Intimacy, safety, to feel protected and be close to mum or dad: that’s what your newborn baby wants most. Babies have skin hunger; by carrying your child you will meet this need for close contact. Moreover, carrying is very good for an infant’s socio-emotional and motor development and very beneficial to babies suffering from reflux or colic. Last, but not least: a carrier is very convenient and practical. After all, you’ve got your hands free!
Our baby carriers can be used from day 1 until your baby weighs about 18 kg, which is usually well into the toddler age. Premature babies can be carried as well: skin contact is even more important for their development. So you can use the baby carrier from the very beginning.
When you carry your baby in a ByKay baby carrier, your child is in the most natural position possible. When ‘sitting’ in the foetal position in the baby carrier, your child is in exactly the same position as in the womb. There is no better or healthier position for a baby. As a matter of fact, the baby carrier is recommended quite often by physiotherapists, right from the start. There are no restrictions whatsoever to the length of time you can carry per day: carry as long as you and your baby feel comfortable with it.
Because the baby carrier’s shoulder pieces are spread widely over your shoulders and your baby sits very close to your body, it doesn’t feel heavy at all. The baby carrier can support a maximum weight of 18 kg, but what you personally consider to be too much of a strain is up to you of course. User experience has shown that parents are pleasantly surprised by how long they can continue carrying their child without it becoming too heavy.
Tying the baby carrier may seem complicated, but you’ll find that it is not as difficult as it looks. Experience has shown that it is often a matter of reading the instructions well and practising a couple of times. You’ll get the hang of it soon enough. When you first start practising, it may be useful to get some help from your partner or another person, or to stand in front of a mirror, so you can see exactly what you are doing. With each baby carrier we sell, we provide a detailed information booklet containing clear instructions with photos. You can also download the instructions from our website, see ‘downloads’; or watch our instruction videos on DVD or YouTube (www.youtube.com/bykaycarriers).
Babies crave skin-to-skin contact. In our view, to meet this need for close contact isn’t spoiling. You’re meeting your baby’s basic needs; after all, feeding him isn’t regarded as ‘spoiling’ either, because it is one of the necessities of life. Using a baby carrier won’t influence the extent of your baby’s desire to be with you either way. The only thing you’re doing is meeting his need for skin contact, which will increase his oxytocin levels. This, in turn, will make him happier, cry less frequently and feel more secure and satisfied. An excellent starting point in life for children to become self-assured individuals.….
Actually, they’re quite different, but there is one thing they have in common: you use them to carry your child. Buckle carriers and similar products can be used from the age of 3 months, not earlier because of your baby’s hip development. Because all the weight is pulling at the straps, everything starts to feel quite heavy very soon. This is not the case with our baby carriers. It often makes people abandon the use of buckle carriers and similar products after 5 to 6 months or so, because it becomes too much of a burden on their necks, shoulders and back. Our baby carriers can be used from the very first day and are wrapped around your torso for an even distribution of the weight. Strapping on our baby carriers may seem more complicated than strapping on buckle carriers, but this is a misconception. It is just a matter of reading the instructions carefully or watching the videos and taking your time to get the hang of tying the knots. Our baby carriers ensure an even weight distribution over the entire torso, because you can stretch the fabric widely. This enables you to continue carrying for longer periods of time. Ergonomically, our type of baby carrier provides the best carrying system for you and your child. In order to experience the difference between the two carrying systems yourself, you can come to the store and try them on (of course with a baby or item of similar weight in the carrier). You will notice the difference between the ByKay baby carrier and other systems.
You can. Take the baby carrier into account though, when dressing yourself and the baby: a baby carrier is like an extra layer of clothing; in hot weather, all your baby needs to wear is a bodysuit. Socks or booties aren’t necessary. Do not forget to rub the baby with sun screen and make him wear a sun hat on those glorious summer days! Always make sure your baby is comfortable and doesn’t become overheated! When it’s very cold, put on some extra layers of clothing or tights/leggings underneath his pants. Be aware that your baby will be hotter in the baby carrier than in a pram, because he has you as his private little stove to warm him. Our experience learns that our linen woven baby carrier, where your baby is only in one layer fabric, feels much cooler. When it is cold you can use the ByKay Cover (in Classic or Winter version), it’s like a jacket over your baby carrier.
