Frequently Asked Questions

Most people start babywearing for practical reasons: their baby wants to be held all day long, and without a carrier, this is almost unbearable.
However, if we look more closely, it turns out that babywearing has many more positive benefits beyond having two free hands.

The list is quite long:
– the baby feels safe
– this means less stress, which supports their growth
– thanks to physical contact with an adult, the tiny baby's heart rate and breathing become steady
– it supports the underdeveloped thermoregulation of newborns
– it has a beneficial effect on breastfeeding
– the baby receives tactile and vestibular stimulation, which are the driving forces of nervous system development, thereby also supporting motor development
– the development of the nervous system also affects muscle tone
– carrying in a spread-squat position with knees raised high has a positive effect on hip development
– the parent can respond quickly to the baby's needs, building trust in the baby and a sense of competence in the parent
– the amount of crying decreases
– the baby sleeps more
– it supports the development of secure attachment
– this can later lead to the development of confident, independent children
– the parent can feel more free
– physical contact also releases oxytocin in the parent, reducing their stress levels as well
– the baby becomes part of what is happening around them, yet is not constantly the center of attention
– babywearing, beyond the mother, is also an excellent opportunity for other family members to bond with the baby

Of course, many of these things can also be provided to babies in other ways, and wonderful children can develop without babywearing too. So if this is not your path, don't feel bad about it.
Babywearing is a wonderful opportunity that can make family life easier, and through which both the baby and the adult can grow.

This question comes up very often and there are various answers circulating around it. Perhaps this is because there are actually not one, but two questions here, which have become intertwined:
1. From when can a baby be carried? 2. From when can a newly delivered mother carry?

The answer to the first point is very simple: from the very beginning. In fact! The best thing for a tiny baby is to be in continuous physical contact. And with a baby carrier, this can easily be provided for them.
Of course, it matters what we use to carry the smallest ones. We need a device that can be nicely adjusted to the baby, meaning it is the right size and can thus support them stably. Among ema design carriers, the ring sling is the perfect solution for this period, as it can be adjusted to fit a baby of any size.

The second question cannot be answered quite so easily. It is very important that during the postpartum period, which lasts approximately six weeks, the mother rests as much as possible, thereby promoting recovery. Ideally, during this time (and even more ideally, later as well), she has help, so she truly does not need to strain herself.

Even if there is no such support, it is important to lie down whenever possible and cuddle up with the baby that way. Or to settle into a semi-sitting position, which can also be achieved well with a carrier.
If the little one needs movement, the least strenuous option is to bounce with them on a fitness ball while using a carrier.

When help arrives, however, make use of it and hand the baby over — let them carry. This is also an opportunity for other family members to easily bond with the new family member.

If you're not sure whether to invest in a carrier or which one would suit you, come and try them out within the framework of our free babywearing consultation consultations! The event is held on the last Tuesday of every month in Budapest, at the Babies on Board showroom. We can provide 20 minutes per family during the consultation. So that we can focus solely on you during this short time, an appointment must be booked here on the website.

If you can't arrange a personal consultation, send an email!

The ring sling can be used with a baby of any size. Many people love it during the early period, and for many it comes back into intensive use during the phase when the child keeps asking to be picked up and put down. In the meantime, it continuously serves well when we only want to carry the baby for shorter periods.

If we're heading out for a longer walk, a hike, or even just want to get household chores done, from a body weight of 5–6 kilograms we can already use the mei tai as well, which, with its more even weight distribution, is better suited to these situations.

The combination of the ema design ring sling and mei tai is ideal because it serves us from birth through to the last moments of babywearing. They complement each other perfectly in different carrying situations.

If both are on hand, we can choose the most comfortable solution for us at every age and in every situation. Don't forget: you can purchase the second carrier with a 10% discount, so if you buy this „perfect pair” together, you can save even more!
(The discount is automatically added to the cart when purchasing two carriers.)

With ema design, my goal is to help parents not only with orthopedically correct babywearing, but also to be able to dress stylishly while carrying their baby. My personal opinion is that the carrier dresses the parent, not the baby. So I would not choose the colour based on the baby's gender, but rather based on who will be using it (more).

If it's likely that only the mother will be carrying, you can easily choose more feminine, soft colours such as lavender or mauve. However, there are also many unisex-coloured carriers which, based on our experience and feedback, fathers are also happy to wear: black and denim are real favourites, but they also love the burgundy, caramel, and sunshine yellow colours.

