It's finally feeling hot, hurrah! With the rising temperatures it can leave parents feeling worried about babywearing during the summer months. Direct4baby often receive lots of questions about wearing a baby carrier in the summer such as ‘How do I protect my child from the sun?’ ‘Won't it get too warm?’ ‘Which baby carrier is right for the summer?’
Babies can’t completely regulate their own temperature at first. So, when you as parents sweat, you are like the air conditioner for your child but completely natural air conditioning! Parents can cool and warm their babies through their skin – depending on whether they are too cold or too hot. So, take advantage of this wonderful feature that has been given to you.
What else you can do to get through the warmer temperatures with your baby in a baby carrier? Ergobaby are the babywearing experts so have compiled a list of their top tips.
Ergobaby Top six tips for babywearing in warmer temperatures:
- Choose the right clothing: dress yourselves and your baby in lightweight clothing. Light and airy clothing such as linen or 100% cotton is best, and if you like, functional fabrics for sports or with UV protection are also suitable. Thin fabrics that also cover arms and legs but are still airy are ideal for your child as a child shouldn’t use sunscreen until 12 months old. Remember that a baby carrier replaces a layer of clothing. So, when carrying your baby in the summer, it’s better for you and your baby to wear one layer less and bring a change of clothes in case your baby gets out of the carrier sweaty, or it gets chilly.
- Not skin-to-skin: Yes, belly shirts are in again. But when it's warmer and you're on the move, it can quickly become a slippery affair, especially if your baby also has a bare belly. Make sure there's at least one layer of fabric between you and your baby. However, when your home again enjoy those skin-to-skin moments together as we know the benefits are super important!
- Avoid the blazing sun and midday heat – especially with a baby in a carrier. Therefore: If possible, stay in the shade and go for walks in the morning or evening, when the sun is not so bright.
- Create your own shade: It is not always possible to stay in the shade. Therefore, use the following tricks to make your own shadow. Hats with brims are ideal for both wearer and child. We're also big fans of baby hats with a Velcro closure so your baby can't just pull them off. If your little one fusses a lot because they do not want to wear a hat, you can also try wearing a hat with a bigger brim yourself. This can provide shade for both of you. A parasol (like an umbrella, but with UV protection) also provides cooling shade.
- Hydrate: Drinking plenty of fluids is essential in warmer temperatures. Always have a bottle of water with you and breast/chest feed your baby regularly. Please remember that babies under about 6 months should not drink any extra water, not even cooled tea. This can lead to dangerous water intoxication as their kidneys are not yet designed for it. They get the fluids they need from your breast milk or formula. However, a great way to cool them down besides drinking is to carry a small spray bottle of water with you to spray your hands, feet or legs every now and then. Your baby will be happy to help you spray. However, make sure that you renew your sunscreen if you regularly cool down with the spray bottle.
- Temperature check on the back of the neck: When you are out and about together in the heat, it is best to check regularly on your child’s neck and between the shoulder blades to see how warm he or she is. Signs of overheating can include hot, moist skin, a red head, rapid, shallow breathing, restlessness and exhaustion. At the first signs, a baby should be taken immediately to a cool room or, if necessary, to a doctor.
Which baby carrier is right for the summer?
Ergobaby have given you lots of tips on what to look out for when carrying your baby during the warmer season, but which baby carrier is the right one for summer?
Direct4baby have a wide variety of Ergobaby baby carriers that can be shopped online or tried out in one of our showrooms based in Liverpool and Ormskirk.
Breathable baby carriers with mesh inserts are particularly comfortable. Carriers with particularly air-permeable fabrics are ideal for warm days, so that you don't sweat too much with your baby.
The Ergobaby range includes the Omni Breeze which is made of airy mesh fabric and the Aerloom baby carrier also keeps you pleasantly cool thanks to mesh zones.
For newborns the Embrace Soft Air Mesh baby carrier is soft, cool and breathable.
