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BABYBJORN I wanted to take the time to post about this brand in our community as I feel its cops a bit of abuse and has a reputation with some people for being a baby carrier that is not very ergonomic. So I would like to set the record straight and make you guys informed. Below are my observations as a trained babywearing consultant on their range of carriers over the years and what you are likely to come across in Babywearing Libraries. My word is not gospel, but babywearing is something I know quite a bit about and I hope this will help you to make your own informed decision when it comes to borrowing or purchasing a carrier from their range. Back in the days the Original Baby Carrier was BabyBjorn´s signature carrier. This carrier has been around for many years. I have seen it passed down from friends and family members, I was even gifted one of these carriers in a bag of Mummy & Baby goodies. However, over the years BabyBjorn have continued to develop their range and we have seen the introduction and farewell of The Original and We carriers, the introduction of The One, Mini and Move. You can find their current selection of 4 carriers on the following link: https://www.babybjorn.eu/baby-carriers/ However, since BabyBjorn carriers are built to last and be passed on, I have taken the time to observe and comment on the entire selection of carriers new families may come across in their babywearing journey: One/ One Air We Mini Original / Miracle Move Scroll through this post to see photos of their range and some of my observations and tips on wearing these carriers to make the most out of your babywearing experience with them. Please feel free to share this blog post with someone you feel would benefit. The One Carrier: The One Carrier: Weight Range: 3.5kg to around 3 years. Positions: Front inward & outward facing and back carry from 12 months. Materials: Cotton and mesh (called One Air) CLICK HERE to learn how to operate The One Carrier I think this carrier is one of the most ergonomic and supportive of their range. You can adjust the width of the seat as the baby grows to maintain knee to knee support. There is a zip on the inside of the carrier that allows you to adjust the height of the baby on your torso as well. Things I have observed when helping parents with this carrier: It is quite a bulky carrier for newborns/smaller babies. It also does not give the best head support for newborns and sleeping babies, so be gentle with your movements. Also when baby is heavier and has longer legs, this applies pressure to the zips that alter the width of the seat making the seat narrow. This means you need to keep checking that the zips remain done up on the wider setting. If you are shopping for a BabyBjorn and find you are trying this carrier on, try The We carrier as well to help you compare and decide what it is you like or dislike about these carriers on YOUR body with YOUR baby. Wearing Your Baby Outward Facing Recommended from 4-5months when baby has good head control. As you can see in the image above, the baby's hips are not really supported from knee to knee in this position, but the seat is wide enough that they are not dangling from their crutch. This is not going to harm your baby if you wear them in this position for the recommended time of 15-20mins. If you would like your baby to be more ergonomic in this position, you could support their feet so that their knees are above or more in line with their bottom. Please turn your baby around immediately if they fall asleep facing outwards. The We Carrier: The We Carrier Weight range: 3.5kg to around 3 years. Positions: Front inward & outward facing and back carry from 12 months. CLICK HERE to learn how to operate The We Carrier This carrier is no longer stocked on the BabyBjorn website, however, you may see it still available on other sites selling ´baby gear´. This carrier seems to be quite a stiff and structured carrier which generally means that it is better for bigger babies. On a brand new baby I recommend a carrier that moulds its shape to the curvature of a newborn baby's spine. This carrier has good adjustable hip support. Its design is very similar to The One. If you are shopping for a BabyBjorn and find you are trying this carrier on, try The One as well to help you compare and decide what it is you like or dislike about these carriers on YOUR body with YOUR baby. The Mini Carrier: The Mini Weight Range: 3.2kg to 11kg or 12 months. Positions: Front inward & outward facing Materials: Cotton, jersey & mesh CLICK HERE to learn how to operate The Mini BabyBjorn liken this carrier to the stretchy wrap and say it is good for short carries (why not long I wonder). This carrier is soft and flexible and is designed more for babywearing in the 4th trimester. It shapes itself beautifully to the curvature of the baby's C-shaped spine. But do note that its head support is not that great so you need to move gently or support the back of baby's head with your hand as you move. The shape of the carrier also supports the newborn baby's hips in a lovely M position. The things to watch on this carrier: The Mini does not have a waist belt which means the baby's weight is distributed across the wearer's shoulders. This may especially be even more uncomfortable when baby is facing outwards with their weight pulling forward on the wearer's back. If you have back issues, then I would consider a carrier with a waist belt. Another thing to note in this carrier is the seat width. The width of the seat does not go very wide so I doubt it will be giving knee to knee support by the time baby is 12 months. If you are shopping for a BabyBjorn and find you are trying this carrier on, try The Original carrier as well to help you compare and decide what it is you like or dislike about these carriers on YOUR body with YOUR baby. The Original Carrier: The Original / The Miracle Weight range: 3.5kg to 11kg or 12 months. Positions: Front inward & outward facing (from 5 months) Materials: Cotton, cotton/jersey & mesh CLICK HERE to learn how to operate The Original This is the carrier that gets the most flack from BabyBjorn critics. BabyBjorn say on their website that this carrier is perfect for newborns, I would tend to disagree. Despite it having some good points, I find this to be the least ergonomic carrier of their range and would say the Mini has better sine and hip support for a newborn than the Original. Positives about this carrier: *Fairly basic to use. *Keeps baby close to parent with their head close enough to kiss. *Allows the parent and baby to access the benefits of Babywearing. *This carrier was responsible for keeping babywearing in fashion when the stroller was becoming more popular. Negatives about this carrier: *Head support is not that great. *The fabric is quite stiff and does not shape gently to the curvature of a newborn's spine. *The width of the seat does not go very wide. It would only give knee to knee support from newborn to 4-5months. *Does not have a waist belt which means the baby's weight is distributed across the wearer's shoulders. If you have back issues, then I would consider a carrier with a waist belt. The Miracle CLICK HERE to learn how to operate The Miracle The Miracle Carrier carrier by BabyBijorn is similar at the front panel where the baby sits and in the shoulder straps as the Original carrier. The main difference between the two carriers is that the Miracle has a triangular panel in the back that aims to give back support to the wearer. This is a feature that I found many owners of this carrier liked. In conclusion, whilst I believe there are better carriers for newborns than these two baby carriers, if it is the only one you have access to and you have a baby that absolutely must be worn then this carrier is totally fine. It may not be 100% comfortable for the wearer and there are ways to get around the knee to knee support--please see this link: https://youtu.be/hH122bHejhQ If you are shopping for a BabyBjorn and find you are trying one of these carriers on, also try The Mini and The Move to help you compare and decide what it is you like or dislike about these carriers on YOUR body with YOUR baby. The Move Carrier: The Move Weight Range: 3.2kg to approximately 15 months (max 12 kg) Positions: Front inward & outward facing (from 5 months) Materials: Cotton, cotton/jersey & mesh CLICK HERE to learn how to operate The Move A recent addition to their line of carriers, the Move seems to be reminiscent of the Miracle carrier but with better hip and neck support for baby. It is like BabyBjorn has taken the harness from the Miracle baby carrier, added more padding to the straps and changed the panel at the front so that the baby´s hips are more cupped and supported in the ergonomic M shape position. The top of the carrier panel is more adjustable than the Miracle and seems to support a newborn or sleeping baby´s head firmly and comfortably. At the back of the harness, The Move has an adjustable triangular panel that provides back support to the wearer. I have not had the opportunity to work with this carrier yet, so my observations are based on online observation, research and customer feedback reviews. A Final Word... I am grateful to BabyBjorn for keeping babywearing in mainstream fashion during a time where strollers /prams /push chairs were all the rage. However, I feel that some people still consider this brand of carrier not ergonomic. Babywearing is about creating love and connection not about instilling fear and anxiety. It is important that we be informed on the decisions we make when we strap, wrap or sling our babies on to our bodies. 3 top tips when looking for an ergonomic carrier: 1) Sits snug and close enough to kiss on the wearer's torso 2) Must support the natural C-shape curve of baby's spine 3) Must support baby from knee to knee so that baby's hips are held in an M-shape. Please feel free to ask any questions if you have them. Happy Babywearing Everyone!! #babycarrier #BabyBijorn #SSC #SoftStructuredCarrier

