Baby Carrier Help

I own virtually every type of baby carrier on the market. Each has a benefit and a down side, and none are perfect all the time. So your question is really going to be answered better if you explain more about what you hope to use it for. You said at home-- my favorite at home is a wrap. Mobys are probably top (although I more frequently turn to a wrap I made from woven material that's less stretchy when they get older and heavier.) A wrap is the least "painful" and the most secure, and so versatile-- I wear baby on my back when I'm doing dishes or the floors, on my hip when I'm cooking and in front when we go for a walk, and I never even have to change the position of the tie, which is AWESOME. BUT wraps are cumbersome and require a LOT of room, both in your diaper bag and around you as you begin to use it.
For that reason I find myself turning to my Ring Slings whenever I go out anywhere. They are so fast, so easy to throw on and off, have the benefit of all the same positions AND I can more easily nurse my older toddlers MODESTLY in them (I can nurse in wraps, but EVERYONE will see my boobs, belly or tatas.) You can put baby in and take her back out so easily, and that really helps when you're running errands and what not. So what I would honestly recommend to you is to get one of each-- a wrap style and a ring sling style. You won't be sorry!

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Hi R.,

Babywearing is great! We have a Moby Wrap, which we used with our older daughter (it's supposed to be the best carrier for the first 6 weeks), but she didn't always love it. I've been using it now w/ my newborn and he does really well in it. It's so helpful to be able to wear him so that I can have my hands free to do things around the house and help my daughter out. The weight is pretty well distributed over your shoulders, which is good, too.

I tried a Maya ring sling, and wasn't wild about having all the weight on one shoulder, but I know people who love them. I think I'm just not a ring sling person.

We also have the Ergo baby carrier and absolutely love it. They're a bit more expensive, but you can find them at discounts at babyboutiqueoutlet.com and periodically on babysteals.com. The Ergo really is very ergonomic -- all the weight of the baby rests on your hips. I could wear my daughter (as a baby) comfortably for 2-3 hr. stretches. Also, you can use it for newborns up to 40 lbs. or so. I was still wearing my daughter in it at 2 1/2 when we'd go on the bus to her preschool. You can wear the child on your front (facing in only, but this is better for the baby and for your back), hip, or back (starting around 6 mos.). They sell a separate infant insert (use from 6 wks. to 4 mos. -- before 6 wks. a lot of "babywearing" experts don't recommend the Ergo).

Best of luck, whatever you decide,
R.

1 mom found this helpful

I love my Beco Butterfly 2 - http://www.becobabycarrier.com/cat-1/butterfly-2

It is the most comfortable! I had others and wish I had known about this one sooner! It has an infant insert and is really easy to wear. What I love is that it goes up to 45 lbs and I have a big boy so that is great. It also easily switches from front to back without taking the baby out (takes a little practice by a soft safe area but once you get the hang of it its a great option). I never thought I would want my baby on my back, but its a great option when Im cooking/cleaning so my baby is out of the way and safer.
When the baby is in it I barely know he's there. It supports great. No back pain like with some of the others Ive had.

you tube has a lot of videos on it if you search it.

beautiful fabrics and designs too!

Just another option... (like you needed more right! )

Good luck!!

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For what its worth, we bought and ended up returning the baby k-tan. it promises to be easier as it has no buckles, rings, clips and doesn't require any knotting. It might work for you. My father, who was the intended user found it tight and unweildy. He uses a second hand baby bjorn instead.

Good for you to look into carrying. Our snugglepuss had digestive problems (perhaps reflux) and needed extra time upright. the carrier enables that and leaves you with a free hand.

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I have a Maya Wrap and love it! I bought it with my second child and still using it all the time with my third. I have 2 other mama made unpadded ring slings I bought from http://www.etsy.com and I like those too but use my Maya Wrap the most. I like the velcro pocket on the tail and it's fuller so I can wear my older children and still keep them secure. I borrowed a friends Mei Tai once and found it too complicated and restricted for my taste. I use my sling at places like Disneyland all the time. I can go from wearing my child in line, quickly loosen it and either put my child on my lap or next to me in a matter of seconds. I tighten it up a little to use as an additional seatbelt. I can quickly loosen it up again to switch them pack into a carry position and have them securely slung for carrying before I've finished walking out of the ride. I have never held up the line having to figit with my child in the carrier once. I do not have to suffer from sore arms at the end of the day because I'm holding my child in my arms all day in lines either. I can nurse without missing a beat while walking or getting on and off the rides with the ring sling. I can do the same while shopping or doing anything else I need to do. I've seen the Ergo and feel it's again far too complcated and far too much material. I could not imagine wearing that during the summer in Southern California!

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Hello - with my second born last November, I wanted to babywear as well. With my first baby (5 years ago) I had felt that the Baby Borg was not stable enough and I could not get the hang of using the Maya until my son was almost to big to carry around (about 2 years old). This time I got the Moby on a recommendation of someone who had used and tested many carriers. I've got to tell you - it is NOT easy. Definitely not easy to use on your own if you're also trying to hold a baby - and took me many days to figure out correct wrapping for newborn hold only to feel that my newborn hated it. Now that the baby is a bit older and holding up her head I would like to try again.

