The Babywearing Thread

[spotty_dog]

Stretch wrap (Wrapsody Bali Baby Stretch)
Hotsling pouch
Homemade pouch
Homemade ring sling
Mei tai

I had a Moby with Eddy but I never got over the learning curve of figuring out how to tie it while he screamed at me. The BBS is very similar but a bit less stretchy/more supportive, and I love the colors available (mine is a batiked blue and brown.) Definitely my go-to carrier this time around, I can do almost anything with her wrapped on, and she will go to sleep in there and stay asleep for hours!

I'm not much for the pouches, I can't get them to fit securely and like a lot of babies I think, Natalie hates the cradle position. I use them if I find myself running around with a cranky baby in one arm and want to take some of the load off that arm without putting the baby down. I can throw the pouch on while I am still holding her, and support her in a sort of modified hip carry that isn't very secure but is acceptable as long as my arms are still bearing some of the weight.

I haven't used the ring sling with Natalie. I liked it with Eddy for doing things in the back yard when he was a few months old, big enough for a hip carry but too small to entertain himself on the ground while I gardened.

The mei tai was my main carrier for Eddy from about 3 weeks to 2 years. It was secure when he was froggied in there as a newborn, it was easy to fling him onto my back when he was a young toddler, and I kept wearing it until it was too uncomfortable to tie over my big pregnant belly. The make was MeitaiCarrier.Com which I have since gathered aren't nearly as comfortable as the "big name" brands like Kozy and Babyhawk.

We also have a frame backpack that we've used for hiking (up to 4-5 hour hikes) since he was old enough to sit up and have excellent head control, maybe 7-8 months. DH still carries him in it for hiking, and we used it for touring Washington, DC, when he was about 18 months.

[HouseofWool]

We have a snugli because I am too cheap to spring for the bjorn. My husband likes it and I use it for longer walks. We also have a ring sling and like it too. I like being able to use it for a variety of holds.

I do want to get a pouch, because they are so darn cute and compact.

[ides]

I used a Moby wrap until Oscar was about 4 months then I switched to the ergo. I really liked the Moby, got lots of compliments on it and Oscar was as happy as a clam in it until he started arching his back and getting too heavy. The ergo puts more weight on my hips which makes carrying him easier. There is also more wiggle room since it's not as snug as the wrap. I'm pretty minimalist so I'll probably just stick with those two. I do like the look of the meitei.

[v-girl]

We have the following:

Bjorn -- Used it quite a bit at first. Then I decided I didn't like it. Hubby loved it and used it until Kenny was around 10 months.

Hotsling -- Love love love it!!! I used it until Kenny was 12-14 months. Now my friend uses it for her baby.

Ergo -- Love love love it and still use it! Greatest invention ever. I tried all the carriers in Peppermint Baby (the baby wearing website has a storefront in the same town as my girls' school). Even hubby wears Kenny in it still.

I did try a Maya ring sling thingie my sister gave me but Kenny hated it from the start.

I LOVE the Ergo!!! It's pretty much all I use. Granted, the infant insert isn't that great, but my DD grew so fast that it didn't really matter...by 2-3 months she could be in the Ergo without the insert. Now I carry her on my back whenever she's fussy and I have to get stuff done. It's great!!!

[Tenacious_D]

This list is great...I think we are going to go and test out the ergo this weekend. I would have never thought that I would have 3 carriers for him in less than 5 months

I think some of the best baby things we have bought are transportation related -- carseat, jogger stroller, carriers. I really liked the Ergo for front carrying and back for Anna. It hasn't worked as well for me on the back with Ev but I think that has more to do with my shoulders than anything. Have fun shopping!

[alison]

carriers, pouches, and bjorns, oh my

I'm SO sorry for posting yet ANOTHER thread on slings and babywearing. Are you going to sticky me, Jenn?!?!

I'm using a JellyBean pouch sling. It was pretty cheap, because it was only meant as one of those items "to see if the baby likes it or not." Well, it turns out that I think I'll be carrying M to college in a cradle hold. I have noticed over the last day or so that I'm chafing! The sling is breaking skin!!!

Dh uses the Bjorn with M. I don't like that thing. I feel like I'm in some sort of weird harness, and my parachute is going to come flying out.

I'd like something that I can use on long walks (and I mean LONG walks). Something that has padding where you need it. Something like a sling. I'm interested in the Mei tei, but can you really put a month-old baby in it? Is there a way to modify it into a cradle hold or do you have to wear it as a front carrier?

Go ahead and sticky me. I annoy myself!

[Michele]

She's really too young for a meitai. And MTs are for front and back carries primarily.

Since she likes cradle, you're best bets are a ringsling or a wrap. The ringsling will give you adjustabilty that will decrease chafing. (poor girl!). There are a ton of different shoulder options out there fir ringslings. If you want padding, make sure the padding doesn't extend into the rails or it'll be too hard to adjust. At your DD's weight a well made sling is more important than padding. A wrap has more versatility but a steeper learning curve. One big benefit to the wrap is that you'll still be able to use it whenshe stops liking cradlehold (2-3 months). You can use tummy to tummy hold in a ringsling too though. So it's not as if the RS will lose fubctionality as she grows.

I'm sure there is a babywearing group near you. It'd be great for you to be able to see, touch and try on the different carriers.

[Michele]

I'll try to get to a computer and post pics of what I mean.

[HouseofWool]

I have an old Kissaluvs sling with a padded area near the rings (this was before kissaluvs started doing diapers). I heart my sling. S never really liked the cradle hold, but once she could hold her head up a bit, I would do a tummy to tummy hold. Then around 4-5 months, I would have her facing out, or sitting sideways in the sling. Now at 8 months, she sits on my hip in the sling.

[alison]

Thank you, ladies. On the MT site, it says the Babyhawk is alright for newborns. But I'll take your word for it.

I think I'm going to go to a baby store tomorrow morning and just try out a bunch of slings. They've got ring sling -- I'm not a fan of them from an aesthetic standpoint, but the chafing is no fun!

[v-girl]

I wore my youngest in a Hotsling for the first year of his life. Then he outgrew it and we switched to an Ergo. Loved both and never had any issues. I wore him all over DisneyWorld in the Hotsling.

You can use a babyhawk for a newborn, I just always felt like they were too little and suffocating on my stomach. I'd look for a ring sling if you like that hold. My favorites are soft structured carriers - similar to but very different from - the Bjorn. The Connecta is my absolute favorite. It's similar to the babyhawk but has buckles instead of ties - it's more of a 'buckle tai'. Have you ever checked out thebabywearer.com? They are a VERY helpful group that can definitely point you in the right direction. There are tons of regional groups on there too. I spent a small fortune buying and selling until I found the right carriers for us, but with a DH that is never home, it was worth it!! Especially at that 3-6 month age when they do not want to be put down.

I really like the OTSBH (over-the-shoulder baby holder), which is a heavily padded ring sling. (And it works well for newborns -- you wear it backwards and use what's normally the shoulder padding as a head/neck support for baby.) I still use ours: to put ds(3) to sleep nightly, dd(3) often and dd(5) I think once in the last year just for nostalgia.

http://www.jenrose.com/sling/newsling.htm#OTSBH

ETA meant to also link kellymom-- http://www.kellymom.com/parenting/sling.html