For mothers and fathers who frequently wear their babies, a comfortable baby carrier is a must. Keeping warm while wearing a baby in the winter can be difficult for parents. When wearing your baby in a front or side carry, you can wear a coat, but you cannot button it in front. You certainly can’t wear a jacket over your baby carrier when doing a back carry. Wearing a coat under the baby carrier can interfere with keeping your baby carrier wrapped or tied tightly and secure enough. How do you stay warm when using your mei tei, wrap, sling, pouch, or other favorite baby carrier? Here is a guide to winter baby wearing that will help you keep yourself and your baby warm and snug.
First of all, you want to dress for the weather. Dress both yourself and your baby in layers. You will both be a lot warmer, and you’ll be able to cool down if you get hot by removing a layer. Chose a T-shirt and sweater instead of a thick coat, and you’ll have much less interference with keeping your carrier on tight. When dressing your baby, keep in mind what carrier you are using; she’ll need thicker clothing in a mei tei than she will in a fleece wrap.
When chosing your winter baby carrier, pick warm fabrics like fleece or thick, padded carriers. Podegi blankets, a type of Asian baby carrier (ABC), can be made thicker for use in the winter. Mei teis, another type of ABC, can be made padded for extra warmth in the winter. Avoid structured carriers if warmth is important to you, because they will not offer much insulation at all for either of you.
Slings and pouches offer a cozy little pocket for babies that will help them stay warm. Wraps and podegis can help keep both parents and babies warm. Podegis are babywearing blankets that cover the bottom of the baby completely with some excess left to keep the mother warm. Wraps cover much of the parent’s torso, helping to keep them warm. Podegis and wraps also come in useful when you’re done wearing your baby, because they can double as blankets. Mei teis and structured carriers don’t offer much warmth.
Slings and pouches are the quickest and easiest to put on, which is a good thing when it is snowing. The fabric ends of mei teis and wraps can drag in the muddy snow when you are putting your baby carrier on. If using a wrap, I would recommend wrapping before going out, then tightening when it is time to put the baby into the wrap. You can drop your baby quickly into a sling, pouch, or sash carrier like the Duo and hurry inside. Then you can fiddle with the mei tei or wrap when you’re warm and dry indoors. I would likewise suggest this for rainy or muddy days in any season.
A baby wearing poncho, a thick jacket made just for babywearing, is a great alternative to thick coats for babywearers. These go on over the baby carrier and have an extra hole for the baby’s head. The ones with sleeves for the mother can be used only for front and back carries, and the ones that just hang over the mother’s arms can also be used for hip carries. If you’re low on cash, buy a thick shawl and just cut an extra hole in it. Waterproof rain ponchos for baby wearers are also available for wet weather.
Staying close to one another with your bodies together will contribute to the warmth of yourself and your baby. On very cold days, that’s not enough. For such occasions, be sure to dress in layers, and choose a warm, thick baby carrier that can be put on quickly. A baby wearing poncho will serve as a coat for you both without hindering you in very cold weather. Choosing the right apparel and baby carrier can help you and your baby be a lot more comfortable in the winter. Stay warm, and happy baby wearing!
