Slings and Wraps

Hi D. C.,
I loved my Moby body wrap. It looks complicated at first (becuase it is just one long piece of fabric) but there are plenty of how-to videos on youtube to show you how to do it. It was awesome because you can place the baby facing inward, outward(legs in or out), on your back , sideways and can even have them nurse while in it. The weight distribution was great and my shoulders never hurt afterward. It was a life saver with my second.
I have also heard that the baby bjorns are great and worth the money. We had the knock off (Snuggie) and hated it.

Hope this helps and Good Luck!
Suzy & her men (Malcolm 2 & Stanley 4.5)

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I LOVE the moby. It looks complicated, but its not. In fact, I was scared to try it, but I had a friend who had one, and she helped me the first couple times. What I like about it is that the baby is really secure, so I can be truly hands-free. I will say, I don't like their recommended new-born holds. My friend suggested I do the 'hug hold' even with my newborn (and just pull the cloth up higher to support the head) and that worked wonderfully. I also liked that he head was high up on my chest so I could see him well (and he could see me). Now the first one or two times I put my child in, he didn't like it, and I had to soothe him (while he was in it), but then he was used to it and enjoyed it. Good luck!

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I used a Slingling when my daughter was first born and later on for a quick hip carry...it rolled up super compact in the diaper bag and carried it with us until she was well over a year old.

I moved to a Moby Wrap when she was 3-4 months...until she was too long to be comfortable in a front carry. I never did master a back carry in the Moby...I have limited flexibility in one of my shoulders so I struggled with getting it on. BUT I know plenty of women who did it easily.

After that, I invested in a Calyx (?) by www.mamabydesign.com. It is a Mei Tai type carrier that buckles instead of ties. I really love it because it has a harness inside that makes it super easy to swing the baby onto your back. Her fabrics are interesting, washable, and she has good customer service (I smashed one of my buckles in the car door and she replaced it very quickly). I still use it occasionally with my three year old...she is still within the weight limit. It stays in the car for unexpected trips that may require more walking than she is up to.

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in my opinion a Moby or Sleepy wrap is best (and safest) for a newborn. They can be worn tummy to tummy in an upright position but still be supported for a hands free carry. For older babies I like a ring sling like a Maya wrap. I have used my Maya wrap for my 2 year old in a hip carry.
I made my own wraps. The Moby is basically 1 long piece of fabric. I would look for a cotton knit with a slight stretch to it. It is really easy to find sewing instructions for the ring slings and wrap instructions for the Moby by google-ing it.

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I to tried almost everything on the market. I love hands down the ERGO Baby Carrier the most. My son is 9 months old and close to 22 lbs and I still love to front carry him, he also does well when I carry him on my back too. It is over all a great carrier and totally worth the money.

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I was in your same situation. I tried different slings & carriers with my first 2 and never felt comfortable. I used the Baby K'tan. It is t-shirt like material. There are no buckles or wrapping. You can carry a baby like 8 different way. My son is 21 months and I sometimes still use it in the hip carry position. I bought mine off the website www.babyktan.com. You can return it after it is used and washed (I think within 30 days) if you don't like it.

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I used a Beco, a SBP ring sling, and a Storchenwiege (and another) wrap with my daughter. The Beco was easiest once she could hold her head up, but I really loved the ring sling when she was a baby. It was made out of a Didymos wrap, so it felt really secure. I loved both wraps I had, but there was definitely a learning curve to use them, and they did get hot.

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Baby K'Tan I couldn't live without it, still using it at 10 months and will continue using it till I can't carry him around anymore! I get compliments & questions everywhere we go. I also had a sling that just went over one shoulder and that was ok when he was tiny but as he got bigger it just wasn't as comfortable as the K'Tan. This one was a car seat screamer so we couldn't keep him in the car seat carrier and it was a lifesaver. Their website is babyktan.com.

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I bought four slings and didn't use any of them. They just didn't work for me so I just gave them all away. They were too hard for me to use, I bought the Maya wrap ones.