The jersey baby carrier is strong enough to carry children up to 18 kg. Its fabric is especially manufactured for ByKay and is OekoTex-100 certified, as well as EN13209:2 certified, which means that we comply with European safety regulations. We don’t use Lycra in our jersey baby carriers – this is to prevent the fabric from ‘sagging’ when heavier children are carried. Besides, the fabric is extra strong because it is made of very fine knitting work. Do not tie your jersey baby carrier too loosely. There’s no need to leave additional room for the baby! There are many jersey baby carriers on the market… but there are also many differences in quality! When it comes to carrying capacity, the quality of a ByKay jersey baby carrier is almost equal to the ByKay woven baby carriers, but it has some additional advantages:
– You can strap on the baby carrier in advance. You don’t have to do this while holding your baby;
– The smooth, sturdy jersey fabric fits perfectly around you and your baby without being irksome or too tight.
The advantages of the ByKay woven baby carriers :
- It gives even more carrying capacity, also with big and heavy children;
- It feels cooler in summer time, you only have one layer of fabric around your baby (the woven with linen feels even more cool then the 100% cotton version);
- The woven baby carrier is THE perfect carrier for back carrying.
When you carry your baby in the baby carrier, you automatically assume a straight and correct body posture. By spreading the carrier’s fabric widely, you distribute the weight optimally over your entire upper body. The strain on your muscles won’t rise above what is considered to be ergonomically sound. On the contrary: you even exercise and enhance your back muscles. So, carrying may even have a positive effect on back problems. However, we wish to emphasize that you should not ignore any physical signs of discomfort and that you must prevent excessive strain on problem areas.
We advise to always consult with your physiotherapist. However, experience has shown that physiotherapists often recommend it! The baby carrier may even prevent or decrease the use of a special harness. But in any case: consult your physiotherapist.
The jersey fabrics are knitted especially for ByKay, which resulted in a type of fabric that is ideally suited for our stretchable baby carriers. The fabric combines the comfort of a stretchable baby carrier with the strength of a woven carrier and can therefore be used well into the toddler age (up to 18 kg!) without your child starting to bulge out of the carrier. Our baby carrier systems (Mei Tai, Mei Tai Deluxe, Ringsling, Woven baby carrier, SSC) are made of woven fabrics and are available in two different qualities: a 100% cotton version and an version with 48% linen and 52% cotton. Our fabrics are also Oekotex-100 certified and made of 100% safe and baby-friendly cotton.
Organic or eco-friendly cotton is cotton that is cultivated without the use of harmful pesticides or chemical fertiliser. It is manufactured from materials that are not in any way harmful to animals, humans or the environment during the production process.
Yes, you can carry your twins very snugly together in the jersey baby carrier (Original or Design), for about the first three months. What you do is create ‘hammocks’ from the two shoulder straps (see the instructions). The twins can sit in the foetal position (upright with their legs bent like frogs’ legs) side by side, in these private little ‘hammocks’. You place the first baby in the lower shoulder piece, not in the middle as the instruction shows, but a little left or right from the centre. Then you place the second baby in the other shoulder piece, after which you pull up the centre or belly strap, up to their necks (see photo in instruction booklet)
Basically, you can follow your daily routine while carrying your baby in the baby carrier; from household chores or office work to going shopping or going on outings. It is even very easy and practical to breastfeed your baby in the baby carrier! However, we advise against:
- driving the car with your baby in the baby carrier; use a good quality baby car seat instead!
- cooking or ironing with your baby in the baby carrier on your tummy; however, if you carry your baby on your back (see instructions) you can do these activities.
- cycling with your baby in the baby carrier; however, if you use a cargo tricycle you can do this activity.
But whatever activity you undertake: always use your common sense! If the activity is potentially dangerous to you or your baby when you carry him in the baby carrier, just don’t do it.
Yes, the baby carrier is ideally suited for this purpose! It may take a little bit of practice but you can breastfeed your baby in the baby carrier quite easily and discretely! On the instruction DVD and YouTube you can find a video showing you how to breastfeed your baby in the baby carrier; more detailed information on this topic can be found in the instruction booklet.
Yes, it would be very wise to do so. Although the AQUAcarrier stops 98% of harmful UV-radiation, there are still body parts of your baby uncovered by the fabric. They need to be protected by sun screen or kept from exposure to sunlight altogether.
