Frequently asked questions
There are some questions regarding baby carriers and baby slings which continuously pop up. Here is where you can find answers to those frequently asked questions, listed according to topic.
For manduca First, manduca XT and manduca Duo, your baby sits comfortably in all models from a weight of 3.5 kg.
The infant seat for newborns and small babies is already integrated into manduca First baby carrier models. Accessories such as manduca Size-It make carrying your small baby even more comfortable.
No additional accessory is required for use with manduca XT and manduca Duo.
Ready more about manduca for newborns in the blog: manduca, from which age.
With manduca First and manduca XT, larger children weighing up to 20 kg can be optimally carried – on your chest, hip or back.
With the manduca Twist, manduca Duo or manduca Sling you can carry children up to 15 kg comfortably on your chest.
Your baby experiences closeness and protection in the manduca baby sling from the very first day of life. The sling ensures the highest wearing comfort up to 9 kg.
Of course! manduca First offers an integrated infant seat and a patented back extension. These can be complemented by accessories: the softly cushioned manduca Size-It to reduce the seat size, the manduca ExTend two-step seat extension for larger children, and the additional back support manduca ZipIn Ellipse.
The ZipIn size extension is already integrated in manduca XT. What’s more, our all-in-one baby carrier offers a seamlessly adjustable seat and is even easier to adapt to smaller and larger babies.
With its clever construction, manduca Duo is also adjustable. The system is even easier to carry thanks to the removable hip belt. When zipped on, it distributes the weight of heavy babies evenly across your hips.
From about the age of four to five months, or a clothing size of 68, most babies can be carried in the manduca baby carrier without the need for the infant seat (and with a stored back extension). What’s important is solely the length of your baby’s thighs. When he/she is not sitting cross-legged even without the infant seat, your baby is big enough! This is the case when the carrier reaches from knee to knee, without going beyond.
Whether you are using the manduca baby carrier or baby sling, your child is sitting in the orthopaedically correct M-Position in all of our models. The M-Position is the natural sitting and carrying position of a child. It takes the weight off of your child’s hips and spine, which are still flexible. When you use the correct way of wearing, you can basically do nothing wrong. Everything about correctly carrying or wrapping can be found here.
Carrying, and thus being in close bodily contact with the parent, is part of a baby’s basic needs. Comfort and protection support your baby’s development and create a basis for his/her basic need for trust. That’s why you can never spoil your child too much by carrying him/her with your manduca baby carrier or sling.
Carriers make everyday life as a parent easier because you then have both hands free. You can take care of the household chores, go for walks or shopping with your baby in your manduca baby carrier or sling. Or you can do whatever you like. When he/she is close to you, your baby feels comforted and protected. As long as you both feel good, there are no limits as to how long you can use the carrier or sling.
Your child sits in the ergonomically correct M-Position in all manduca baby carriers or slings. For you, too, the highest carrying comfort is guaranteed. Thanks to the soft shoulder strap and an anatomically shaped hip belt on the manduca baby carrier, the weight of your child is optimally distributed. The patented back extension can be individually adjusted to the size of your child.
Sustainability is what sets us apart from the others. All manduca baby carriers and slings are made of materials which undergo stringent testing for harmful substances. Wherever possible, we prefer purely natural fabrics such as hemp or organic cotton for our textiles, which are specially manufactured and dyed according to our requirements.
Our manduca instructions give you all the descriptions you need for putting on your manduca in the various carrying and wrapping options.
The spread-squat position is the natural position which a newborn automatically takes when picked up. The legs are bent, the knee reaches up to the height of the belly button and the thighs are slightly spread. The spread-squat position is the natural sitting and carrying position for a child and is therefore recommended by paediatricians and orthopaedists.
In the manduca baby carrier or sling, your child takes on this orthopaedically correct, natural and comfortable position. The manduca baby carrier and the manduca sling support the healthy development of children’s hips and are therefore acknowleged by the International Hip Dysplasia Institute as a “Hip-Healthy Product”. The spread-squat position is also known as the M-Position, as the bottom and legs of your child create a visual “M”.
When your baby is still very small, his/her feet and legs remain outside the carrier. When your baby grows bigger, more of the foot appears, and then more of the leg, outside the carrier (even when you are still using the infant seat). Read more about the manduca infant seat in the blog.
You can carry your child on your back when he/she can safely hold up their head and no longer needs the infant seat. Especially when your child would like to see more, or he/she becomes heavier, it makes sense to try manduca as a back carrier. To set your baby into the back carrier on your own, you will need some practice. You can begin by practicing with your back to the bed or ask a second person to support you.
You can carry your child on your hip as soon as he/she can hold up their head safely. The advantage of hip carrying is that your back remains straight and you do not take on a crooked posture. In our manduca instructions, you can find all you need to know about how to carry, wrap and wear the baby carriers and slings.
It is best to discuss this topic with your post-natal midwife, as the issues experienced after a Caesarean section can vary greatly from mother to mother. Your body will let you know when you can begin to carry your baby.
It is recommended that you fasten the strap of the manduca baby carrier around your waste at first. That way it cannot press against your scar. Most importantly: Listen to your gut feeling and take a break in good time when you need to.
Whether your manduca baby carrier is tight enough is something you can check by bending over. Your child should continuously be close to your body and not become “detached” from you. If your manduca is too loose, you can tighten it a bit using the shoulder strap. .
Whether a baby carrier or sling: all manduca models make sure your child is sitting in the ergonomically correct M-Position at all times, and they offer protection and closeness to you from the very first day. The decision for or against a certain carrying style is purely a matter of taste and preference. You decide which style fits you and your baby best.