Hello Everyone! It is with mixed feelings that I write this blog post. After 13 years living in Dubai, the time has come for my family and I to make a change. We left Dubai last weekend to embark on an amazing adventure. With that, Luxe Carriers will follow us to wherever the road might lead. Our first stop, is a two-month sabbatical in South Africa to soak up the southern sun. From there we will be travelling to our new home in New Zealand. I will continue to write my blogs and get in touch with the babywearing mums! I am looking forward to the new changes ahead. Please do not fear, I am not leaving the UAE empty handed! Before departing Dubai, last month in addition to training the staff at Eggs & Soldiers, I have trained 12 birthworkers in Dubai to support new parents on the art of babywearing. Their details are below. DUBAI BIRTH WORKERS Amy Vogelaar, Love Parenting: amyvogelaar@yahoo.com Jordana Ventzke, Optimal Therapy & Malaak Baby Care: jordana.smith@gmail.com Lala Langtry-White, Small and Mighty Babies, The Different Doula & The Little Feather Doula Collective: lala@smallandmightybabies.com Julia Schiffer, Top Tots, UAE: info@toptotsdubai.com Cecilia Basse, Independent Doula: kcsbasse@icloud.com Sophia Janahi, Independent Doula: dxb.sophia@gmail.com Francionette Schickerling, Belly Baby Mom: francionette@bellybabymom.com Houyem Mahfoudi, Belly Baby Mom: houyem@bellybabymom.com Cecile de Scally, Malaak Baby Care: cecile@malaak.me Sofi Chabowski, Eggs & Soldiers: sofi@eggsnsoldiers.com Lesley Steyn, Mediclinic Wellcare Hospital: lesleysteyn@gmail.com Katie McLean, Katie Jane Dubai: hello@katiejanedubai.com A big thank you to the lovely families that have allowed me into their lives to teach them about connection through babywearing. Thank you to the women I have met in the Dubai birthing community, you have been a wonderful support and, for this, I am truly grateful. Please do keep in touch through social media or drop me a line at Sarah@luxecarriers.com - I'm an email away! Happy Babywearing!

