Help I Need to Find a Baby Carrier/sling!!!!!

I have not really heard of the slings you mentioned, but had a great experience with the Maya wrap. You can get it at mayawrap.com
I used it a lot with my younger two. It is great, just takes a little getting used to.
Good luck!

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ERGO BABY CARRIER!!!

You need to buy the infant insert with it BUT it will cradle hold your newborn and then can be worn as a front or back or side carrier later on!!!

I'm only 5'1'' and I am the main wearer of our ergo. My husband can also wear it and he is 5'9''. Super easy to adjust.

We started using ours when our son was just under 1 week old and now at 18 months he still loves being in it. Our 3 year old daughter also rides comfortably in it from time to time. (At that age though, I think she should walk for most of the time...)

This is also the only "carrier" I have found where your baby is actually next to you with no material in the way. Super easy to get on and off (BY YOURSELF) and super easy to adjust. I've tried a couple other carriers and this is BY FAR THE BEST!!!

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I would try a Maya Wrap!! They are great and you can use one for a long time. you can just google it and there are even some directions out there to make your own. I know that here locally. The 1st Sat of the month their is a baby sling group that has lots of styles to try on and they will help you learn how to use different ones.

If you are near Iowa City area I can give you directions. I may even be able to find an email address for you.

Good luck and Congratulations!!

A.

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B.,

I was never a sling person for the very reasons you listed. I am just under 5 feet tall and really liked the Baby Bjorn because you can put babies in there from the time they are about 7 lbs facing you, then flip them around to see the world when they are ready. (My kids were all about two months old when they tired of seeing the front of my shirt.) I could use it until my kids were about 20 lbs, then it hurt my back. My husband could use it until about 25 lbs, but by then they usually prefer a stroller anyway.

If you are looking for a discount, Target sells a knockoff brand of the Bjorn or there are plenty of them in consignments, on eBay or Craigslist.

Congrats on the new little one,
S.

a sling that i found very comfortable and useful was the moby wrap. it may be a little tricky to put on the first few times, and it takes some 'practice' to get it tight enough. it always needs to be tighter than i think, but it is REALLY VERY comfortable! :D
good luck!

MOBY MOBY MOBY!!!!

I swear by my moby wrap :) It is really wonderful. I have used it so much. I wore my son in it everyday for six weeks! It is great because it distributes the weight on your shoulders and back, so you don't get sore at all. I have found mine to be very sturdy and comfy. I have no complaints. I highly recommend this.

Good luck and congratulation :)

p.s. I did get the Moby D. I think it was worth the extra couple bucks. I got mine off of ebay so I didn't pay any shipping. :)

Over the Shoulder Baby Holder. www.overtheshoulderbabyholder.com These are mainly material, very durable and come in different sizes for parents of different heights.

I second the adjustable pouches from Kangaroo Korner! We have a fleece one for my son, and it is awesome!

http://www.sleepywrap.com/

I am going to order one of these for my new baby. Fantastic reviews, very much like the Moby wrap, but sturdier fabric.

Also, if you are a do-it-yourselfer - I have a pattern for making these, send me a private message if you are interested in it!

Jessie

If you are near the Twin Cities, I recommend going to Pea Pods in St. Paul. They have a variety of carriers and will help you try them on with your baby and teach you how to use them.

My favorite was a Mei Tei - but a Moby Wrap would work very well for you, I think. I also loved my ring sling when my daughter was a newborn.

Snuggli worked great for us!! Can use it with child facing you, away from you when they are old enough to hold head up and as a backpack.
Good luck!

I will second a trip to Peapods for advice and to try on different carriers. Personally, I used a Moby all the time the first month. She is 3.5mo now and we use both the Moby and an Ergo. You don't need the infant insert for the Ergo, I just use a blanket. Before using any carrier, please read up on positional asphyxiation.

I used the hip hammok it worked from the time my son held his head up till he decided that he wanted to be alot more active so he would not stay still. It has good padding for the shoulder/neck and you wear it just like you carry them on your hip but with your hands free. I have a bad back and it worked real well for me. Hope this will help you.

A.

I have a a over the shoulder baby holder and love it you can use it now and all the way until she is 2 or three years old depending on how big she is.

We used a New Native sling, the Ergo, and Baby Bjorn. The Baby Bjorn hurt my back but worked great for my husband. I'm 5'7" and slender and I just couldn't get the Baby Bjorn tight enough. I had several friends with Moby wraps who really liked them. I was afraid of all the material, but would try it now if we had a second one. Good luck deciding.

I wear my DS who is 9 months in a mei tai carrier. You can also check out www.babywearer.com
It's great you can join for free and find the right carrier or sling for you. They also have a for sale forum. Please check it out.

Please don't buy a sling/carrier....my baby greatnephew died in one just a couple months ago.

Hi B.,

I'm in Milwaukee, and we have a babywearing group here that has regular "classes" each month so people can try on different carriers and learn to use them safely. Could you do a search to see if there is such a group in Minneapolis? Trying on the carriers will help find what's most comfortable for both you & your little one.

