Hamburg Carrying School FAQ

Either way, it should fit and fit snugly and comfortably for everyone involved. Then there is actually nothing that speaks against one or the other. It's simply a matter of taste. A sling has the advantage that it can be individually adapted to any body shape. On the other hand, it has to be tied again every time and that takes longer at first. But with a little practice, you can compare it to tying shoelaces or driving a car. At some point we will do this fully automatically without thinking much. With baby carriers, it is an advantage that we can put them on quickly once we have understood them. Here, too, the handling requires a bit of practice, but then everything happens quickly. Both - regardless of whether it is a cloth or a carrying aid - contain sources of error and are not intuitively self-explanatory. You can do a lot wrong and it's uncomfortable - and it shouldn't be :D

Even with newborns, it should simply fit. It doesn't matter to the baby or to the person who carries the baby, whether it's a carrier or a sling.

It all depends on what we see in the cityscape. If hardly anyone wears it, we quickly think it's a little weird or weird. When many carry their babies, it feels strange when we don't do it ourselves. Therefore, we are also happy about every prominent example in the relevant media channels. They live it and then we follow.

The stroller is not really popular with most children and they probably would not have invented it. All of our development steps, whether physical or psychological, are designed to allow us to discover the world close to the body of our caregivers.

Our baby's nervous system is proven to be developed through co-regulation that simply doesn't work at a distance. Babies' hips initially consist of cartilaginous structures and only gradually (for the most part) ossify in the first year of life. This works best in the position that babies take on our arms. Ideally, they shouldn't lie flat all the time while we're moving, because that way babies' intervertebral discs can't do their job and all impacts have a direct horizontal impact on the spine, which is still developing.

We distinguish here between parents who actually don't want to carry and say so so that supporters of carrying can finally keep their good tips to themselves and parents who really want to carry, but their baby clearly shows that it doesn't like it. Then we should definitely set out and try to find out what could be behind it. Usually it's blockages or the parents' nerves or other individual little things that we as babywearing consultants find out in most cases and find a solution.

Parents need to find the carrier comfortable for it to fit them well. Then the baby carrier should ideally still be adjustable and grow with the child.

There is actually one thing that is the same for all baby carriers. If the baby is still very small, the waist belt should sit very high up on the wearer. The baby's bottom is not placed on top of the belt, but in front of it, so that the bottom is squatting in the pouch and not on the waist belt.

As the child grows, the child's head stays at about the same height - but the waist belt and buttocks move a little lower every now and then.

The most common attachment mistake that we have observed for years is that most parents close the connecting strap of their baby carrier, which should actually be at shoulder blade height, on the back of their neck. So they carry most of the weight with their neck muscles and not with their much stronger back muscles.

Pricelessly important in our world. It prevents bad purchases, and in most cases with really good, certified consultants, a very comfortable wearing time is imminent. And here sometimes only two to three centimeters decide whether it is comfortable to carry or painful towing.

Yes absolutely. Babywearing jackets, babywearing covers or special jacket extensions so that the baby fits underneath. We should always carry our children close to us and little between us when it's cold - but with properly warm material around us.

Sure, of course! We love beautiful designs and spending a lot of time with the baby in the carrier is almost a fashion accessory. We had countless different models – for exactly this reason.

We're also much more moderate here now. The parents carry! That is primarily the most important thing. The second point is that parents don't want to show their baby anything bad, they want to show the world. From a certain age, they want to see more, squeeze away in the baby carrier and show very clearly at the age of three or four months that discovering the world is now the trend. This is often the moment when the parents turn the children around in the carrier or drive the buggy forward, depending on their gut feeling. Both are certainly not bad for short moments. But we should know that countless stimuli will probably flood our children and they will "discuss" them with us for a long time in the evening.

This is actually not essential, but only really nice for both of you, even if both feel like it. If I don't want to wear it, for whatever reason, then I shouldn't either. Because then I might be letting my child know in a non-verbal way that it's right to ignore one's own feelings and do things that I don't really want to do.

Nevertheless, I am interested in asking questions in the consultations and have often been able to take away fears or worries. One or the other parent may simply not be able to imagine wearing it and is therefore skeptical. Then I'm happy to be there, let someone try an easy-to-put-on baby carrier and when the baby (usually) falls asleep, all fear or skepticism is forgotten.

Be sure to try out the different models, because carrying aids or scarves are like jeans. It has to fit so that I love it and enjoy wearing it. You don't see that by the design or because someone else recommended a specific model. Because my best friend's jeans aren't necessarily mine. Treat yourself to professional advice from a certified consultant. As a rule, they not only have their know-how, but also numerous niche products in their consulting bag, which you cannot get in every specialist shop, but can be delivered by post in two days. It is worth it!!