In short: manduca First is our original, tried-and-tested baby carrier. It features a host of additional adjustment options.
manduca XT is our all-in-one baby carrier which already comes with all the adjustment options.
manduco Duo is the innovative combination of baby carrier and sling. It unites the best of both worlds.
The manduca sling is our baby sling made of bi-elastic material and providing a high level of cosiness.
For more information about our various models, please visit our blog post on the topic (German): “Unsere kleine, feine manduca-Familie”.
When you register your manduca free of charge within the scope of our mymanduca care program, you will receive additional services for three years for your manduca baby carrier. manduca is a high-quality product – which means it meets the highest quality and safety standards.
We ensure the flawless functionality of all safety-relevant parts of your manduca baby carrier. Should all safety-relevant parts of your manduca (buckles and seams) break or come undone within three years after the date of purchase, the mymanduca care program kicks in – without exception!
Even parts not directly relevant for safety, such as zippers and snaps fasteners, are part of the service.
Such issues are very rare, but should you notice one of these defects, please contact our service team straight away. Depending on the damage, we will replace the part, send you a replacement part free of charge or replace your defective manduca completely. We solely need the purchase receipt for your manduca – as a copy or a scan. This is proof that you have a right to the service.
mymanduca care covers the following components:
- Buckles
- Zippers
- Snap fasteners
- Seams
- Velcro fasteners
- Elastic bands
mymanduca care does not service normal traces of usage on the fabrics:
“Normal” or “regular” traces of usage are not part of the mymanduca care program. The outer and inner shells of the manduca baby carrier are made of natural fabrics such as organic cotton or hemp. Like a pair of jeans, the fabric can fade over time or after several washes. This general fading of the colour is not considered a defect.
Exception: You can and should naturally report unusual fabric or colour changes. Our obliging service team will find the right, individual solution for you.
mymanduca care does not service inappropriate usage:
For our own protection, we note the standard disclaimer:
In the case of obvious misuse or inappropriate care, we reserve the right to not replace the carrier or individual parts.
In the case of subsequent dying, chemical bleaching or self-built carriers, the service obligation of the mymanduca care program is void and nil. Our service team will decide the issue on a case-by-case basis.
An example: When a seam on your manduca rips because you changed it yourself or sewed a new seam, then this is not covered within the mymanduca care program.
Another example: When a buckle on your self-dyed carrier breaks, we will naturally replace the buckle (and only the buckle). The dying has nothing to do with the defective buckle in this case.
We always replace the buckles – without exception. Guaranteed.
Why? Because!
We would like to take this opportunity here to make a strong plea to all customers that they be honest. When the car door is shut and a buckle gets caught in it, then even the highest quality buckle doesn’t stand a chance – but we have the right replacement buckle for you! Even if you forgot to close the buckle before washing the carrier in the washing machine – or when the dog decides to chew on it.
For us, it’s absolutely essential to know why or how a buckle broke. Should there not be any obvious reason for the breakage and there is therefore the suspicion of a defect in the material, an alarm goes off at manduca and we get into touch with the buckle manufacturer and the factory immediately to have the entire batch checked!
You can wash your manduca baby carrier or sling in the washing machine.
We recommend you use the delicates programme at 30°C and with laundry detergent for delicates. Please close all buckles before washing and remove the hood from its pocket. Do not dry the carrier or sling in the dryer or on the washing line in the sun. For lightly soiled carriers or slings, we recommend a quick wash by hand.
In the summer during warm temperatures, your baby should be lightly clothed, for instance in a onesie, T-shirt and shorts. In the winter, he/she should be dressed warmly when in the baby carrier or sling. Please make sure your baby’s head and feet, in particular, are specially protected against the cold (and against the sun in summer). Additional protection against the cold, wind and rain is provided by our babywearing cover and jacket from the manduca family of products. They keep parents and babies alike toasty warm and offer suitable protection.
Go directly to the manduca shop.
You can carry your baby (newborns weighing 3,500 grams and up) in your manduca Duo right from the time they are born. In the manduca baby carrier, you can be sure that your baby is sitting in the orthopaedically correct position – and, at the same time, is enjoying your warmth, comfort and closeness, all of which are so very important. Thanks to the firmly stitched slip-through protector, they are completely secure.
It’s very simple: the Duo clip on the back straps of the carrier system allows you to quickly and easily place your baby in the Duo. You then use the rings on the sides to pull the sling tight, as with a ring sling, and secure it with a simple knot. That is all it takes to place your baby snugly and securely in the manduca Duo.
Yes, with the manduca Duo and its unique click & tie system you can enjoy the benefits of both a baby carrier and a baby sling in a single carrier system. The result: your baby can enjoy the emotional closeness that it so urgently needs, while you benefit from the greatest possible flexibility since it can be put on or taken off easily.
The manduca Duo can be worn in two different ways – with or without hip belt. The hip belt can be easily zipped on for carrying heavier babies. In the first few months, when your baby is still light, you’ll be fine without the hip belt. After giving birth by Caesarean section, mothers can do without the belt entirely in order to avoid any additional pressure on the sensitive belly area. The manduca Duo is designed solely for chest carrying, and has been optimised for this method.
Yes, it is, because the manduca Duo is so simple and easy to use that it is ideal for baby-carrying beginners and experts alike.
Do you have a question that’s not answered here?
Then simply ask us in the Facebook group manduca-mia.
We will then answer your individual question as quickly as possible.