If you've landed on this page, chances are you've been walking around with your baby in a baby carrier or wrap for days because it's the only way to get them to sleep. And now you're desperately wondering if it's actually safe to do so. You're not alone.
But maybe that's not your problem, and you're just wondering if you can plan a long walk where you carry your child in a carrier for most of the day.
To put your mind at ease: there are cultures in the past and present where it's perfectly normal to carry babies in a wrap all day long.
Research shows that it's not good for your child's muscle development to let them lie in a car seat or bouncer for extended periods of time. Additionally, there are concerns about restricting proper breathing due to a position where the baby's chin is pressed towards their chest. So the amount of time your baby spends in a car seat or bouncer should be limited.
In a baby carrier or wrap, your child's muscle development is stimulated more, and there are no long-term concerns like with a car seat or bouncer. However, it's important that their legs are in the M-position, with their buttocks lower than their knees and their legs supported from knee to knee. This is better for their hip development and more comfortable for your child.
So if you're going on a hiking holiday, or you have a child who only sleeps in the carrier or wrap: as long as you take safety measures into account, you don't need to worry. How long you can carry your baby in a carrier mostly depends on how long you and your baby find it comfortable.
However, it's best to alternate positions. Babies need "tummy time" to develop their back muscles. And as they get older, they will also need to learn to crawl. If they were to sit in a carrier all day, they wouldn't be able to develop those skills. So even if your child only sleeps in the carrier, make sure they spend some time out of it and on their stomach in between naps. And as we wrote in the article about sleeping in a baby carrier, try to practice sleeping outside of the carrier once your child is a little rested.