Summer and the hot weather are here. What about babywearing?
When we start babywearing in the summer heat and the baby is crying in the baby carrier, it's easy to think they are crying because they are too hot. In such cases, some people try to look for a lighter baby carrier, while others give up on babywearing completely.
During babywearing, we snuggle closely with the baby, which definitely makes it even warmer, and we often sweat too. In this season, this is inevitable, no matter what we carry them in.
Body temperature regulation
Our many years of experience show that babies are very rarely bothered by the heat when they are close to our body. On the one hand, this is because physical contact is essential for them—we could list its benefits for pages. On the other hand, if our skin touches, we can help the baby's still-undeveloped thermoregulation, which can also mean cooling when needed.
„The baby is not capable of effectively regulating their body temperature. The adult's skin responds to the baby's proximity, and the adult changes their body temperature, which helps the baby's body reduce fever or increase body heat. The parent's bare skin can raise or lower the baby's temperature by up to one degree, and what's more, if twins are placed on either side of the mother's chest, her skin responds to the two babies” differing body temperatures!”
Dr. Rosie Knowles (in the book Why Babywearing Matters)
Don't be afraid of sweating, as it is also part of thermoregulation and cools our body. We can support little ones' still-undeveloped thermoregulation by carrying skin-to-skin. Putting just a diaper on the baby is enough. When we are at home, we don't need to wear much either.
Babywearing in hot weather: what can we do?
Even if the little one isn't bothered by the heat, it can be uncomfortable for us—don't ignore our own needs either. If we can't handle babywearing at times like this and have the option, let's leave it to someone else. If that's not an option, let's strive to keep it as cool as possible.
In extreme heat, whenever possible, don't head out with the baby, whether in a carrier or otherwise. If we do go out, protect them and ourselves from the sun with a hat, an umbrella, and cover sticking-out little legs perhaps with thin socks. If we set off and the sweating together bothers us, we can place a thin cloth between our chest and the baby's head. For this case, we recommend, for example, the ema design gauze blanket, which is made of pure cotton, double gauze, and dries quickly thanks to its material. You might also want to bring a change of clothes on the go so that when you take the baby down, you can change and feel comfortable again. Protect them and yourself from UV rays!
An excellent outfit for the baby in summer can also be the ema design romper, since in addition to allowing free movement, its great advantage is that it is made of pure cotton. Double gauze is light, soft, and breathable, making it very comfortable wear for babies in summer.
What kind of baby carrier should we choose in summer?
There are lighter and thicker baby carriers.
The ema design mei tai among carriers with a waistband, shoulder straps, and a back panel, it is one of the more breathable ones. Its straps are comfortably padded but not overly bulky, and air can circulate nicely on both sides of the back panel.
In extreme heat, pay extra attention to ensure your baby's head is not covered too much, so only support it up to the nape of the neck with the sleeping hood. At the same time, a thin sun hat with a wide brim or neck flap is very useful.
A ring sling it is one of the breeziest baby-carrying tools, making it an especially ideal choice in the high summer heat. However, don't expect the ring sling to cool us down, as snuggling with our baby inevitably warms each other up and can cause sweating.
The great advantage of the ring sling in summer, however, is that only a single, well-ventilated layer of fabric runs across both us and the baby. What's more, it's only present across our back in a narrow band, and over the baby's back, bottom, and under their thighs.
It's worth keeping babies out of the strong sun, but if this is unavoidable for some reason, the hanging tail of the sling can be very useful for covering the baby's head or exposed arms and legs until you get back into the shade.
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