Newsflash: It's Hot Out There

Happy Mother's Day!

I hope everyone is enjoying Mother's Day, whether you are a mom of one, mom of several, a mom-to-be, a dad celebrating the mother of your child(ren) . . . . celebrate the women in your life. Today, especially since the weather is cooperative, I'm sure many of you are outside, grilling, barbeque-ing, picnicking, or otherwise enjoying the outdoors and all it has to offer. Here in the South, we love the outdoors, except when both the heat and humidity is through the roof - which unfortunately is half the year. How do you survive when your babies and toddlers still want to be held or worn? Can it be done - without one or both of you melting into a puddle?

I will not be the first, or last, to tell you that no matter what, you and baby will be hot if you are wearing them. There is no magic trick or secret carrier or special way that will instantly keep you and your baby cool as cucumbers in the South Carolina weather. Yes, you will be hot. but there are some things you should know that can help both of you keep as cool as humanly possible in 90+ degree weather with 100% humidity.

Most of these tips are common sense, some of them would never have occurred to me had I not known some awesome people who shared them with me.

 

Let's talk fabric

The more layers of fabric there are, in any carrier or woven wrap carry, the hotter you will be. Choosing a carrier with thinner, lighter weight fabric that breathes well is the first step in staying cooler in the heat.

Mei Tai

Mei Tai - choose one that has an unpadded body and thinner straps for optimal cooling - the Infantino Sash is one such, as is one by Cat-Bird Baby. Wrap straps provide more support, but will add stifling layers that will trap the heat.

Kinderpack with
Comfort Mesh at the Zoo

SSC/Buckle Carriers - choosing one with a mesh panel will improve circulation and help keep baby cool - Kinderpack and Bamberoo both have Kool Knit, Comfort Mesh, Solar Veil/Solar Weave panel options. Ergo makes a Performance Carrier that is one of my top picks for a carrier that is available locally - it has mesh in the straps that is helpful, plus a taller, wider body that the Ergobaby Original.

Ring Slings - any ring sling is a great option in the heat, since there is only

Ashleigh's Ring Sling

one layer (two if it's a double layer ring sling - Sakura Bloom, PeaPod Slings and others make double layer linen and silk slings) of fabric over baby. If your baby or toddler likes to be up and down frequently, a ring sling is a great addition to your carrier collection. It folds up small, and is useful for any stage - newborn through toddler. If your baby or toddler will be "up" a long time, a two-shouldered carrier will be more comfortable for both of you, though. Fabric options for ring slings that are popular include linen, cotton, and woven wrap conversions. Honestly, any of these are a great option and will breathe well.

Woven Wraps: as far as fabric goes, the top picks for hot weather wearing are usually linen and cotton. Both breathe well and do well in a lighter, more open weave. Look for Indios or Waves (these are patterns, available in various colors) by Didymos, plain twill weave (available by many brands, like Girasol), and some gauze wraps. Of all the gauze out there, the wraps by Wrapsody/Gypsy Mama are my favorites for sturdiness. You can make a DIY wrap out of certain kinds of gauze available at fabric stores, but these tend to be thinner and less supportive. Wrapsody Bali Breeze Gauze wraps are very affordable - new ones are less than $90.

Didymos Waves Tramonto
at the Zoo

Do not totally write off other fabric blends. Wool and hemp blends tend to be thicker and cushier on your shoulders, and more supportive for growing babies and toddlers. Since they are cushier, you can often manage a shorter wrap (less fabric!) for a longer period of time. I also like silk wraps in summer since they tend to be thinner. In general you can determine the thick or thinness of a wrap by looking at the GSM ( grams per square meter) - around 200 gsm is a thinner wrap 300+ is quite thick.

