Babies are more sensitive than adults to extreme temperatures, because their ability of thermoregulation is limited. We all know it’s important to protect the baby from cold in the winter. But we forget sometimes that we need to protect our little ones as well during hot summer days from overheating, dehydration and sunburns.

How to dress your baby for baby carrier or baby wrap ?

We often hear this question during our babywaering workshops: “How to dress my baby when babywearing during very hot sunny weather?”. Below you'll find a few things you need to know when choosing the cloths for babywearing.

Count well the layers of clothing

It’s very important to dress the baby accordingly to the weather. But is also important to dress the baby accordingly to the carrier we use. Not many people realise that the carrier counts as a layer of clothing. If you use a baby wrap that has 3 layers, these are three layers of clothing! When warping you baby don't forget to reduce the layers of clothing.

Loose clothes are better then tight

If you dress your baby in onesie, we recommend to choose rather loose one then tight one. However, while putting your baby in a wrap or carrier please make sure the clothes' fabric is not folded and doesn’t cause pressure on baby’s skin.

Choose the fabric

Choose clothes made of natural, breathable fibres rather then synthetic. Wearing one thin layer of clothing between you and your little one can stop you feeling sticky.

Choose warm weather friendly carrier

During hot summer days we recommend to choose a carrier made of mesh breathable fabric that allows air circulation (Lennylamb LennyUpGrade Mesh Baby Carrier, Love Radius PhysioCarrier JPMBB, Ergobaby 360 Cool Air Mesh, Ergobaby Adapt Cool Air Mesh, Ergobaby Omni 360 Cool Air Mesh, Tula Explore Coast, Tula Free-to-Grow Coast, Tula Toddler Coast, Beco Toddler Cool Carrier Mesh). It protects you baby from overheating. There are also mesh water slings and carrier supports ideal for summer.

Protect your baby from the sun's rays

Small baby's skin is particularly sensitive to the sun's UV rays. It is crucial you protect your baby from it. How? Follow our recommendations. 

Avoid direct sun exposure. Stay in shade.

The first, and the best, line of defence against harmful ultraviolet radiation is simply avoiding direct sun exposure. Stay in shade whenever possible rather then in the full sun. Limit to the minimum the sun exposure during the peak intensity hours (between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.). Schedule your outdoor playtime before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m. Babies under 6 months of age should be kept out of direct sunlight at all times so when going for a walk it’s better to go for a walk somewhere where you can find shade.

Cover exposed parts of your child's skin.

Because infants’ skin is very sensitive, it’s better in the first six months to shield them from the sun rather than use sunscreen. Dress your baby in lightweight clothing that covers that covers as much skin as possible. Older babies baby’s skin protect from sun and wind by using a thin layer and sun-cream.

Don’t forget to protect your baby’s head!

Use a baby hat that shade the neck to prevent sunburn. We recommend ECO Hempies Adjustable Summer Hat Light by ManyMonths. 

Some baby carriers already has a baby hood included like for example Boba Air Travel, Manduca XT or Rose and Rebellion Baby Size Carrier.

During summer the best are breathable mesh baby hoods like Love Radius PhysioCarrier JPMBB, or Coast Tula carriers mention above have.

Ergobaby carriers have integrated hoods with UV protection (UFP 50+).

Never cover you baby’s face! You should ensure regularly that your baby’s airways are clear and nothing is covering baby’s mouth and nose. Remember babywearing safety rules?

Stay hydrated

Keep your little one well hydrated and don’t forget about your bottle of water too, especially if you are still breastfeeding.

Summer Babywearing Tips

• Protect your baby from overheating. Remember that carrier is another layer of clothing.

• Protect your baby from the sun. Stay in shade. Cover exposed parts of your child's skin.

• Protect your baby from dehydration. Drink water.

Follow our summer babywearing tips above and enjoy the summer!