Carrying Babies in Hot Weather – Summer Babywearing

It finally looks like summer may make an appearance after all this year. With the sun coming out, jackets and coats are being left behind and the time to proudly show off your carrier outside begins. I love seeing a group of parents carrying their babies in slings outside in summer as it gives such a colourful and happy picture.

With summer also come different considerations in carrier and clothing choice.  The two most important considerations are:  sun protection and body temperature.

Sun protection

No parent wants their baby to be sunburned. Avoiding this can be achieved by making sure the babies skin is covered or by using a sun cream where appropriate.

Some carriers offer the opportunity to provide extra shade by using a part of the carrier to cover your baby. You can for example use the tail of a ringsling to cover your babies legs. Or with a hipcarry in a wrap you can use any excess fabric to create a sun shade. Some carriers, such as the Connecta Solarweave are made out of special UV fabric to protect baby from UV rays.

Connecta Solarweave Carrier £56.99 from http://www.connectababycarrier.com

Please be careful when using material to cover your babies head and make sure that their mouth is not obstructed by any fabric and that you can see their face.

Body temperature

As the outside temperature rises so does our body temperature. Babies are often more prone to the effects of overheating and dehydrating so you will need to consider their fluid intake as well as the clothing they wear.

It is often said that a sling counts as an additional layer of clothing and whilst this is a good starting point here are some exceptions

• Wraps – each layer provides extra warmth for the baby and the parent
• Material – some materials feel cooler whilst others feel warmer.
• Special summer or winter editions of carriers.

What can I use?

Most carriers are suitable for us in the summer and as long as you use common sense and make sure you pay attention to how you and your baby are coping with any heat it is quite straight forward. Of course there are things which you can do to make it easier.

With wraps it can help to use a one layer carry. These include; Kangaroo carry, Robyn’s Hipcarry, Slipknot Hipcarry, Ruck and many more.

Some carriers have special summer editions which use a solarweave fabric to make them more suited to hot climates.  Like the solarweave Connecta which is available from the the Connecta website.

You may find that in extreme heat you do not want to carry your baby for long periods of time which is something you will have to use your own judgement for. Fact remains that it will be easier to carry your baby onto a beach in a sling than in a buggy.

The Calin Bleu gauze wrap below is made from gauze cotton, rather like cotton muslin which is perfect for keeping cool in the summer.

Calin Bleu Gauze Wrap Sling only £39.99 from http://www.calinbleu.com

Tips from Other Parents

“Make sure you wear a high neck top so that your babies head does not lie directly on your skin.” – C, mum of two

“Use a muslin square in between you and baby to mop up the sweat and drool.” – N, mum of two

“The most important thing for me is to remember that the wrap counts as a layer of insulation so dress accordingly. I find one less layer than you’d usually both go out wearing does the trick.” -K, mum of two

“Single layer carries with a thin woven wrap can be lovely and cool.” C, mum of two

“Use a sun hat which you can tie on.” – N, mum of four

Have a great summer!

By Anne McEwan – http://www.borntocarry.com/