The Cairis is such a wonderfully versatile carrier. Quick and easy to use with wide wrap straps that give comfort like wrapping. Here are some tips to help you get the maximum comfort and perfect positioning from the innovative design.
Getting the Right Fit for your Baby
Panel Height, Knee to Knee Fit & Panel Width
We always want to be able to see your baby's face - not only because they're gorgeous, but to ensure they have lovely clear airways and airflow.
Shop Oscha Cairis Baby & Toddler Carriers
A lovely guide for finding your ideal waistband height is to cuddle your baby in with their head nestling just under your chin, note where their bottom rests - this is your perfect waistband height. If you have a newborn this may be a little higher than you were anticipating, yet not only is it so much more comfortable it also allows for safer monitoring of your baby too.
A lovely bonus of getting the waistband in this position is that it often allows for more of the padded straps to reach around your shoulders and down your back - so your back feels this benefit too.
Another option is to roll the waistband to reduce the panel height for newborns. The video below will show you this as well as how to get the right width to ensure knee to knee support.
You may have come across the term knee to knee when learning to carry your baby. This is a way of ensuring you have the correct width of carrier for your baby's size, it refers to the panel width which should cover from one knee pit into the other knee pit and no further. Your baby should be able to swing their legs freely.
For very young babies you also may want to reduce the width of the top of the panel so your baby can be drawn in closer to you, this video also covers a couple of options to help with this.
Waistband
Ensure the padded tongue is sitting under the webbing; the Strata Linea waistband was specifically designed for this, to provide extra comfort and to prevent the webbing from digging in.
Keeping the Straps Comfortable
Crossed strapped baby carriers are so much more comfortable as the weight is more evenly distributed and comfortable across your back during in a front carry.
A common problem people may have is feeling that carrier straps are riding up towards their neck. The way to avoid this is at the stage of putting the carrier on. Instead of pulling diagonally across when you tighten the straps (which brings the strap towards your neck), first pull the strap down towards the ground to tighten and then bring it across your back. This ensures that the strap is tight and secure but is sitting on your shoulder where you want it, rather than being too close to your neck.
The Cairis straps flare out, enabling you to easily reinforce a carry and provide extra support with no additional knots or wrap length required.
Pelvic Tuck
This is another term you may have come across, and refers to a technique we use to ensure that are baby is in the lovely deep-seated squat (also known as the 'M' position), that's optimum for the development of their hips. In practice this looks like the baby being seated with their bottom lower than their knees, ensuring all their weight is resting on their bottom so that there's no pressure on their legs. Sometimes it may be necessary to encourage them into this position with a pelvic tuck, as Hannah shows us here:
Tips for Outdoors
Concerned about Car Parks? Simply leave the tails in the car!
Bring the front panel up, as usual, draping one tail up to your shoulder (whilst the bottom still resting in the car) then turn around, so the tail is still behind you clean in the car. Pull down and across and bring to the front where the length no longer reaches the ground.
Repeat for the other side.
Check out this video for 4 options to keep the tails off the ground.
Written by Jess Hippey
Jess is a mum to two boys and a Baby Carrying Consultant based in Aberdeen, Scotland.
