recommend your sling/baby carrier

browneyedgoil · March 2012

my baby hates being put in the baby carrier. i think maybe she doesn't like having her legs that far apart in it? maybe it hurts her?

please recommend your sling or carrier

busterbeagle · March 2012

DD and I both love the Moby wrap.

SmittyPants · March 2012

I have three- A K'Tan, Boba (like a Moby) and a Mei Tai

K'Tan- Super easy to use but after some time it feels like she's slowly sinking down. That being said, I'd recommend this one. Make sure you follow their sizing recommendations on their website.

Boba- I love the color options and the fact that you can wrap baby many different ways. Same issue with the K'Tan in that she feels like she's sinking down after awhile. I also tend to get overheated wearing her with all that fabric.

Mei Tai- I LOVE this around the house. It's easy to put on and easy to take off. I haven't tried it out in the real world yet. Some women have said that the length of the straps bothers them when trying to put it on when out and about, and I can see how that would be an issue. That being said, I'd still recommend it.

SunnyD2011 · March 2012

What are you using? Try the Baby K'Tan. It is a lot easier than the moby. IMO.

jju_stb_jju · March 2012

We use the Evenflo soft carrier Dash, and its awesome! Its not heavy, breathable, I have been able to move ds into it while he's asleep and he's stayed asleep in it comfortably, and its a pretty reasonable price! I like that I'm able to adjust it with ds in it and that it has a simple side entry into it. I'm bumping from my phone so I'm not sure if this link will go in right but heres the link to check it out if you like! https://www.evenflo.com/product.aspx?id=282&pfid=2478

SmittyPants · March 2012

jju_stb_jju:
We use the Evenflo soft carrier Dash, and its awesome! Its not heavy, breathable, I have been able to move ds into it while he's asleep and he's stayed asleep in it comfortably, and its a pretty reasonable price! I like that I'm able to adjust it with ds in it and that it has a simple side entry into it. I'm bumping from my phone so I'm not sure if this link will go in right but heres the link to check it out if you like! https://www.evenflo.com/product.aspx?id=282&pfid=2478

I have nothing to add, I just wanted to say that I could eat your LO up with a spoon. SO ADORABLE!

MollySm · March 2012

We use the Ergo and love it. I like that H is completely comfortable using it, and so am I. That being said, we did get it from my SIL, so I didn't do a lot of research into other brands. I like the sounds of the Ergo, and it was free, so that was perfect for me.

courtneyklv · March 2012

I just have a basic sling for around the house.

Attempted the moby and had a breakdown! I HATED it. Too much fabric for my small frame to deal with...

jju_stb_jju · March 2012

SmittyPants:
jju_stb_jju:
We use the Evenflo soft carrier Dash, and its awesome! Its not heavy, breathable, I have been able to move ds into it while he's asleep and he's stayed asleep in it comfortably, and its a pretty reasonable price! I like that I'm able to adjust it with ds in it and that it has a simple side entry into it. I'm bumping from my phone so I'm not sure if this link will go in right but heres the link to check it out if you like! https://www.evenflo.com/product.aspx? id=282&pfid=2478
I have nothing to add, I just wanted to say that I could eat your LO up with a spoon. SO ADORABLE!

Thank you:)

numeria11 · March 2012

Personally of what I have listed here for a new mom I would say Moby or Ring Sling. However I currently also own a Soft Structured Carrier and have since DD was about 4 months but I know some folks love them earlier on as well. Check out the Attachment Parenting board there are some links over there explaining different baby carriers but at this age you have several great options:

Moby - one long piece of stretchy fabric that you wrap around you and LO to carry. Pros: awesome for a newborn to about 4 months, they love to snuggle in it, its easy to pop them in and out to nurse/bottle feed. Great for front carries with your LO facing your chest. Also pretty cheap (about 30-40 bucks usually)

Cons: It can be daunting at first to have a huge piece of fabric to deal with, not great when you are out and about unless you pre-tie it before you get in the car and then just pop in your LO when you get there, and can get hot, fairly short lifespan since after your kiddo hits about 15 lbs it gets pretty uncomfortable since the fabric is so stretchy and cant provide adequet support.

