Babywearing through the seasons

This article was first published in the Natural Parent Magazine, Issue 53, 2024, alongside this beautiful artwork, "Mum and baby in floral garden", by Bea Muller - and here with permission.

The season of your child’s arrival can significantly influence how babywearing looks for you and your family. It is one thing managing an outing in 40 degrees celsius and quite another managing minus 40 degrees celsius!

Families can be concerned about how they will cope in extremes of weather, and sometimes it can be overwhelming to figure out how best to keep you and your child safe and comfortable. To help us, we can explore the wisdom of cultures from across the globe (1).

Peoples from warm climates carry their babies using open weave, lightweight fabrics in single wrap style carriers. Babies are often lightly clothed. These strategies allow for easier cooling and airflow. Examples of warmer climate carriers include the open weave of the carry net used by people of New Guinea, and the light fabric cloth or slendang used by families in Indonesia (1).

Peoples from cold climates carry their babies using heavy weight, tightly woven fabrics or furs which can be layered in the carrier. Babies are often wrapped up in warm clothing and can be covered with extra layers for warmth. Examples of colder climate carriers include the fur-lined hood of a coat or amauti of the Inuit people in North America, and the reindeer wool-lined basket or carrycot of the Ugric people from Siberia (1).

We can use the principles of clothing layers for both carer and child, and carrier construction to guide us when babywearing in different weather conditions. The design of your carrier may or may not be something you need to consider with the weather. Generally, wearing your child on your front is warmer for both carer and baby, while back and side carries may be cooler.

Hot weather

When planning to babywear in warmer weather, dress appropriately in light weight, breathable clothing. Some carers like to put their baby in a carrier then wear a light button-up long-sleeved shirt or light wrap on top, to make it easier to remove if needed. Babies may be dressed lightly, often in just a singlet and nappy. Although it might sound unappealing, some carers like to keep a cloth handy to wipe away any sweat or dribble from their chest.

When selecting a carrier for warm weather, you may like to consider the breathability of the fabric. You may prefer natural fabrics such as cotton, wool, or linen, rather than synthetic fibres. Lightweight fabrics and less layers or bulk will allow both you and your child to cool down more easily.

When it comes to regulating temperature, it can be reassuring to know that the carer will help the child to regulate their body temperature as well. If you’re feeling hot managing the heat from an extra body, cool yourself down by resting, moving to the shade, using a fan, having a cool drink, or popping a cool flannel on your neck and face. You can also retreat to the air-conditioning, and if you’re worried about your child getting chilly, you can pop some socks on their feet as they can easily be donned or doffed as required.

When out in the sun, providing extra shade can be important. For little babies, wearing a large hat that covers you and your child can help. Older children can wear their own hat if that works for them. Some families also like to use a thin muslin cloth to cover their child’s exposed skin when out in the sun. If using a hat or carrier hood, remember to only cover one side of your child’s head so that you can safely see them.

Cold weather

When babywearing in colder weather, layers for both carer and baby can be helpful. Carers can dress in warm clothing and carry extra layers such as a cardigan, jacket, scarf, and beanie. Add or remove these layers as needed. Children can be dressed in warm base layers, then extra socks (which can also be layered as needed) and booties, and a hat or beanie can also be added or removed as needed. If baby is in a onesie or tights, it can be more comfortable for them wearing one size bigger, so that the fabric stretches around little toes, or alternatively footless with socks instead.

When selecting a carrier for cold weather, fabric choice and construction may be less of a concern, as additional layers and bulk can assist with adding and conserving warmth.

The carer will provide the child with warmth. There are also special babywearing jackets available, that have additional panels that can zip in to make the jacket big enough to enclose the child in front. Some families also like to wrap a blanket around the child and tuck into the carrier straps for extra warmth. If using a beanie, hat, carrier hood, or extra layers, remember to only cover one side of your child’s head so that you can safely see them.

Four seasons in one day

For transitional weather, which might see you experiencing four seasons in one day, these same principles apply. Layering of clothing for yourself and your baby will assist greatly as you navigate changing temperatures and conditions.

Life’s seasons

Babywearing also changes through the seasons of life with your child. Newborn snuggles look very different from those with a rambunctious toddler or even a preschooler.

The early days of the fourth trimester with your newborn introduce your child to the world and their place in it (2). Holding your baby close to you in a carrier provides them with a womb-like environment where they can gradually adapt to being in the outside world and exposed to all the sights and sounds of their new home. Babies carried like this by their carers have been shown to be more settled and cry less as they go through this transition (3).

As your child grows, babywearing gives you an opportunity to bring them along and be a part of the daily hustle and bustle of the family. They can observe, communicate, and learn about how things work around them. As your child develops independence into toddlerhood and beyond, the carrier becomes a safe place to where they can return after exploring the world (4).

Babywearing can also support changes in family circumstances. Perhaps a change in carer ability through illness or injury, perhaps illness of the child, or perhaps the addition of a new child to the family. Holding your child close can help them to adjust to the new situation in which the family finds itself and allow them to feel safe in doing so.

Hold your child close

By holding our children close through all seasons of weather and life, they learn to see our bodies as a safe place where they can return for comfort. This can hold true even once they are in school, although for us it more regularly manifests as a piggyback. While long gone for our family are the sweat-filled carrier days of northern Australia, I treasure when my son’s arms reach up to me seeking comfort, or just needing reassurance of a safe space to return. My heart sings when I hear a little voice calling out “Mummy, can you carry me?” and I gladly reach out with open arms so he can snuggle in and listen to the song in my chest. This season too will pass. Soon I will be reaching up to him and then I would wish for him to reach out to me in return.

Kato x

References

 1.       Van Hout, IC 2011, Beloved Burden: Babywearing around the world, Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam.

2.       Mehta, A & Srinivas, S 2021, ‘The Fourth Trimester’, Obstetrics & Gynecology, vol. 137, no. 5, pp. 779-781. https://doi.org/10.1097/AOG.0000000000004373 

3.       Hunziker, U. A., & Barr, R. G. (1986). Increased carrying reduces infant crying: A randomised controlled trial. Paediatrics, 77(5), 641-648. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.77.5.641

4.       Circle of Security International 2022 https://www.circleofsecurityinternational.com/circle-of-security-model/what-is-the-circle-of-security/