Baby carrier: Do's and Dont's

Baba wearing Kawthar :)

Baby carrier was in my MUST-HAVE list for baby gears. I listed it that way before Kawthar was born and I still think it is. I bring it everywhere I go and its super helpful to my life til now 😃 If you fancy of having one, I suggest you to follow FB group Malaysian Babywearers (MBW). Despite me being a silent reader, I learnt a lot from the group. 

Zaman dulu orang buat sendiri DIY je baby carrier ni. Mereka guna kain batik lepas. Tapi sekarang, macam-macam jenis baby carrier di pasaran. However, please read on the guidelines first before buying one. Sebab jenis baby carrier ni banyak dan kena periksa kesesuaiannya untuk badan bayi dan pemakai.

Types of baby carriers:

1) Wrap
2) Ring sling
3) Pouch
4) Soft structured carrier (SSC)
5) Mei Tai

Personally, I have tried ring sling, Ergobaby SSC, Jumpsac SSC, Lennylamb SSC and also DIY kain batik sling. So much fun in trying all those! But first, what are the DO's and DONT's before getting one?



  Ring Sling (Babywrap)            Mei Tai (Diddymos)

THE DO's

1) Ensure the baby carrier is ergonomic

- In other words, the design must be safe and provide comfort for babies. Examples of non-ergonomic ones are hip carrier, crotch carrier and front-facing carrier. Tapi macam biasa dan ok je nampak orang pakai hip carrier kan? 

Asalnya hip carrier ni orang cipta untuk menyenangkan parents dukung anak. Macam gambar bawah ni, parent biasanya akan peluk badan anak. Like we always carry our child but with support underneath. But then it evolves to ones with shoulder straps and all, which means the baby carrier holds the child completely. This design is dangerous for baby's growing bones. Other non-ergonomic carriers can also cause hip dysplasia which is joint dislocation. As for front-facing carriers like Ergobaby 360, the brand itself advises the wearer to limit the front-facing time period (15 mins, maybe?) since its not an ergonomic position.

 Hip carrier with straps     

Hip Carrier 

                                                                                                      

2) Check the age suitability

- Do take note that not all baby carriers are suitable for all ages. Read instructions carefully, do not just rely on salesperson's statement. Most SSC baby carriers (with no inserts) are suitable for 4 months and above due to stronger back bones. Newborns are advised to use wraps, ring sling or kain batik lepas. My first baby carrier was SSC Ergobaby Adapt which suits from 3.2kg-20kg. Kawthar was 3.4kg when she was born hence eligible to use it. I didn't prefer SSC with an infant insert as it seems hot and stuffy for Malaysia weather.

           Transitions in Ergobaby Adapt

Examples of SSC baby carriers that can be used from newborn are LennyUp, Ergobaby Adapt, Tula FTG, Kinderpack infant, Tugeda Ideal, Kokadi Flip, Babyvibes Start and Emeibaby. 

3) Try out before buying

- My mistake was that I didn't try on myself before buying my Ergobaby Adapt - it suits my husband but not me. It's hard to tell whether one suits you or not unless you try it on you. Since everyone has different body structure hence the preference. Apart from that, some may opt for SSC because its quick to handle while some may feel wraps are more comfy. Choosing type of carrier that suits you best is important. 

You can either go to baby shops to try or rent from individuals. Even when buying online, its advisable to survey offline beforehand. You'll be surprised to find out some babies like one over another!

THE DONT's

1) Use fake carriers 

Please please don't go for cheap fake ones. Its better to go for second hand authentic or DIY baby carriers. Be very careful when buying one as there are so many fake baby carriers sold online. Most commonly found are Ergo and Beco. Some claimed that they can sell way cheaper because its taken directly from factory..which are lies. You can detect the authenticity by comparing with original one like in this site.

Buckles have specifications too

Pernah juga dengar orang cakap, ala baby carrier je pun..kena original juga? Yaaaa wajib! Baby carrier yang tak original ni ada kemungkinan masalah dengan buckle, jahitan tidak kuat, strap yang tidak sesuai dan lain2. Your baby's safety can be compromised. There were cases of baby falling off the carrier due to broken buckles (made of cheap materials). Do not take this risk. Kalau tak mampu beli yang baru mahal, pilih jenama tempatan yang murah (Tugeda, Jumpsac etc) atau boleh sahaja DIY guna kain batik lepas untuk buat sling yang cantik. Boleh tengok di Youtube. Saya pernah DIY, maid nenek saya dari Indonesia ajar. Dia suka kendong Kawthar guna cara tu..kemas tau 😊

2) Buy unapproved carriers

There are experts in MBW group who checked the quality of stitching, fabrics and materials used for a carrier. They have their own standard guidelines for safety. Among  unapproved carriers are Andrea, Sweet Cherry SSC, Mak Yang,Raku-Raku, Suppori, Emme Wrap, Geo SSC, Manjaku Happy, Kgroo ssc. Some may not be in the list because the company has not sent the carrier prototype for quality checking. You can see full list here.

Be cautious and do double check, ok? 

Kawthar in JumpSac

Kami jarang pakai stroller semasa Kawthar bawah 10 bulan. Bila dia dah mula makin berat, barulah kami pakai stroller. Tapi baby carrier tetap bawa kemana-mana. Sesetengah tempat tak stroller-friendly ataupun guna bila nak do a quick shopping. Many more circumstances. 

My husband and I enjoy babywearing so much. Women can also learn to breastfeed when wearing one. I hope you'll get to enjoy it too.

Till then,
MommyBel.
xxx.