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I currently have 2 carriers that I use daily. My main "go to" carrier is a Baby K'Tan. I love how easy it is to put on and how versitile it is in how you carry the baby. It is better for younger children (under 15 pounds) in my opinion because the fabric stretches and it can eventually start to pull on your back, especially if it's not in quite the right spot. I usually wash mine every other day so that it will shrink back up and be snug again.

I also have a home-made version of a mei tei, but it's padded. I love this one for longer times that I need to carry my baby, or if my toddler wants to be carried. It is a little more structured and doesn't stretch so it's easier on my back for long trips.

I am considering getting a more structured carrier though (like an Ergo) for long days. My baby (4 weeks) has pretty bad reflux and gas so she likes to be carried most of the day. By the end of the day my back is pretty tired. I have a history of back problems though, so I don't think the same would be true for someone with no previous problems.

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I have a Peanut Shell sling that I still use and my daughter is 19 months and about 23 pounds. It's a ring sling and it was perfect for me because I just wanted to throw it on and not have to mess with anything. I always felt good wearing it and if my back hurt it meant I had it on wrong. I also used a Baby Bjorn carrier for when we went out hiking. I liked that as well because it was comfortable and she seemed to like it as well. I've seen the Ergo and while I like my ring sling I might check it out if we have another.

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I had the same problem, never found one I liked with my first, but I used a "Hugamonkey" sling with my 2nd and LOVED it. It was very reasonably priced, comfy and easy to use. The website has videos on different positions and it grows with them. It was also great for nursing - I walked around Six Flags one time with her inside nursing and nobody had a clue - I had several comments about my "sleeping" baby. I really liked how I could transfer her to my hip or back easily, way more comfortable for me as she got bigger!

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Hotsling- LOVE it- still use it w/ 13 mos old.

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I would avoid anything that is "size" specific - you want something that can fit the widest range of babies and you easily - you want to be able to make it tighter or looser depending on the age and weight of a child. My absolute top 2 are BabyHawk and Moby Wrap.
I teach babywearing for midwives, doulas and hospitals and people absolutely adore them. I am also a retailer, so I got to see more varieties then I ever thought possible (I have even gotten to see carriers that are not even on the market yet). I chose what I believed was the best. I do have ring slings for the people who like them, but personally, I like a 2 shouldered carriers to eliminate back pain.

:) Good luck

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After your baby gets a little bigger, give the Hip Hammock from Playtex a try. It carries the kiddo on your side, not in front of you. I found this gave me much better range of motion and allowed me to interact with him much more since I could face him. It didn't give me back aches like other carriers. My son was pretty big for his age, so this was much more comfortable for him and for me than the Bjorn. I got mine from Babies R Us. As I recall, it was a bargain.

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Loved my Moby Wrap. Once I figured out how to wrap it, I used it probably every day, especially during the evenings when baby seemed fussiest.

Best of luck!

Updated

Loved my Moby Wrap. Once I figured out how to wrap it, I used it probably every day, especially during the evenings when baby seemed fussiest.

Best of luck!

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Infant carriers or the slings that hold baby upright are the best. The other slings allow a baby's head to be on its chest & the baby could sufficate before you realive it. That is why they have been recalled.

God bless!

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Today I sent back my Infantino sling, as it was recalled due to the suffocation deaths of a few infants in the past few years.

My favorite carriers are my Kelty Kids front carrier and my Sleepy Wrap. They are both very comfortable and have different strengths and weaknesses.

The Kelty Kids carrier I can put on very easily and in less than 30 seconds. I feel that my baby is very secure, it has a cell phone pocket, a detachable pouch where I can put snacks or a bottle, and a pocket and hook for my keys. I use it for walks and for grocery shopping.

My Sleepy Wrap is even more comfortable, as it is just fabric, but it can get very hot, so I do not use it during the hottest days of the summer. I love that you can put the baby in many different positions, depending upon their age, head control, and their preferences. It is nice to use around the house as I can put it on in the morning and wear it all day without having to re-tie it. I can use it for both my 21 lb 11 month old and my 33 lb 3 year old.

