The Babywearing Thread!

bacorrea

I know this was touched on in the gear thread, but I thought if we had a thread specifically for baby wearing it could be helpful! 

I wore DD a lot with my Boba! I'm a plus sized mom, so I was concerned about certain wraps not fitting.

There is a new wrap on the market! XOXO baby carrier! It's wrap, but has a buckle to help newbie moms figure out the whole wrapping thing! I think I'm going to get this one for 2.0! I love my Boba, but it still hurt my back.

Lucie's List has a great video on this page about the XOXO Baby Carrier https://www.lucieslist.com/lucies-list-blog/2016/11/17/top-17-new-baby-products-2016-17/#xoxo

Also if you check out their facebook page they have a list of shops where you can buy. Their website isn't full up yet. 

Do do we have a lot of baby wearing moms here? New moms that hope to baby wear? Please put all your input and questions here! 

bacorrea

For Tula Lovers, they are releasing Wrap Conversions tomorrow 3pmPST
https://www.facebook.com/babytula/posts/1398968710121576

kaley04

I've been trying to decide between a Tula and an Ergo for this baby. I have heard great reviews about both. Does anyone have a preference between the two? 

starphish18

I'm new to this, but after some research, I'm going to try the K'tan and Tula. With the K'tan, I plan on wearing it more around the house and like that it's not as complex as other wraps. It's more slip on and adjust. I'm not even going to bother with a sling yet, that looked more complex than the wraps to me. With the Tula, I just liked all the features and specs, plus the design. I'm sure I'll have to actually test them out, though, to make sure they work for me and baby and go from there.

MrsFox2008

I've only tried the Ergo and love it! I plan to use it for this LO too. I really want to get the newborn insert for it since I didn't have it when my DD was a newborn! 

bacorrea

The Ergo 360 4 position Bundle of Joy carrier will be $179.99 get a $35 GC tomorrow at Target (for the whole week). 

bacorrea

@kaley04 I haven't had either. I believe the Tula would be considered more "high end" they also tend to have a higher resale value than the Ergo.

pshaortao

I got an Ergo with my first since I got it for a great deal, for like 70 bucks. I couldn't pass up on it. I loved it and would continue to use it now if I could, but DD is way too independent to be worn anymore. 

I plan to get a ktan breeze for this LO since summertime can get brutal here. It would be nice to have something more breathable, and to have around the house as well. I've heard great things about the ktan breeze thank to other STMs

jayandaplus

FTM here, but we put the Boba Air and the Boba 4 G on our registry. I'm all about baby wearing, and so is DH. I'm torn about a wrap/sling and would love input. Anyone loved the Boba 4 G or Air? Recommendations on sling vs wrap?

onebadmotha

starphish18 said:

I'm new to this, but after some research, I'm going to try the K'tan and Tula. With the K'tan, I plan on wearing it more around the house and like that it's not as complex as other wraps. It's more slip on and adjust. I'm not even going to bother with a sling yet, that looked more complex than the wraps to me. With the Tula, I just liked all the features and specs, plus the design. I'm sure I'll have to actually test them out, though, to make sure they work for me and baby and go from there.

I love the K'tan! Someone gave me a Moby wrap my first time around and I loved the wrap style, but it was not doable on the go- I would end up dragging it on the ground and looking a fool. The K'tan was a game changer- I definitely plan on using it when this little guy is tiny. 

I've heard nothing but rave reviews about the Tula, but it was just too pricey for me. When DS outgrew the K'tan, I found an Ergo on eBay in awesome condition, and couldn't be happier with it! He now weighs about 26 lbs and I can still wear him comfortably (although my growing belly will likely force me to try the back wear). 

bacorrea

@jayandaplus I have the Boba 4G and love it! 

emilyalso

I have a ring sling - that I never used
A bjorn - VERY easy to use but not super comfortable the bigger baby gets
A Mei Tai wrap - more comfortable than the bjorn (and DS liked it) but also more involved to put on
and an Ergo - (bought at a sale for under $20) VERY comfortable! Highly recommend! 

I want a K'tan this time around to wear this baby while it's tiny. I've seen women in them at Church and their littles sleep right through the service! 