Prior to finding out about this babywearing group, I had a Baby Bjorn which would hurt my back a bit, and a ring sling recommended by Dr Sears that had so much padding it was hard to tighten. After going to a class & trying on different carriers, I fell in love with a Mei Tei (the brand was Babyhawk but there are others) I've been wearing my son (now 2.5) and my new daughter (5 mo) in it ever since!

Good luck & congrats on the new little one :)

I started out the Bjorn. Then I got a New Native Sling. Then I got an Ergo. By far, the ERGo is the best. The bjorn she grew out of at 5 months. The sling was nice but I bought the medium and I think it was too tight. The ERGO can be worn with baby in the front when they are small and in the back as they get older. My daughter just turned one and I mostly carry her in the front. I went to PeaPods in St.Paul and they helped me put her in in to see how I liked it. I even saw a Dad at the store with his four year old on his back sleeping in an ErGO. Good luck with your decision!

Try the ring slings they are very easy to use and comfortable on the back. My DD is 9mths old and still loves hers. She's now at the point where she is getting a bit heavy to carry for hours but it works well.

I feel like I have tried dozens of different carriers- ring slings, baby bjorn, snuggly, moby wrap, and mei tai. I loved the moby for when my son was tiny. I still love it but I am starting to want to wear him on my back, and thats too hard to do unless someone is around to help me. I got a mei tai about a month ago and I adore it!! I think it is wonderful. They can be found on etsy for a really decent price and come in such cute colors and patterns. I think it would work fine with a tiny baby. I found good instructions for using it at the kozy carrier website.

MOBY wrap. You can get them online. It was the greatest thing ever. I used one with my second child and wished I had had one for my first. I could nurse her in it and everything.
BTW - I saw your other post about your milk supply, try not to stress about it too much. Baby is getting enough if she is making wet diapers and gaining weight. But, Mother's Milk tea is good for increasing supply. Fenugreek, and I have had friends' whose pediatricians suggested one beer a night to help with let down.
K. Mom is a good website for info too. Still, get "The Breastfeeding Book" by Dr. Sears.
Hang in there! You're doing great!

Try the Kangaroo Korner adjustable pouch. http://www.kangarookorner.com/
I also bought the hotsling in 2006 for my son and had the same difficulties as you. I saw someone wearing their baby this summer in the kangaroo pouch and asked her what it was because it looked so simple and easy. It looks similar to the hotsling, but it's more stretchy. I can get my baby in and out by myself. He's now 8 weeks old. It grows with your child as you can wear it in the cradle hold, hip, tummy to tummy, and back.

Plus, they are made in Minnesota!

I love my Moby Wrap! It totally adjusts to your size and height.

I loved the ease of the Baby Bjorn but my son was big from birth and outgrew it by six months...I got the New Native Baby Carrier then which worked out well and I still use it and my son is 20 months now...I can carry him on my hip with that one. Good luck!

My third child is now 4 mo. old and this time around I researched wraps and slings to find something that would work well (I also have a 3 1/2 yr. old and a 2 yr. old). I got a sleepy wrap, you can buy them online at www.sleepywrap.com. I REALLY like this, it is a fabric one that you learn to tie yourself, but it really isn't that hard once you get the hang of it. You do have to make sure to get it snug enough to your body, so the baby doesn't hang down too low. I love it and there is a nice selection of colors to choose from and to me it was pretty affordable compared to some of the other brands that I looked at. Good luck in your search!

I am 5'1" and I used the Baby Bjorn, and it was adjustable and worked just fine for me and my baby.

B.,

I have an Over the Shoulder Baby Holder, it is a "ring sling" and I've used it with 3 kids. I like it pretty well. I use it to keep the baby upright and tummy to tummy with me. Your baby can be worn many ways with it.

I also have a Kangaroo Korner adjustable pouch sling which is VERY comfortable (especially compared to a hot sling - I borrowed one of these and didn't like it much at all).

I just read this and found it interesting (regarding hazards with wearing your baby - looks like improper use of the sling is the most dangerous thing not so much the slings themselves.

http://blogs.consumerreports.org/safety/2008/04/sling-car...

Jessica

The ring sling is amazing. It does the cradle hold, plus belly to belly. It also does one for nursing, but it's a bit challenging. Once she is holding her head up, there is the kangaroo pouch, then you can carry her on your hip. I love it. It has padding and is incredibly adjustable. My boyfriend even uses it. I got mine at a garage sale, but I've seen them online. Just google ring sling. Good luck to you.

I used Sling Ezee. I loved this carrier. They come in different sizes so it will fit your small frame and was designed by a chiropractor so it doesn't hurt your back like the baby bjorns. I used it with 2 out of my 3 kids and the 2 loved it. They always slept in it or just sat there smiling. There is also only 3 ways to put your kids in it so it's not confusing to use it, no DVD required to figure it out. I purchased mine on ebay for $10, but brand new i think they cost about $50. Good luck!

Everybody I talk to loves the "Baby Bjorn."

The only one I can recommend is the maya wrap.It does however have a lot of material,but can be worn many different ways. Mine came with an instuctioal DVD.