I have an Infantino Snug Rider and I HATE it. I can't get it to fit nicely and I'm never assured that my baby's not going to fall out if I lean over.

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We have an Ergo at home and we love it! We've used it since my daughter was a newborn, and now she's almost three. I have a bad back, and I carried her on a two hour hike (very recently) with no issues whatsoever! It can be worn on the front, side or back. It's pricey, but definitely worth the money in my book.

www.ergobabycarrier.com

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I second the K'Tan. Loved it!

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I too got several slings for my first 2 children. With my second child I got an "over the shoulder baby holder" and I liked it. I probably carried my son in it until he was 3! It was comfortable, but bulky and I didn't use it when he was an infant, only once he was big enough to sit up. It was completely adjustable, so anyone could use it. With baby #3 I got a "Slingling" it is made to fit mommy...baby supposedly can stay in it for as long as you would want to carry them and the sling fits regardless of how big the baby gets. I still didn't love to use it when he was an infant (squishy), but I'd say about 3-4 months it was easier to do the sling than tote the infant carrier around. I still use it sometimes, but he's very independant and doesn't always want to be carried, so that's why I don't use it as much. It's small enough to put into your purse or diaper bag to have "just in case", but hubby and grandma can't use it b/c it's too small for them. The one thing I learned though all of these is that they have to fit right. I'm short (5ft. 1in), so most of the ones I got in the beginning were too big for me and the baby didn't fit where it should, which is on your hip. Since the slingling is made to fit your body measurement, you can make sure the baby is in the right place. Even if you don't get a slingling type, I'd encourage you to look at their website to see the videos and pictures of how a sling should fit with your baby...too big and they can fall out and hurt your back, too small and it's uncomfortable. www.slinglings.com Good luck! I love my sling!

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hello DC
i didn't find any good one yet. i tryed some with baby one and tryed another ones with baby #2 and quit trying with baby #3. All of them are giving me a back or neck pain because of the wait i put on my body. the wrap was probably the best working for me, but still i couldn't wear it for a long time 15 min and i'm done.

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Hello!
I use the Ring Sling. I like it because I can use it to breastfeed and also to carry the baby. I made it myselft. Here is the website:

http://www.slingrings.com/patterns.php

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I absolutely love Hotslings! I love the sized aspect- there are no dangling straps or extra fabric. I had a maya wrap and a mei tai carrier, but I did not like the extra fabric and straps.
For hikes, we used either the hotsling or a backpack frame carrier.
Good luck!

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absolutely hands down - the ergo baby. http://www.ergobabycarrier.com/ it is the most comfortable carrier i've ever used! and i've read a few articles about how the ergo baby carrier is designed to relieve some of the muscular and back pressure on babies that other slings cause. It's supposedly healthier for their spines. I use the carrier in all three positions (it can be worn in the front, the back, and on the hip) so it is VERY convenient. It is a bit expensive, so I asked for one for Christmas from my mother. you can find them on Amazon.com

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I bought a couple with my first and hated them all. With my second I went simple. I amde a ring sling for myself with lots of fabric for breast feeding and then another lighter one for just carrying him around. I think etsy is your best bet if you are not a sewer. I have a couple right now ready to go into my etsy shop.

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The first sling I had was a ring sling that was padded. It was OK, but bulky. I made a ring sling without the padding and found it more comfortable. My favorite was a Moby-type that I made. It was by far the most comfortable for the longest amount of time. Learning to wrap the thing wasn't quick, but for us it was worth the effort.

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I'm on #2 and where her all around. Women ask me all the time about the sling. What I say is you must get a sling that makes your little one feel real snug. I wear a Fairy Godmother I got from Baylor Dallas' Mom store. They come in S, M and L. Initially the lady thought I was a M, yet after I put #1 in it we quickly realized I needed a S sine she was not snug enough and I felt she might fall out. IOW it's VERY important it's sized well. Suggest trying a sling on with baby so you'll know it's good. I've met so many that did not and then never wore their sling. It's also good to have someone there to show you how to wear it so you know the best and safest way... plus the most comfortable for you.

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