Baby K'tan- very similar to a Moby but already pretied off so a little more user friendly for some folks Similar cons as far as weight limits.

Ring Slings - You can get these in a ton of different colors, fabrics and sizes. It's a long piece of fabric (usually 70-90 inches long) that has two metal rings sewn into one end of it that the other end (tail) of the sling run thru. You can easily adjust the size and tighness of it to fit your LO. These can work from birth well into the toddler stage. Three most common brands Maya (available commerially), Sleep Baby Productions (can be ordered thru her website, can be customized to your taste), and Sakura (also available commercially).

Pros: Great for quick ins and outs, less fabric to deal with, easy to stuff in the diaper bag to take with and throw on when you get somewhere, long life (I still use mine regularly with my almost 2 year old), can do a front carry or hip carry.

Cons: Again it has a learning curve and can be uncomfortable if you dont get some guidance on what to do. The girls on the Attachment parenting board are great at helping newbies get it right as are the ladies over on thebabywearer.com

Woven Wrap - Same idea as a Moby, one really long piece of fabric, but its actually a woven material that is specifically made for babywearing that is much more supportive than the stretchy material of a Moby. Has a much longer life than a Moby, many can easily be worn into toddlerhood. Big brands in this are Didymos, Vatani, Storch, Hoppdiz, and Girasol. Can be used to carry your kiddo on your front, hip or back facing inward.

Cons: Lots of fabric, can be overwhelming to choose from many many types and brands (definitly seek out help from the two boards I mentioned above if you are thinking of getting a woven), can also be expensive.

Mei Tai - a small panel of fabric with straps at the waist to tie and shoulder straps that wrap around the carrier and tie into place. Great for newborns thru toddlers. This is like a cross between a wrap (the long straps) and a structured carrier (Ergo). Mei tais are great because you can do a front carry, back carry or a high back carry (so that your baby can look over your shoulder). Common brands are BabyHawk and Catbird

Cons: The straps can be a bit daunting at first but are easy to get the hang of with practice.

Soft Stuctured Carrier - A backpack style carrier that provides support for baby's butt and hips by placing them in a seated position vs placing their weight on their crotch. SSCs also often have a hip belt that places the weight onto your hips vs. your shoulders (ala the Bjorn). Many SSCs can be worn from 3-4 months (some younger) to up to 40lbs. Most of these will only allow your LO to face inwards (Beco has one that is an exception to this rule) but can be used for front or back carries. Common brands: Ergo, Beco, Boba, Pikkalo. Because they distribute the weight to your hips vs. shoulders these are great for long term carrying with a heavier baby/toddler or for longer walks.

Cons: Can be hard to get a good fit with a NB or peanut, and with some brands, the Ergo for example, you may need to buy a seperate infant insert to make the carrier work for a LO.

sportsmomma · March 2012

I like the Moby and Ergo, however DS only likes the Ergo, I think it's less constraining for him.

michelle_1221 · March 2012

Love my Become Gemini. Amazon has great return policy if your LO hates it.

laura.noel · March 2012

I use an ergo and a moby. I like both, but I find the ergo much easier to use.

khbe14 · March 2012

busterbeagle:
DD and I both love the Moby wrap.

This.

nikki_rob_weddingplans · March 2012

courtneyklv:
Attempted the moby and had a breakdown! I HATED it. Too much fabric for my small frame to deal with...

This. If you have a smaller frame, I agree that the Moby just doesn't work very well (I'm 5'2").

kiarstin · March 2012

Moby!!! I thought I would hate it and wasn't planning on getting one but its one of the only carriers I can use with a preemie and it makes it so no one touches my baby(which with all my family and him being a month early its great) He loves it too, sleeps soundly the whole time he is in there.

JenJH923 · March 2012

Check out www.quirkybaby.com. I just rented a beco butterfly from there and I love it. Somebody on the Attachment Parenting board sent me to that site because you can rent any sling/carrier for 20 dollars to see if you like it before investing. I have the Moby and I love it, but I know it will be too hot this summer to use it. I am so in love with the Beco i rented! It's nice to pay the 20 dollars and then try it out for 2 weeks before paying over 100 dollars to get a carrier that you end up hating.