If you really can't decide what colour carrier to choose, I have good news! You can purchase the second carrier in a different colour with a 10% discount! My goal is to create such beautiful colours and comfortable carriers for you and your baby that one simply isn't enough.
(The discount is automatically added to the cart when purchasing two carriers.)

A baby carrier is good for a baby when it can support them stably. This means we can adjust it to fit the little one so that it doesn't sag anywhere, and when properly tightened, the baby doesn't slump into it. When we move, we should feel that the child moves with us, rather than swaying independently.

With the ema design mei tai, our experience is that babies grow into it at around 5-6 kilograms of body weight, from which point it can be properly adjusted to fit them. This also depends on the baby's body proportions and the size of the person carrying, as they will fill the carrier together.
For example, it may happen that when carrying at the front, the carrier can already be perfectly adjusted to a smaller baby on the mother, while when tied on the father it still sags a little, as men's chests are flatter.

The width of the carrier at the spread position can be adjusted to almost any small size, so the baby really needs to grow into the upper part of the back panel. Fortunately, however, there is a method for narrowing the back panel: routing the shoulder straps under the armpits, which is similar to the inside pocket carry with a woven wrap. With this version, we can already adjust the ema design mei tai to many babies around five kilograms, because this way we can eliminate any looseness that may occur at the top of the back panel.

So, if your baby is already around five kilograms, feel free to try the ema design mei tai. If the carrier supports them stably, you can start using it. If it's still a little wide at the top, try routing the straps under the armpits.
If it still sags a little even this way, don't worry – babies can grow a lot in just a few weeks and will quickly grow into this too.

A baby carrier is the right size for a baby or toddler when
– we can securely fasten them to us with it,
– we can support the baby at the appropriate height for their motor development stage (neck/shoulder/armpit),
– it is wide enough to keep the baby's knees at least at the same level as their bottom.

For an older child, the back panel is sufficient if it reaches up to the armpits, as a child of this size already holds their back independently. In this case, the baby's arms will be above the back panel, i.e., outside the carrier.

The width of the mei tai can be extended for quite a long time by routing the shoulder straps outside the child's legs (i.e., not between the child's legs and the back of the person carrying). This way, we can support longer little legs in a position where the knees are at least at the same level as the baby's bottom. To do this, we adjust the shoulder straps to the child's knee crease, smoothing them out nicely there.

Our experience is that for an average-sized child, dressed in indoor clothing, the ema design mei tai is usually the right size up to about 2.5-3 years of age, when used in the manner described above.

With quite large children, it may be worth tying the waistband lower on ourselves, so that our centers of gravity remain close to each other and carrying remains comfortable.

If an older child falls asleep on our back and the sleeping hood no longer reaches up to their neck, we can support their head with any wrap (e.g., an ema design gauze blanket) or scarf.

Yes, this is a standard accessory. The sleeping hood has been placed in a hidden pocket so it doesn't get in the way when you're not using it. The opening closes with a magnet, so you can easily take it out when your baby has fallen asleep.

The ema design woven ring sling consists of a two-meter-long piece of woven fabric and two metal rings sewn onto one end.
If the free end of the sling is threaded through the rings correctly, they secure the sling so it cannot slip apart.

After that, you simply put it on, position your baby in it, tighten the sling, and you're ready to go!

The woven ring sling can be used from the moment of birth for as long as needed, whether on the front, hip, or even on the back.

Its main profile is hip carrying, but many people also enjoy using it on the front during the first few months with very small babies. Once the baby has stable head control, for short periods, if the baby is „in the way”, we can quickly rotate them to the back as well.

It is an excellent complement to the ema design mei tai.

The woven ring sling can be used for front and hip carrying from the very first moments.

While the baby cannot yet hold their head up, pull the sling all the way up to the nape of their neck. When carrying on the hip, one of our arms also supports them. The hanging tail of the sling can also provide extra support for the baby's head.
Later, it is enough to bring the sling up to shoulder level. And once your baby can also support the upper part of their back, their arms can come outside as well.

Once the baby has stable head control, we can also carry them on our back, but for longer back carries, we recommend the ema design mei tai.

You can use the ring sling until the end of the babywearing age.

By bank card: Enter the required details and, if necessary, approve the purchase on your bank's online platform.

By bank transfer: Transfer the appropriate amount to our account, the details of which are:

CIB Bank
10700718-43640403-51100005
Account holder name: Ema Design Bt.

You can also pay for your order, in person at our babywearing consultations (cash).