When Can My Baby Face Forward in a Carrier?

As your baby gets older and more curious about their surroundings, you’ll naturally want to share the many things you see and experience with them. If you’ve adopted the ultimate parent hack of babywearing, you’ve probably considered various carrying positions, like the front-facing position, to give your baby more exposure. When done safely, front-facing carrying can provide your baby with a new view of the world around them. But as with any carrying method, safety for your baby (and yourself) is a top priority.

In this blog, we’ll review many common questions around front-facing carrying, like “When can my baby face forward in a carrier?”  If you’re searching for the best front-facing baby carrier, Tushbaby has you covered. Keep reading as we review the many benefits a Tushbaby hip seat carrier provides and some considerations for beginning your baby’s new front-facing carrier adventures.

When Can I Face My Baby Forward in a Carrier?

Table of Contents

• When is it safe for my baby to face forward in a carrier?
• How long should a baby be forward facing in a carrier?
• Why can’t newborns face forward in a carrier?
• Can a 3-4 month old face out in the carrier?
• How will I know if my baby likes facing forward in a carrier?
• Is it unsafe to forward face a baby in a carrier?
• Considerations for baby’s development and brain stimulation
• Switching from forward facing to another position in the Tushbaby

When is it safe for my baby to face forward in a carrier?

Because front-facing carrying doesn’t allow your baby to rest their head on your chest safely, your baby must have strong enough neck muscles to support their head before trying a forward-facing carrying position. While all babies develop at different rates, this milestone typically occurs between 4-6 months of age.

How long should a baby be forward facing in a carrier?

How long you carry your baby forward facing can depend on your baby's comfort and overstimulation levels. As your baby is still getting used to such a big world, they can likely become overstimulated if facing forward for long periods of time. To avoid this, switch your baby back to facing you if your baby shows any signs that they are uncomfortable or in distress. If you’re just starting out, try carrying them front-facing for no longer than 20-30 minutes at a time. Gauge how your baby responds and go from there—you’ll know what’s best for your baby. 

Why can’t newborns face forward in a carrier?

As mentioned, having strong neck muscles to support their heads is a critical milestone that babies must reach before facing forward in a carrier. Since newborns don’t quite have this strength, carrying them forward-facing is not yet safe. Without proper head and neck support, your newborn’s chin can fall forward, causing them to cut off proper flow in their airways. 

Can a 3-4 month old face out in the carrier?

At 3-4 months, your baby may start to poke their head around while you’re carrying them face-to-face. If you’re considering the transition to front-facing carrying, just keep in mind that your 3-4 month old must be able to fully support their head on their own. If your baby’s head tilts forward while sitting front-facing, that’s a sure sign this transition was too soon. Switch your baby back to facing you to keep them safe until they fully develop this strength.

The Tushbaby Carrier offers four carrying positions as it’s made to grow with you and your baby. Breast or bottle feed, then carry your baby on your hip, inward-facing or outward facing—whatever keeps you and your baby safe and happy. 

How will I know if my baby likes facing forward in a carrier?

If your baby loves to see the world around them, they will likely enjoy the time they get to be carried outward-facing. And if your baby gets overstimulated or uncomfortable, they’ll probably let you know by getting fussy or upset.

You can make this a more positive experience by pointing at and speaking to your baby about the things you’re seeing. This becomes even more fun when your baby can start pointing at things they are curious about on their own.

Is it unsafe to forward face a baby in a carrier?

With some debate around front-facing carrying, you may ask yourself, Is this safe?

As you may notice, most concerns about front-facing carrying often come down to one common theme: the baby’s hip placement. While some carriers aren’t designed for this method of carrying, Tushbaby’s hip seat carrier allows your baby to be front-facing while maintaining a position that promotes healthy hip development, or what many call the super-squat position.

Don’t be shy about doing the extra legwork to find carriers that promote healthy hip growth in babies, and remember that your baby should have full head and neck control before facing forward on a carrier.

Considerations for baby’s development and brain stimulation

As your baby gets curious about the world around them, front-facing carrying can allow them to experience and learn while being safely carried. Naturally, your baby will begin to want to get down and explore too. With Tushbaby’s hipseat carrier, your baby can easily get up and down to explore without you having to go through the hassle of taking on and off a complicated carrier.

While all this learning and exploring is the perfect recipe for brain development, parents should be aware that their baby can become overstimulated when front-facing for long periods. Luckily, the transition to facing inward is a breeze with the Tushbaby hipseat carrier. Simply turn your baby toward you, allowing them to nuzzle close and calm their mind again.   

Switching from forward facing to another position in the Tushbaby

With other carriers, switching from forward facing to another carrying position can become a serious ordeal. With complicated straps and an uncomfortable baby, you can only imagine the frustration it can take to get everyone happy and comfortable again when switching carrying positions. Let’s face it, parents, babywearing just shouldn’t be that hard.

Cue the Tushbaby hip seat carrier. With the Tushbaby carrier, switching to various carrying positions becomes a breeze. Tushbaby has four carry positions, all of which are easy to transition to with Tushbaby’s simple open design. You can transition your baby from various positions without even taking off your hip seat carrier! Simply lift and flip your baby to front-facing for the finest seat and view in the house. Just be sure the carrier is strapped high and tight above your hips at your natural waist for the best ergonomic benefits, and be sure that you’re always holding onto your baby with one arm for safety. 

The best baby carriers are the ones that make your life easier, not harder. Start enjoying all of life’s adventures with your baby, front-facing or not, with Tushbaby’s ergonomic hip seat carrier. Tushbaby products go beyond just easy carrying, so be sure to check out all our products meant to streamline, simplify, and support your parenting (and baby-carrying) lifestyle.

Explore the world with your baby in tow. . .shop Tushbaby today!