If you decided to carry your little ones with you, you did very well. Wearing brings many benefits, whether practical or psychosocial (see the expert’s statement on our web ;-)). However, there is a difficult task to choose how to carry your baby. In this blog we will cover the baby carrier; of course you can also wear it directly in a babywearing wrap.
On the market there is a large offer of all possible baby carriers designed for carrying children. Choosing a baby carrier is as colorful as choosing
a stroller or car seat. Intentionally, we do not want to write that it is difficult, it is not that hard, but we have to be careful about many things.
The first thing we should be interested in is whether the baby carrier is healthy for our baby. If we are talking about a healthy baby carrier, we should be interested in:
- From what materials it is made - the baby carrier is in direct contact with your baby's skin, the baby carrier is tingling, so it is important that all materials are attested by top class attestations for children under 3 years.
- Ergonomics of the carrier - whether the baby carrier is designed so that children can be in the right position and the carrier respects their needs.
Nowadays we are used to standards and regulations. Unfortunately, whether the baby carrier is ergonomic and can be labeled as such, there is no standard and so you will find a range of baby carriers that are completely unsuitable for children and yet they are marked as ergonomic.
What does it mean that the baby carrier is ergonomic and what does it actually mean?
- The baby carrier allows the feet to be placed in the so-called M ergonomic position - the baby's knees are higher than the bum. This is absolutely essential when worn. In the ergonomic position there is minimal pressure on the hip joint, legs are stretched and supported and the hip is in a more stable position. The legs are not pendulous and the hip and the whole legs are not overloaded.
- The baby carrier allows a round back of the child - the spine is loose, the child can have a rounded back, as it is natural for him, are not pushed flat, the weight of the head does not push the spine.
How can I know if a baby carrier is ergonomic and therefore suitable for my child?
- There is enough substance between the knees of the child - the fabric must lead approximately from the knee to the knee, thereby supporting the entire leg and securing the mentioned position of the legs to M. The child is not hanging around the crotch, genitalia.
- Fabric on the back is loose - there is no reinforcement on the backrest that would force or push the child in any way.
- The baby carrier does not allow the baby to be carried forward - indeed this is NEVER suitable for the baby. Although you think that your child has a better view, you will never reach the appropriate position for the child, see above, the baby hangs at the crotch, the back is pushed flat by our body, and the head is not secured. The baby carrier is also very uncomfortable for those who wear children. In addition, the baby is exposed to too many external stimuli that he cannot cope with. If you have a little curious, you can put the baby on your back, where it has a nice view or you can use the side position or a position on your stomach facing you. The baby has still a very good outlook and in addition you protect, pet and respond immediately to all his needs.
5 tips to choose the right baby carrier:
- Make sure the baby carrier has all the materials suitable for young children, paying particular attention to fraudulent Chinese fakes.
- The carrier has only a fabric on its back without any reinforcement.
- The carrier is sufficiently wide at the knees - the fabric runs from the knee to the knee.
- The carrier does not allow the baby to be carried forward.
- The baby carrier will be comfortable for you - it has a wider hip belt that distributes the baby's weight and has padded shoulder straps so that they won't cut you even after long periods of wear. Part of the carrier is a hood - this is not absolutely necessary, but very suitable, if the baby falls asleep in the carrier, you can ensure his head, that it does not drop, not leaning.
All what remains is fun - choose the brand of ergonomic baby carrier you like, fall in love with beautiful designs and colors and enjoy parenting.
Let's wear our children, but let's wear them healthy!
P.S. If you are unsure whether your baby carrier is ergonomic, feel free to contact us, we will be happy to advise you.