Image Credit: Click here No matter what, babywearing in a warm country or in the summer time is going to be hot. So there are a few things to be considered. - Clothing (wearer and baby) - Carrier types & fabric - Protection from the sun’s rays - Keeping hydrated and cool - What to be aware of when you come in from the heat. CLOTHING Light cotton clothing is best for both parties. A t-shirt for the wearer and onesie for the baby. PROTECTION FROM SUN RAYS A baby’s head can be protected from the sun with an umbrella, hat, sun hood on the carrier or muslin. If using the sun hood or the muslin it is important to check that baby is breathing regularly. Image Credit: Click here KEEPING HYDRATED AND COOL It is important to keep hydrated when out in the heat. Depending on the age of the baby, give them extra sips of water as you wear them or feed them once you are in a cooler place. Patting baby down with a wet face cloth or fanning them with a hand fan can help to keep them cool whilst they are in the carrier. WHAT TO BE AWARE OF WHEN YOU COME IN FROM THE HEAT Both baby and wearer are going to be a little sweaty after babywearing in the heat. This is fine as both parties will dry off fairly quickly. However, it is important to be conscious of AC vents and putting a sweaty baby underneath one. Image Credit: Click here CARRIER TYPES AND FABRIC Select a carrier that is lightweight and breathable. Woven cotton allows air to flow through the weave of the fabric. Bamboo is known to be a few degrees cooler than cotton. Some carrier brands make a mesh version, but these are mostly made from polyester. A mother’s breasts can adjust their temperature according to the temperature of the baby? ‘When infant temperatures were below 36.9°C breast temperatures were rising; when infant temperatures reached 36.9°C or higher, breast temperatures started to drop.´ ** Image Credit: Click here **Study: Breast-Infant Temperature with Twins during Shared Kangaroo Care #babywearing #heat #tips

SOFT STRUCTURED CARRIER A derivative of the Mei Tai, the Soft Structured Carrier (SSC) features a body panel with two adjustable shoulder straps and buckles coming from the top right and left-hand that the wearer inserts their arms through. The adjustable waist band with buckle comes along the base of the carrier panel and goes around the wearer's waist. Various sizes available include baby and toddler sizes. ​ ADDITIONS TO THE SOFT STRUCTURED CARRIER To be able to accommodate for a newborn or smaller baby some Soft Structured Carriers need and infant insert whilst others can be adjusted so that they grow with your baby from birth to toddler. Extenders can also be purchased and used to convert some SSCs into a toddler carrier as they help to make the seat wider for the longer legs of a toddler. ​ SUGGESTED USES For longer carries Could replace the pram especially in situations where pushing a pram is not easy eg uneven pavements and unpaved areas Great for the airport and to the supermarket Men tend to prefer a Soft Structured Carrier Hiking Back carries for babies 12months and older Some soft structured carriers can carry your baby in 2,3 or 4 positions. ​ AGE RANGE Newborn (though some might need an insert) through to toddler WEIGHT RANGE 3kg to 20kg Shop Now

Hana Baby Carrier Manual Click HERE to download

GETTING STARTED Renting a Carrier Renting a baby carrier has never been easier than with Luxe Carriers' Baby Carrier Rentals. When you come to us seeking guidance, rest assured that you’ll receive exactly what you’re looking for. Renting a carrier can be a great way to explore babywearing in your own time and find out if you are making the right decision on a particular carrier. Want a lesson to go with the carrier? Then be sure to select a Carrier Fitting when you book your carrier. Book A Carrier RENTAL INFO The Answers You Need Secure the booking of this carrier online for AED 50/- per week. Our friendly team will send you a booking confirmation within 24 hours. The carrier can be collected from our shop at Times Square Ground Floor and must be returned before 12pm. ORDER PROCESS 1. Select a Carrier 2. Place your Order 3. Pay Online 4. Order Confirmation 5. Collect DEPOSIT Each rental is subject to pay a security deposit which is dependent upon the value of the rental order. The security deposit is payable in cash when collecting the carrier, and will be refunded once the hired equipment is returned in the same condition as it was handed out to you. COLLECTION When collecting the carrier, please bring a copy of your Emirates ID and the cash deposit with you. The deposit will be the value of the carrier. Can't make it to the shop? We can have the courier deliver your Carrier Rental to you at an additional cost of 20 Aed per trip.