The MyKay Newborn: the convenience of a carrier, the comfort of a cloth.
Sometimes you have those encounters where you just know something beautiful will follow. Miluška from Liefdevol Dragen and Kay from ByKay together developed the MyKay, the carrier for newborns.
Introducing as many people as possible to the phenomenon of babywearing is one of Miluška Flooren's greatest motivations. With her company Liefdevol Dragen (Loving Babywearing), she guides parents, healthcare professionals, babywearing consultants, and companies. "I introduce them to the possibilities of babywearing, and they decide for themselves whether it's something for them."
After the birth of her eldest child, carrying Miluška was not immediately obvious. "Actually, I didn't like it at all. I was one of those expectant mothers who had everything on the 'birth list' at home. I thought I was well prepared, but nothing could be further from the truth: my son just cried all the time.
When I heard that a baby sling might help, I cautiously tried it, and it worked: it was the only place where he didn't have pain in his neck and therefore didn't cry.
I started researching babywearing. Because when I do something, I want to know everything about it. I learned that babywearing has been practiced for centuries and in different cultures. And also what it can mean for children and parents.
I wanted to share this with many more (expectant) parents and healthcare professionals. That's how my company Liefdevol Dragen came into being, and now I guide parents, babywearing consultants, and healthcare professionals in learning about babywearing and using different babywearing systems and techniques.
I also collaborate with companies such as ByKay to contribute to the development of even more beautiful babywearing (related) products.
My first baby carrier was a ByKay Stretchy Wrap. I spoke to Kay at a trade fair and we discovered that we largely share the same vision when it comes to babywearing. A wonderful collaboration has developed in which I assist with photo shoots, give carrying consultations, and contribute ideas in the area of innovation. The funny thing is that we have had the same idea in our heads several times and have worked it out together. This was also the case with the MyKay Newborn.
I told Kay that I was looking for a carrier that could be used by parents from birth onwards to explain carrying to 'new' parents. Very accessible, easy to use and easy for a maternity nurse to demonstrate.
A carrier for everyone to simply experience what it's like to carry. Kay started laughing loudly, ran to the attic, and came back with a prototype of exactly what I had in mind. It had been made once before and ended up in the attic. We continued to develop the carrier, and now the MyKay Newborn has been added to the ByKay range!
The MyKay Newborn is a carrier for newborns and can be used up to approximately size 74 (pants size). The baby carrier is made of hydrophilic fabric, so it is wonderfully soft and easy to wash at a high temperature. Because the carrier is tied under the armpits, it offers optimal neck support.
This carrier is now being used in various hospitals (including in Belgium and Arizona) by nursing staff to introduce parents to what carrying is exactly, how it feels, and what it can mean for parents and babies.
The great thing is that the MyKay Newborn is accessible to everyone: there are few ties to fasten and it is wonderfully soft and comfortable; it offers the convenience of a carrier but the comfort of a sling. I think that with the MyKay Newborn, we are lowering the threshold for people to try babywearing. If you can get acquainted with carrying your child in the right way, with the right carrier, only then can you decide whether carrying is something for you.
My ideal scenario is that every parent experiences what it's like to carry their baby at least once. Who knows, maybe the MyKay Newborn will be on the baby registry in the future. That would be wonderful, wouldn't it?
