Tips for babywearing in the summer

• Dress your child in thin long clothes.

• Dark and tightly woven fabric is the least permeable to UV radiation. However, a very dark fabric attracts heat more than a white fabric.

• Wide, long and thin clothes made of cotton, silk or linen is well suited.

• Linen can absorb a lot of moisture, but gives it off immediately. It cools the body and still protects against sun and wind.

• A sun hat with brim and neck protection.

• Thin socks to protect the feet.

• While babywearing, there is a temperature exchange between you and your child. The body temperature of your baby will not be warmer than yours, overheating is impossible.

• If possible, stay in shady places and avoid the direct sun.

• An umbrella with UV protection offers to you and your child shade.

• Avoid using suncreen, as they often contain substances, that are hormone-like. They feed into your baby's thin skin.

• Mineral sunscreens are better, they remain as a protective film on the skin and do not penetrate into the thin baby skin.

•  If you do not rub in the sunscreen you will get the best protection.

• Cream only those places that can not be covered by clothes.

• Sunscreen prevents sweating. If the whole body is creamed, it makes it difficult for your child to regulate the body temperature.

Tip: Slowly accustom your child to the sun. If your child is used to it, your child also can  wear short clothes. This especially applies for children, who naturally have a darker skin colour. Especially children with a darker skin colour form a self-protection in the summer and can spend some time outdoors in short clothes and without sunscreen, without getting a sunburn. Also important is the intake of vitamin D, which is only possible through the sunlight, but is prevented or reduced by sunscreen.

• On hot summer days, especially in the wrap, bindings which have a single layer of fabric, e.g. the kangaroo or the simple backpack are recommanded. These two bindings are airy, because the sides are open and there is only one fabric over your child. Each cloth layer is like an extra piece of clothing.

• Wraps and slings with a low weight, cloths that are thinner, are particularly suitable on warm summer days.

• An Onbuhimo is a back carrier, which is used from the age your baby sits by himself. Due to the lack of a hip belt, this carrier is very airy and therefore well suited for the summertime.

• The Podaegi can be tied so that he also has no waist belt. This baby carrier can be used from birth until the end of the babywearing time.

• Wrap Tais have wide expanded straps. Since they are not padded, there is only one thin  layer of fabric on your shoulders.

• Full Buckle, Half Buckle and Mei Tais have padded straps, but are still suitable for very warm days. The panel sides of the baby carriers are open, so that the heat does not accumulate and it is airy for your child.

• How much time you can spend with your child in the sun depends on the age and skin colour of your child.

• The smaller your baby is, the less it should be exposed to direct sunlight.

• The baby skin is significantly thinner than the skin of adults. The self-protection of the skin takes place via the skin pigmentation, which is not yet sufficiently available in babies.

• If you are breastfeeding your baby, it does not need to drink water. Your child will breastfeed more often to absorb enough fluid. It especially wants the watery pre-milks and will want to switch sides more frequently. In very hot areas I would  additionally offer water. The water should be at room temperature. When you're resting, make sure you drink enough water.

• On warm days, avoid the midday sun.

• Looking for shady places, a walk through the forest protects well from the direct sunlight.

• In southern countries, life takes place in the evenings. Before 5 pm people hardly leave their house with the children. Traveling to countries in the south, remember also that in the playground, for example the slides gets very hot.