Q: How do I adjust my manduca baby carrier so it will fit me?
A: Before putting your baby into the carrier, you should adjust it to suit your own size. You can do this using the long nylon straps at the two-way buckle fastenings of the shoulder straps and the waist belt. The ends of the nylon straps can be tucked away in the belt and strap loops. You will usually only have to make these adjustments once; from day to day you should only have to use the short nylon straps for fine tuning.
Q: Can I carry my baby in a front facing forward position in the manduca baby carrier?
A: The Manduca baby carrier is not designed to carry a baby in a "face forward" position.
It is designed to carry your baby in the M position- http://www.manduca.com.au/#/the-m-position/4557340929, which is the natural position for the baby. When placed in a face forward position, the baby is leaning forward in an unnatural position for his body, and he's not getting appropriate head support.
Being carried in the "M-position" allows your baby to be close enough to you to kiss, so you can always be aware of his face expressions and how he feels. It also allows him to control the amount of stimulation than he gets from the surroundings.
Q: Can I use my manduca baby carrier while I’m pregnant?
A: You can wear the manduca while you’re pregnant in a back carry position as long as you and your child feel comfortable to do so.
Q: From what age can I carry my baby in the manduca baby carrier?
A: You can carry your baby in the manduca from birth, or rather from 3.5 kg (approximately 7 lb 11 oz) in weight. In the first few weeks, you should use the integrated seat insert (see instructions for use), which will raise your baby a little higher as it sits in the carrier, and for the very first weeks its legs should be tucked up inside.
Q: When can I start wearing my baby on my back with my manduca baby carrier?
A: Before you start wearing your baby on your back, you should be able to carry him or her in the manduca without the seat insert. It is not the actual back carry that is the problem – as long as the head is held safely by means of the head support or back extension. However, it is as good as impossible to get a baby in the insert in the proper frog legs ‘position, onto your back by yourself while still supporting its head. For this reason we suggest you only attempt back carries once you are no longer using the insert.
Q: Can I get my baby onto my back with the manduca baby carrier unaided?
A: Of course you can! Have another look at the instructions that come with your manduca.
Your first attempts should be assisted by someone else or at least undertaken over a soft surface and/or in front of a mirror, until you feel confident about how to do it.
Check out the video instructions on how to put your baby in the back carry position in Manduca Baby Carrier from the front carry or hip carry position.
Q: Why do I need three-point buckle on the waist belt? It makes the opening of the carrier more difficult.
A: We are aware that the three-point buckle fastening is a bit more complicated to release than a standard one. However, we felt that the main priority was to ensure that the fastening can’t be opened by accident, for example by means of a parent’s trouser button pressing on the release mechanism or a jealous sibling pulling on the waist belt.
With a bit of experience and practice you will quickly learn how to open the buckle fastening with three fingers of one hand.
A practical alternative is to leave the manduca® on and let the main panel hang down in front of you like an apron when the baby is not in the carrier. Many parents have found this to be the simplest solution when their baby is out of the manduca® for short periods.
Q: What are the elastic loops on the straps of the manduca baby carrier by the fastenings for?
A: For your comfort and to increase the manduca’s safety still further, all strap and belt fastenings lie on a padded part of the strap or belt, on which there is an elastic safety loop. This is why you should always pull the quick fixes tight enough so that they come to rest behind the loops and on the padding.
Q: When do I need to unzip the back extension in my manduca baby carrier?
A: The back extension has a dual purpose: it supports older babies’ and children’s backs (back carries) and also provides support to the upper back and neck area of younger babies (front and hip carries). Unzipping the back extension on the main panel lengthens your manduca by 7cm.
Unzipping the back extension also gives you the option to breastfeed more discretely.
OUR TIP: You can use the back extension instead of the head support for front carries. If your baby can already hold his head by himself, you can keep the back extension zipped away when he is awake, so that he can see more of what’s going on around him. If he falls asleep, just unzip the extension and baby’s head enjoys perfect support. You may find you need to tighten the shoulder straps.
Q: My baby is 12 weeks old now, but I have the feeling that she is still too small to go in the manduca without the seat insert, as without it her legs are too widely spread.
A: You’re probably right: your baby is in an in-between phase, nearly too big for the seat insert, but with thighs too short to be comfortable and properly supported without it. You should carry on using the insert – in combination with the back extension! In this way, your baby will still be sitting a bit higher in the carrier and doesn’t have to ‘do the splits’. Her lower legs can now hang out of the carrier on each side; there won’t be any pressure on the thighs or the backs of the knees.
There are no hard-and-fast rules as to when your baby can use the manduca without the insert – it varies from baby to baby, depending on their individual size and above all on how long their thighs are. Most babies are ready to wave goodbye to the insert at between 3 and 5 months of age. As a general guide, babywearing consultants often say the insert can be folded away when the baby has grown into the (continental) clothes size 68 (00).
Another good way to determine if a baby has out grown the infant insert is when manduca's body panel only covers the baby's thighs up to and not beyond the baby's knees. The baby's calves should then be able to dangle freely outside the carrier. When this happens, the infant insert is no longer needed.