Baby Slings and Wraps

I'm sorry to refute someone's advice, but the information about sling recalls is incorrect. There have not been many recalls at all. Only one sling has been recalled for possible infant suffocation for children under 4 months and that was an Infantino sling back in 2010.

Slings are not dangerous unless they are used in an improper manner. I personally loved the Moby Wrap but I SO wished I had used a Mei Tai baby carrier. They look amazing!

I plan to get a moby wrap for when my baby Ian is born in December. I posted a question like this a while back and that's the one that got the most suggestions. They sell them at Target. :)

My most favorite is a Maya Wrap ring sling. http://www.mayawrap.com/
In regards to the comment about slings being recalled, it was non-adjustable "pocket" style slings, not ring slings. Pockets slings are sort of like having a big hobo bag and lying your baby in it which, if done wrong, can sufficate a baby because it curls them into a ball, putting chin up against chest and closing off the airway.
An adjustable ring sling such as the Maya Wrap are not the same. I always wore my babies upright, tummy to tummy, and only lied them down while I was nursing them and then put them back upright when they were done eating. This is a very safe way to carry them. I did it with my babies from the time they were days old.
I love the ring sling because it isn't very fiddly, it doesn't have a bunch of buckles, belts, ties etc. I could get them in and out without ever waking them up. I could adjust how I was carrying them without stopping walking. I could go from carry to nursing and back to carrying without stopping what I was doing. There isn't a lot of extra material so you and baby do not over heat.
I've trying a few other styles and I like the ring sling the best. I've used them for all 3 kids and could use them from only a few days old and used them until the kids were old enough to not want to go in it anymore (between 3 & 4 years old).

I have a moby wrap that I love. It is great. I used it from 3 months up to tonight and he is 14 months.

My current favorite is my Baby K'tan carrier. I am using it with my 3rd baby. She is 3 months old.

no please-don't use a sling-many have been recalled-they cause the baby's chin to go to far forward an their chest and they suffocate-whatever you get-please be careful-

I had a moby wrap when my son was little, and we both loved it. This time of year it would be great. My son was a January baby, however, so unfortunately by the time he was 6 moths old it was just WAY to hot to be all wrapped up like that.

Around that point we transitioned to a side-hip carrier, which was fine, and he liked it, but I missed the snugly feel of the wrap.

There are inexpensive brands sold at Target or Walmart that can do the job well, just look for features and construction you want.

Whatever you get, remember that in terms of hip development, you want baby either cross-legged or straddling you, so if you get one where baby hangs by the crotch, make sure it's a nice wide construction that helps her legs go OUT rather than straight down (like an ERGO instead of a Bjorn). That with put the pressure on her thighs rather than her pelvis as well as encourage proper hip placement.

Good luck on your search.

T.

I really loved my Moby Wrap. My husband refused to wear it so he opted for a cheap infantino carrier. The Moby wrap was MUCH more comfortable.

I have a baby bjorn - pricey though. I also loved my MOBY - cheaper. I liked the moby better when she was little. I will say the moby was really hard to figure out - I had to have someone help me with it - I'm sure you could U-tube it.

Loved my moby when dd was little. There is a little bit of a learning curve but you can go on youtube and they will walk you through the different types of carries. I also have the baby bjorn which I loved for quick trips as its easy on/off and my daughter still loves it. For longer carries I use the Ergo. You can front, side or back carry with this one (as well as the moby). It's a bit pricey but worth it for me. The ergo distributes the weight on your hips whereas the baby bjorn is all in your shoulders so as your lo gets bigger its harder to carry for longer periods of time.
Good luck and welcome to the wonderful world of babywearing!

I used pocket slings (made sure they fit correct to prevent suffocation) for the first 3 months, but needed a change as he started getting heavier. I have a moby and really like how it feels and it is easy enough to use BUT if you plan on driving to the store and putting her in you will have to drive with it on you already tied (no big deal) or put in on in the parking lot which means the ends will drag on the ground as you get them ready to wrap around you. I felt like it was too dirty by the end of a day of in and out of the car. I really liked it for a walk when we left from and returned to the house. I just bought an Ergo (similar to the Bjorn, but not a crotch dangling hip joint stressor as their legs are held better). I love it, he's totally supported (3 1/2 months) he's a bit small for it, but there is an infant insert (careful I've heard it makes you very warm) if you have a peanut like me. You'll want her to be able to hold her head up before you use the Ergo without the insert, so if you need something NOW, get the insert or the moby.

The BEST thing that I did was I found that there was a babywearing group in my city. I did a google search and found it. They had a stockpile of wraps and slings that moms could try on and borrow for 1 week. I tried a bunch of them to find the ones that I liked best. They also taught me how to use them properly. It was great. If you are near Chicago, you are in luck (http://bwichicagoland.wordpress.com/).

I ended up with a moby-type wrap (I made my own for $10), and a ring sling and used them until my little one was over a year old. Loved them both, but I would never have figured out how to put the moby on without the group.

I just got a Moby with this, my 4th baby, and I'm not sure about it. I've only used it a couple times (she's 3.5 mos). It is great as far as not hurting my back and shoulders. She has been fairly happy in it, but it is HOT! We went to an outdoor Halloween party the other night (abt 55-60 degrees) and we were both sweating like crazy. I do like it better than the Baby Bjorn- that thing always hurt my back. With the Moby, the wraps are relatively easy, but not convenient. The wrap is so long that I can't picture trying to do it in a parking lot or car- you have to make sure you're wrapped before you leave the house.

I had a GypsyMomma wrap. It was pretty pricey actually. I managed to get it on a discount because no one else liked the color, but I really didn't care. I have come to find that the type of GypsyMomma I had was almost the same as a Moby, and a Moby is cheaper and easier to find! HA! I guess the joke was on me.
If you want to check it out here is the site I got mine from: http://www.wrapsodybaby.com/
Anyway, I LOVED my wrap! My little guy loved being in it, and is still a cuddly little boy. (He's 2 now) He was born in June, so in the fall it was fantastic!

Edit: OH! The GypsyMomma or Bali Breeze that I bought, came with an instructional DVD that showed you many of the ways to tie and wear your baby, on front, hip, and back. I think all the ones on the site come with the DVD, or you can order it. (You you can go onto YouTube and find all that fun stuff as well.)