Baby Slings/Carriers - Whitefish,MT

I like a pocket sling when the baby is little (like Mama's Milk), but for when they get older Beco, Beco, Beco! My daughter needed to be carried for her first 15 months, and my husband and I both used the Beco for front and back carries. Easy to adjust and so comfortable.

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I would get him a front pack, and you a front pack or sling. Get two "cheaper" brands and then fit each one to your own body! Check at consignment stores or nice thrift stores too!

If you both "share" a carrier you might get frustrated constantly having to adjust them back and forth, and I found until I got my husband "his own" carrier, that usually meant that I was ALWAYS the one "saddled up" for the baby. My sling was already adjusted to fit me, and neither of us wanted to deal with straps and buckles. My sling is a "hotsling" and I LOVE it... but they are out of business... sigh. "karmababy" and the "munchkin jellybean" are essentially the same though, and I really recommend this type of sling for women, ESPECIALLY if you are nursing. My husbands carrier is an older infantino front pack that is not unlike the "swift" carried at target. If you MUST share a carrier, go ahead and splurge for a baby bjorn or similar one.

Keep in mind that you and your husband are build differently in more than just "height"- I liked the sling because my baby could rest on my hip when she was sitting up, and carrying a bigger baby out in front just KILLED my back if I did it for too long. My husband on the other hand, has no hips LOL! he was much happier with a front pack. Of course once your baby is walking and confident with it, the carriers will probably go into storage and you'll use a stroller instead on long days out.

I hope this helps!

-M.

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I've learned after having several types of carriers, the best way to see what will work for you is to actually try it out with your baby. My first one loved her Peanut Shell sling - back pack, mobi, etc - not as much.

My newest addition seemed fine with the Beco Butterfly II Baby Carrier but now she doesn't seem to like it much. Instead I use the adjustable Peanut Shell sling. I'm hoping when she gets bigger she will like the Carrier as it's much easier on the back. From my understanding you sometimes need different styles as your babies needs/your needs change.

If you search this forum for "slings" you will receive lots of review, info, etc.

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So far everyone has said that they loved their wrap but I bought one for about $60 and it was the biggest waste of money to me. I HATED it. It always seemed either too tight or too loose and it was just mega uncomfortable but everyone is different. I never invested in another carrier so I dont have any suggestions for another one.
Good Luck

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If you are looking for a soft structured carrier like the Infantino one I would recommend the Beco Gemini. I had the pleasure of trying it out last fall and really, really liked it. It is so versatile and a big man can wear it too.
I find that as w/ anything you get what you pay for...though the Bjorn is expensive and I think it stinks. : /
The difference between the Bjorn and the Beco is where the weight is distributed to...Beco-hips, Bjorn-back. I even have the special back saver Bjorn and it breaks my back. Plus there is no way my 20lb. DS could fit comfotably in it anymore whereas the Gemini is made to accomodate a growing child. I keep talking about the Bjorn cause I have one and the Infantino looks very similar. :)
Hope this helps!

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My fav carrier was my Moby Wrap - works for anyone of any size cause it's just a LONG piece of cloth that you wrap around you and baby and tie in a knot! snuggli type carriers aren't ergonomically correct for baby, all their weight pulls straight down on their spine. If you are using a sling or wrap (or ergo carrier - hence the name), it is much better for baby's developing back/neck. Good luck in your search, it's a bit overwhelming all the crazy products and brands that are out there!

We also have a Moby Wrap and really liked for the winter but it gets hot in the summer because there is so much fabric. My husband wasn't into wearing the Moby so we had a cheap front carrier that he used when needed (he didn't carry our sons very often).

We had an Infantino for our first and it was very difficult to use. Our second son would have nothing to do with it. We ended up with a Baby Bjorn that we got from a consignment shop for about the same price as a new Infantino. I sold it for roughly what I paid for it. It's easy enough to use that my husband was willing to use it while he hated the Infantino. It was also very easy to adjust for the differences in our height. I'm not sure about other carriers, but I'd strongly recommend anything other than the Infantino.