I think I've said it before, but it's my experience that ANY wrap/contraption with a strap around your waist will be more comfortable as it helps distrubte the weight of your chlid. 

chickyclg

@kaley04 I have both Tula and Ergo. I prefer the Tula, the panel is larger so my 2 year olds still fit great and the Tula also doesn't feel as bulky as my Ergo.  So if you are looking at buying a full retail priced Ergo I would say spend a little extra and get a Tula.  But, the Ergo is an awesome carrier and you can often find them brand new on clearance or sites like Zulily for around $60.  The Ergo's panel is starting to get a little short for my toddlers and I don't feel as comfortable back carrying in it anymore and has a little more bulk but overall still very comfortable.  

ETA: I can post pictures of both for comparison if you guys want.

chickyclg

3 Ring Slings- only used 1 on a regular basis 
Ergo- had 2 sold 1
Tula
Mei tai - hardly ever used
Woven (base size 6)

I also had a Moby (loved in the early days) and a few lower end SSC that lived in the car and truck for emergencies but have since sold.

NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot

I have a Moby and Ergo that we used for DD. The Moby was nice (but not hassle free) for a newborn. I liked the Ergo after that and we used it often. I hated the Ergo infant insert. I also grabbed a mei tai on clearance at Target for $17 the other day. 

laurapalmier

FTM as well, but went to a breastfeeding cafe that sells all sort of breastfreeding and baby stuff, and they let you try on all the different carriers with dummy babies of different weights. I found the ergo performance carrier the most comfortable. I am also plus size and it fit with lots of extra room. Montreal summers are very hot and humid, and the performance carrier has mesh panels for breath so I'm hoping that will stop us both from sweating on each other too much. 

laurapalmier

STMs!  How much did your babies weigh before it was too much to carry them for a few consecutive hours?  Montreal winters are brutal and I'm in the city with no car and was hoping I could avoid the stroller for the first winter. I feel for all the parents I see struggling to push their strollers through the slush. 

achays11

We have and Ergo, a Moby, and a Solly Baby wrap. I've said it before, but my Solly Baby is by far my favorite and I already bought a new one for this babe. The Ergo is great because MH is a bigger guy (read: giant football player), so this was really the only thing that fit his frame. I also still use it for DD at 2.5 yrs when she falls asleep at Disneyland and I still want to go on rides. The Moby was great, but way too thick for So Cal. DD and I would both sweat up a storm and it didn't fit in my diaper bag very well. The Solly Baby is way thinner than the Moby and folds pretty small so it fits nicely in the diaper bag. I always put it on before leaving the house and then just out baby in it or wear it anyway. 

chickyclg

laurapalmier said:

STMs!  How much did your babies weigh before it was too much to carry them for a few consecutive hours?  Montreal winters are brutal and I'm in the city with no car and was hoping I could avoid the stroller for the first winter. I feel for all the parents I see struggling to push their strollers through the slush. 

@laurapalmier I wore my twins all over until a few weeks ago, they are now 26lbs (DS) and 23lbs (DD).  Back carrying makes a world of difference when they are a little heavier, but I could still wear them for a few hours at a time.

bacorrea

@laurapalmier I wore DD in front the whole first year. After 1 I wore her on my back. I don't know how much she weighed, but I would bet you can get through at least 2 winters. I stopped wearing DD because she wanted to be free to run.

laurapalmier

@chickyclg @bacorrea wow, that is awesome news. thanks!

bacorrea

@achays11do you think the Solly would work for plus size women? I know the website says one size fits all, but I'm not so sure about that!

chailife34

I LOVE k'tan when the baby is little and highly recommend ergo 360 - it specifically enables you to wear the baby front facing or towards you on your front or back. We still use the ergo and DD is 20 months and 25lbs

achays11

@bacorrea I wear a size 12-14 and it fit very confortably with quite a bit of slack. I know that a lot of smaller ladies that I see pictured wearing this wrap can wrap the slack around them twice. I can, but it would be very short. 

I believe their website has a pretty good return/refund policy. So you could check that out or call their customer support and ask. 

achays11

@laurapalmier I truly believe that it depends on the mother and how much weight she is comfortable holding for a long period of time. DD wears 30 lbs and I can still front wear her for 2 1/2 hours comfortably. When she could still fit in the Solly, I could wear her all day. 

emilyalso

To add to what @achays11 said... I think it also depends on the carrier! Around 15 pounds, the Bjorn was only comfortable to wear on a quick run into a store but I could wear DS in the Mei Tai for a long walk around our neighborhood. (I didn't have my Ergo yet.)

hp_momma

Love my K'tan Breeze! It works great til about 6-9 months. I plan on asking for a Tula or Ergo for next Christmas since it will be perfect timing for baby to transition out of the K'tan. I just haven't figured out which one I want yet as I hear great things about both! 

jayandaplus

Can anyone speak to the Boba line, any of them? Thanks!