Molly and the Moby Wrap

Stretchy Wraps - these include the Moby and Boba wrap - honestly, these are both very hot carriers.Wrapsody Hybrid Stretch - this is a soft, breathable stretchy wrap that is supportive enough for back carries (the Moby, Boba, and K'tan are all too stretchy for back carries) - the Hybrid Stretch will cost a little more than the Moby or Boba Wrap, but like it's sister carrier, the Bali Breeze, runs well under $100 making it still a fairly affortable option.
Since they are stretchy, you need multiple layers to provide support, and the fabric blend traps heat. If you want something like this, a great option is the Baby K'tan which is also available in Breeze which is a very breathable, lightweight fabric. The main thing to remember with the K'tan is that you need the right size, which should fit like a snug t-shirt, and these carriers are most comfortable for babies under 15 lbs. Another option available is the Gypsy Mama/

More on Woven Wraps:

Less fabric is more cooling - In the summer (and spring and fall/Indian Summer) I love shorter wraps. Most people start out using a size 6 or 7 - this is your base size that you can accomplish most carries in, like a Front Wrap Cross Carry, a Double Hammock back carry, etc. As you get more experienced, many wrappers like to move to "shorties" AKA shorter wraps sizes 2-4, for many reasons.  It's less fabric, faster wrap jobs for wriggly babies and toddlers, and often these wraps are less expensive (since they are less fabric). Carries that are popular - because the are only one or two layers:

Melissa - Front Cross Carry

Front Carries: Kangaroo and Front Cross Carry














Laura - Semi FCC

Hip Carries: Rebozo (most often done with a size 2), Poppins, Robin's, Coolest Hip Cross Carry, Semi Front Wrap Cross Carry












Katrina - HJBC

Back Carries: Rucksack/Ruck (and all its variations), RRRR/Pirate's Carry, HJBC (Half Jordan's Back Carry - look for the symmetrical version), DHTAS (Double Hammock Tied At Shoulder), Rear/Back Rebozo

Torso carry in a size 3

Torso  - these can be done on front or back, and are great when you have sunburned shoulders. These can even, in a pinch, be accomplished with a beach towel. You will notice with a torso carry that baby sits lower on your back, right in your lumbar curve, so it can take some time to get accustomed to the difference, if you are used to wearing baby high on your back.


 

Wearing in the water

Water Ring Sling
 at Folly Beach

Yes, you can wear in the water. My favorite thing to use is a water ring sling - made by several reputable makers on Etsy, Zanytoes, and others. These are made from athletic mesh that dries quickly and is fairly inexpensive. I've used mine from squish through toddlerhood, and I love it. You can also buy a length of athletic mesh and use it like a woven wrap. Downsides: this is a lot of fabric that is going to get wet and heavy, and possibly quite hot, once you have all those layers. I wouldn't recommend this in a rebozo, as the knot will get difficult to adjust when wet. You can buy sling rings and get a short length and either sew your own or use it as a no-sew ring sling. The only thing, purely for safety reasons, is please do not wear baby on your back in the water. You need to be able to see your baby and make sure his or her airway stays clear, and that is difficult on your back.  Once you are out of the water, back carries are awesome.

Other tips for staying cool:

Frog Toggs - This is a large cloth pad available at Wal-mart and other retailers  in the camping section designed for keeping people cool. Cut in to smaller sections, dampen and place between you and baby to stay cool

Hydrate - make sure you and baby drink plenty, since chances are you will be sweating. Maybe get a handheld misting fan to keep you and baby cool.

 hat + shade + baby on back
= cool times at the beach 

Stay covered - hats, baby legs, long sleeves, etc will help avoid sunburn and keep you both shaded

Take breaks - when possible, switch positions, take baby down and let them move, rest, etc.

Wear baby on your back - for some reason, it seems less hot to have baby on your back. Maybe it's just less places for sweat to pool, but for whatever reason, many people find having baby on their backs is much cooler than wearing on the front.

 

The weather is warming up, and it's only going to get hotter - come join the conversation in our Facebook group about you like to stay cool in the South Carolina Heat. Better yet, come join us at our Ice Cream Social next Saturday, May 17th at 11 a.m. We'll be at Heathwood Park  - this is a great park with a water feature that the kids are sure to love.