Are you confused, too?
Does everyone tell you something different when you ask people if you can use the manduca for newborn babies? Even the experts don’t always agree – does your pediatrician have a different opinion from your midwife? You read forum after forum – do you keep discovering different views on how old babies have to be to use a manduca baby carrier?

It was just the same for me when I became a mother for the first time and wanted to do everything 100% right. So who should you ask? Our own mothers still know very little about carrying babies because when they were young mothers themselves, carrying your baby was still considered quite exotic.
“Trust your gut instinct!” said my midwife to me. At the time I didn’t realize how right she was and how valuable this advice would always be for me.

manduca for newborn babies

But we cannot just trust our gut instincts of course … so here are a few facts:

• Infant seat: with the help of the manduca’s integrated infant seat, you can carry your child in the ergonomically correct M-position from birth (from a weight of 3.5 kg).

The M-position which your child adopts in the manduca
is not just ergonomically correct but is also really comfortable!

•Back extension As your child grows, the manduca grows too: The patented back extension and the various ways of combining the snap fasteners of the infant seat allow you to constantly adapt the manduca to your child’s size.

• When do I no longer need the infant seat? You can use the manduca without a infant seat as soon as your child’s thighs have become long enough: when the manduca reaches from one knee hollow to the other knee hollow and the lower legs can dangle freely without the infant seat. (This is usually the case when the child is 4-5 months old and has reached clothes size 68.)

What else do I need to think about?

Now you are probably wondering why some people claim that the manduca is unsuitable for newborn babies because the legs are forced into a split? Well it is not always easy to find the right position. It is often only tiny adjustments that make a difference:

• Pull your little treasure’s bottom in close to your stomach before fastening the infant seat. Just a few centimetres can make a huge difference to the neck support.

• Bring your child’s arms into the centre so that he or she adopts a stable position.

• Find out how the back extension and the various different positions of the snap fasteners work together and discover the perfect combination for your child’s current size.

• Does your child wear cloth nappies or has he or she put on a fair amount of puppy fat? Then just use one snap fastener per side. That is enough because the infant seat does not support your child’s weight – it only ensures that the base is not under tension and can be gently pressed together by the child’s legs so that the legs are not forced into a split.

• Position the knees when your child is finally sitting upright in the manduca: gently push the knees upwards when you have tightened the straps so that the child adopts a perfect M-position and the back is round.

Position of the knees and the M-Position

• And now the main point: find the ideal position for the feet! Are they still inside the carrier or are they long enough to protrude from the sides?

Advice and help

Sometimes it helps to take a look at the manduca instructions for use.
There are many more tips and tricks and we are sure that you will understand how difficult it is to mention all these – sometimes very specific details – in one set of instructions for use. That is presumably the reason why people claim from time to time that it does not work.

And this is where gut instinct comes into play again:
Does it feel good to carry your child around like this? It does? Good!
No? Then contact us!
Simply write an e-mail to beratung@wickelkinder.de .
In most cases, we have usually been able to find a good and comfortable solution. As the manduca is almost as unique as your child – a great deal is possible! With so many possibilities, you sometimes need someone to help you find the right one. And we are happy to do that for you.

By the way: soon we will be launching another way to easily adjust your manduca to the size of a newborn baby! Keep an eye on our blog and then you will always be up-to-date.