WombThereItIs

Just my $0.02 on the Tula v. Ergo debate. I find Tula is more of a cult following than anything. Kind of like the LLR people and leggings patterns. I actually tried a Tula and didn't find it as comfortable as either my Ergo or Ergo 360 so I ascribe a lot of it to what feels right on your body too. 

I did love my ktan and mei tai for the newborn squish days. 

Also so I said it before but if you find a second carrier on the cheap seriously consider getting more than 1 if you and your partner are drastically different sizes. Once you get it adjust juuuuust right for you it sucks to readjust and it just takes a lot of time adjusting back and forth and makes carrying less convenient if two people both use the carrier a lot. 

Oh and the Ergo works really well on my husband who is a big dude. Back as broad as a house, all torso, and 240lb-ish and he had no troubles. 

hp_momma

@WombThereItIs That is a super helpful review! The Tula is cute, but the over obsessions with patterns that people have is a little too much for me. And I would like something that my husband would feel comfortable wearing too! 

Whats the the difference between the Ergo and Ergo 360? Do you recommend one more than the other? 

livin541

We had an ergo with DS and really liked it, but I was considering a Lillebaby this time around because it has a few features the ergo doesn't. Anyone have one that can weigh in? 

chickyclg

@livin541 I have a friend with a Lillebaby and that thing is really comfy! I loved the lumbar support, and they also come in super cute prints.  We are seriously debating getting one, especially since it's newborn friendly.

KMD1106

@chickyclg, I would love to see a comparison! I have an ergo now, but am thinking of selling it and getting a Tula because I've heard such great things. 

chickyclg

@KMD1106

The panel is a little larger on the Tula and there is also padding where your LOs legs go.  The Tula has a completely removable hood and no little pocket like the Ergo, I have a love hate relationship with that particular feature.  The Tula has a small pocket for the hood on the waist band but you can't really put anything else in it, but the Ergo I can put my keys, a small wallet and my phone.  That larger pocket, and attached hood makes it a little more bulky.

llenadevida900

I have a Boba that I chose after a ton of research. I looooove it, and I wore my DD probably longer than she really fit in it. Last summer (DD was 3.5) we borrowed a toddler Tula for a trip and I was so impressed I came home and bought a toddler carrier (Beco). I love babywearing. 

This is time I might try a Moby or wrap again (DD didn't like it for some reason) right away before I put the baby right in the ssc. 

ETA: I actually wore my DD today in the Beco. She tolerated for about an hour. I think because we used it so much when she was younger she still will get in without complaint. At 38 lbs and fairly tall, she's nearly outgrown the max, but I'll use it as long as I can! 

starphish18

Can you wear baby on your front or back in both the Tula and Ergo?

WombThereItIs

h&pmomma said:

@WombThereItIs That is a super helpful review! The Tula is cute, but the over obsessions with patterns that people have is a little too much for me. And I would like something that my husband would feel comfortable wearing too! 

Whats the the difference between the Ergo and Ergo 360? Do you recommend one more than the other? 

The two biggest differences to me are that the ergo 360 has a Velcro belt secured with a clip and the regular ergo has a large buckle and no Velcro. Both have their ups and down. I think the Velcro allows for a quicker customized fit compared to resizing or adjusting the buckle strap but t is also really noisy so if you are trying to get it on or off around a sleeping baby it can be loud. 

Also the other big difference is the 360 can do front facing so baby can face away from you once they are good sitters (about 6 months). My son wasn't ever really super into it but some babies like it. 

chickyclg

starphish18 said:

Can you wear baby on your front or back in both the Tula and Ergo?

@starphish18 yep, I tandem wore them all the time.

Bear0408

Our twins are due in May and we just got a Wee Go-Twin. I am so excited to wear them. I wear our 9 mo but have had to limit that due to my belly. I am ISO a good front/back carrier. I cannot do knots or rings or anything that requires any work! I need buckles. I tried the Moby and it was a disaster and ended up looking like I had on a cape with a baby hanging on for dear life!! Any good brands out there for wearing front and back with buckles?

KMD1106

Thanks @chickyclg! 

pshaortao

@achays11 Would you say the Solly is good for summertime as well? My mom was on the lookout for a gently used or new ktan breeze on her local b/s/t group and someone is selling a new solly for 45. She sent me some link to a blog where the blogger just raved about it. It looks comfortable and she has great tips, but being in NC, I'm still concerned it will be too hot.