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I have the Moby, Ellaroo, and the Ergo.
My issue with the Moby and other long fabric type slings is that if you are putting it on while out, the fabric can drag on dirty floors, pavements, etc. Maybe that was just me not doing it properly but it was annoying.
I did like that it felt very snug with the baby as an infant, but as they get older I don't know if they'll find it restricting to be so snug.

I LOVE my Ergo. It is incredibly comfortable and if you ask about that one you'll get a ton of positive feedback, I'm sure. My son is now 20 months, around 25 pounds, and it is not a strain to carry him in it at all!! It's a little pricier, but considering the length of time you can use it, I reckon it's worth it. I used the infant insert when he was under 3 months, it just props him up a little higher.

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I have a Moby style but it's a different brand, and I LOVE it! if you haven't used one before, it may take a time or two to get the tying right. Once your baby is a little bigger and you are just running somewhere for a quick trip, sometimes they can be time consuming, but there is another type of carrier that I got from sevenslings.com. If you sign up for their mailing lists, they will send out promo codes to get them for free as long as you pay the shipping. Now that my little guy is 9 months it works well for quick trips that I don't feel like using the larger wrap.

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I did a lot of research. I used both a sling type that a friend lent me, and a mei tai. I'd have loved the Moby, but I wanted something that both DH & I could use w/o having to teach him anything complicated (and the Moby looked way to complicated for DH). I didn't learn about baby carriers until my son was 3 months (this is just so you realize that he wasn't a newborn when I starting wearing him).

The sling was easy to use, but hurt my shoulder (cause a pressure point). If I'd been able to find one that worked & didn't hurt--I'd have stuck with that & I think that DS would still ride in today (at 28m!). :) He loves to be held/carried.

We also borrowed a Snugli (which is a soft structured carrier), but I hated wearing it, and the baby didn't like riding in it. Plus, it didn't fit DH at all.

I used the mei tai from about 4 months to 14 months, when it got too heavy for me to easily carry around too much. But we did use it last summer (age 20 m) for part of a short hike. Once he got mobile, he didn't really want to worn any more, LOL. It was a total lifesaver. I wore the baby for grocery shopping, etc., for walking around the park, etc. I loved it and am still sad he's outgrown it....

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I find it easiest to have a couple of baby carriers for different ages and uses. If you buy used from craigslist you can get three carriers for the cost of one new one.

I LOVED my moby for when the babies were very young - under four months, I used it everywhere. Just put it on the morning when you get up and take baby in and out throughout the day, leaving the carrier on. Past four months is still great, but I don't put it on each day, just for special long outings. It's the most comfortable for my back.

I also have a ring sling that I like for quick outings and to keep in my diaper bag for when I need a carrier in a pinch. But since all the weight is on one side it's not very comfortable for all-day use.

And I love my Ergo (which I imagine is close to a Mei Tai) for past four or five months - very quick and easy to get baby in and out, and they love it. Can use it forever because you can use it as a backpack to carry older kids.

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I went back and forth between my maya wrap and something similar to the moby wrap. I LOVED my maya. Mine had an open tail so I could throw it over my girls as a shield from the sun/rain/snow or if I need privacy breast feeding.

My "moby" was just a long length of fabric I used. I had two. One was a light gauzier type fabric and the other one was a nice cotton; I picked both up at my local fabric store. It takes a bit of practice but it's very comfortable. I have a friend that could tie her son on her back using this type of wrap in what seemed like the blink of an eye. She said she'd practiced a lot in front of her mirror in the bedroom so if she messed up, the baby would fall on the bed. She also often practiced with a doll and it's what she recommends. I was never confident enough to do it as fast as she did but I would have been if I'd used this system more.

The mei tai's are pretty but they reall aren't as convenient to use, IMO.

Now, to clarify here, I have only recently stopped carrying my 4 yo, within the last 6 months. All of these systems could be used to carry her, but I still preferred my maya wrap or the moby (I especially loved this when K was really little, on the front) just for convenience and ease of movement. My family does own a van but I walk almost everywhere, rain or shine so I'm talking from a lot of experience here, not just as someone who might wear the baby once or twice a week. I practically LIVED in my maya wrap. Not only did I buy it used, but it withstood heavy use from two little girls AND I passed it on to my sister. While it doesn't look brand new, it's certainly still very sturdy. I have heard a lot of people say that their maya wrap hurt them but in my experience, it only ever hurt when I had it adjusted wrong. I also found that it's better to use a sling WITHOUT the padding. The padding prevents you from tightening it properly and adjusting it properly. Also, as with Over The Shoulder Babyholder, you had to buy a specific size; they weren't interchangeable. I had one when my oldest was a baby and absolutely hated it and my husband couldn't use it but he could use my maya wrap just fine. So if you want a more traditional style sling, maya is definitely the way to go.

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When I first started wearing, I found the Kangaroo Korner pouches the best. They're adjustable unlike Hot Slings, and very easy to use. That was key for me since I was on my own--none of my friends or family wore their babies, so couldn't show me or give me tips. Later, as my daughter got bigger and my skills got better, I really liked the Zolo ring slings for maximum adjustability and looks, plus they have a generous zip pocket on the tail for credit cards, lip stick, keys, etc. I have a black silk dress sling from them that I used when going out fancy with baby, when dressed for work, and on a family cruise.

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