Absolutely no doubt about it--get an ergo carrier!!! Infantino hurts your shoulders, and baby is carried in a way that isn't good for their hips. It also won't fit both of you. (same is true for the bjorn) Ergo is comfortable and you can wear baby front, side, or on back. I used it when the kids were older for things like hiking. It carries up to 50 pounds (even more if you need it to.) I had like four other carriers before I got this one--believe me, it's worth spending a little more for it.
Congrats on the new little one!

www.wearyourbaby.com has a fairly complete list of the pros and cons of each type of carrier. They break it down by baby size, the length of time and activity you play to wear the baby for. I used their pattern for the no sew wrap and I love it. I fits me, my hubby, my dad or anyone. I have used it as a blanket, sunshade and so much more. Plus it is just a few yards of cloth so it folds up and fits in a diaper bag perfectly.

I have an infantino one and I really like it. Baby can face you or away from you.

I also have the Moby, but my daughter really doesn't like it and I don't find it that comfortable. I also tried the Infantino and it was ok, but again, not particularly comfortable for me and there was a lot of clipping in that I didn't find very user friendly. We finally ended up getting the Ergo, which is pricey, but it's been the perfect fit for me, my husband and our daughter. Our daughter loves it and is content looking around or can comfortably fall asleep. I'm 5'4 an my husband 6' and we both find it comfortable and easy to use. The one drawback that doesn't both us is that you cannot face the baby outwards. It's an investment, but it's been worth it for us. Good luck!

I loved my Moby wrap when my second daughter was born. I used it from the time she was born up until she was about a year old. Then she decided that it wasn't so cool to be in the wrap. I liked the wrap because it has several different ways you can tie the wrap, so lots of different positions for baby. I never had any back or shoulder strain with the Moby either. Personally, slings always made me feel off balance. To me, the wrap just felt more secure.
My husband tried a sling too and HATED it. There are a TON of carriers out there, the best thing to do is research "babywearing" on Google. You'll find a lot. :D
The Moby is expensive, but honestly, it was worth every single penny I paid for it.

Try, try again...

I bought and tried every kind made...and they all BIT! Heck, I even watched the entire Maya Wrap video...and still couldn't wear it comfortably.

Try to find a few friends or acquanitances who would mabe lend you one for a few days and throw a watermelon or bag of flour in it, and try it out.

Every one I tried my kids looked distorted and uncomfortable...and they carried oddly on my frame.

Ergo baby. hands down.

Trying them on is what's worth it, and good luck with that, because there isn't a huge selection locally in Denver, not sure what you have there.

I am 5' 2" and my husband is almost 6 foot. We didn't find something we both liked. He used a baby carrier like a baby bjorn (but a different brand) and I used a ring sling. The ring sling fit me the best. I ordered probably 5 of them and sent them all back except the most expensive - the Sakura Bloom, which I love love love. Being short has a special limit on the carriers, because when they sew the pieces around your shoulder, if they create them so that they are more space than just the ring... it doesn't fit right. This is so hard to explain by email - The Sakura Bloom just has the rings, period. You might try to take a look at them online to see what I mean by this. Others will have some sort of a sewn area past the rings, and that makes it not work for me.
I would plan to order several and mail back. I don't know how else to do it. Slings that are not adjustible are short lived. Keep that in mind too.

For adjustability, I have found that you just can't beat a Baby Bjorn. We've tried others and go back to our old hand-me-down Baby Bjorn. It can be hard on your back, but is easier in other ways (and it doesn't get hard on th eback until baby is 15-20 pounds).

I have a Bjorn but it doesn't allow side or back carrying so I'd go with an Ergo like my friend has.

I have a Maya Wrap and love it. It's flexible and there are a number of different holds you do with it, so you can actually carry your kids with it until they're 35lbs (if they'll let you!).

www.mayawrap.com.