby's hands out of your hair.

Look Ma, no hands!

When tying your baby on your back in a simple cloth, you can simply tuck his hands into the cloth. This works especially well with small babies when using torso or rebozo-style back carries, rucksack carries, or the Tibetan carry. However, older babies may also tolerate this position very well. Be careful not to put hard pressure points on your baby's little hands when doing this. You may find, as I did, that your baby loves the feeling of chewing on his hands through the fabric! Even at nearly a year old my baby still enjoys this position, and the swaddling feeling is especially helpful when he's tired and is having trouble falling asleep.

Distraction

Give your baby something besides your hair to play with! A nursing necklace worn backward, a toy tied into the end of your cloth and tossed over your shoulder or tied round the strap of your carrier, a colorful baby-safe bracelet on your child's wrist, or a brightly colored hair ribbon with carfully knotted beads on the end all make great alternatives to your hair when baby's looking for something to play with. You can also wear your hair in a brightly colored fringed scarf and offer him the fringed ends to play with. My middle child's favorite sling toy was a keychain dolly with yarn hair that he could pull and yank. You might even try offering a Kelly doll (from Mattell) or similar with human-like hair to yank and chew.

Babywearing Hairstyles

Even with short hair, there's plenty there for baby to pull! Cutting your hair very short, of course, or shaving it altogether would be your best defense against hair pulling. Even if you keep your hair long, you might consider shaving those small whisps right at the base of your neck. However, here are some other alternatives.

If your hair is long, you can wear it in one or two braids. When your child starts pulling your hair, offer the braids to munch instead of the little whispies - it won't hurt nearly as much. This works especially well if you secure the braids with interesting hair ties. A bun is another hairstyle that can keep baby out of your hair, although it's not such an interesting plaything as a braid! Again, tying a pretty ribbon around it, especially with carefully knotted beads in the end, can add the bonus plaything effect.

You can tuck your hair up into a ball cap, crocheted hat, or snood. Be aware, however, that your baby or older child may delight in snatching these items off your head!

You can cover your head with a beautiful scarf, kanga (as an added bonus it will double as a back-up carrier!) or sarong. Here are two places where you can find wonderful directions for tying scarves and kangas onto your head, as well beautiful scarves and kangas for sale: Kanga USA has several styles of kanga as well as great directions for tying on this page. Tznius.com has great directions for tying headscaves here as well as many lovely scarves and snoods for sale. Of course, just like there are many cloths that will work for babywearing, there are many cloths that will work as headscarves too! If you make your own carrier, you can even make a matching scarf or snood out of a scrap of the material! There are great directions for sewing your own snood here.

You will likely find many other options that work well for you and your baby, but these ideas will get you started! Have fun, and happy babywearing!