One of the most important things to keep in mind when making your own baby carrier is safe construction. Commercial baby carriers have many regulations and tests they must pass, because these contraptions are holding very precious cargo! The carrier needs to be made of safe materials, sewn together securely, and sized correctly for the baby.
- Construction Basics and Safety: Here’s a brief rundown on making sure your materials are safe and your carrier is constructed in a way that it won’t fail without warning! As a reminder, all carriers (commercial or homemade) should be inspected regularly for wear, tear, thread shifting, popped stitches, or damage. Discontinue use as soon as a carrier develops damage.
- Carrier Sizing for Most Carrier Types: Making sure a carrier is the right size is just as much about comfort as it is about safety. A too-small or too-big carrier can lead to a lack of support, positional asphyxiation, or restricted airflow. Body panels should always come up to at least baby’s armpits (for older infants and toddlers) or the nape of baby’s neck (for smaller infants) and should never come up above baby’s ears. A panel should ideally support baby’s hips and thighs from knee to knee, without hyperextending their knees.
- No Sew DIY Options: If you don’t have access to or the skills to use a sewing machine, there are still some DIY options you can take! Check out your options before simply assuming that your lack of sewing machine means you can’t DIY a carrier.