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October 2016 Moms
kmalls
member
The Official Babywearing Thread: ask your questions here!
kmalls
member
It seems like there is a lot of interest around babywearing and some understandable confusion about it. There are lots of mamas on this board with tons of experience, so ask all your burning babywearing questions here!
Re: The Official Babywearing Thread: ask your questions here!
People have a love/hate relationship with their Moby. Some love it because it's awesome, some hate it because there is so much fabric. I like the Moby with a newborn. Especially since I have multiple children (this will be #3). I will put the wrap on before I get in the car so that I don't have to do any wrapping while outside and risk it being on the ground.
For older, I have a Boba Air which is a SSC. I like that because it's easy to get the kid into, and I can back carry. I originally got it because we were going on vacation, and it looked easier than the Moby to get thru the airport (you have to take a carrier off when going thru security). It's not as comfortable as the Moby or other SSC, but it works for me. While DD2 was still not quite fitting in it, i used a receiving blanket or small towel, rolled it up and had her sit on it so her legs weren't uncomfortable.
I enjoy wearing because it leaves me with two hands to grab my toddler. And especially since this will be #3, I will be able to still hold both of my DDs hands while walking. Having a stroller; if my oldest were to dart away, I'd have to run with a stroller, or leave the stroller to get the older kid. That, to me, was way too much work. It was easier to have the kid strapped to me.
I will say that some carriers and wrap styles provide a lot more support for mom, distributing the weight across your hips and taking the pain/pressure off your back. I have back issues and really disliked the soft wraps once baby was heavier, but my Beco is super comfortable - I usually wear the straps criss-crossed instead of backpack style for even better weight distribution across my shoulders.
Are wraps best suited for newborns... and then when the babies get "sturdier" do they then graduate to a non-wrap like the Tula, Lillebaby, etc? Or can you use a Tula from when they are newborns?
What are your favorite brands for those wraps? I'd love to hear about the wraps that are easy to put on/take off.... They seem so complicated.
I've tried many, many, many carriers and wraps. I love my Tulas and Kinderpacks. I am planning to get a Lillebaby this time around as well. Yes, I have more carriers and wraps than necessary. It's just something I really enjoy and I've churned through them quite a bit to end up at my current stash.
@annabenanna for the first 12 months or so I mostly wrapped. Stretchy wraps (like Moby wraps, Solly, etc.) are best suited for newborns. You can use a woven wrap from the newborn days on as well, and they are supportive enough to handle big kids (and even adults, but why on earth would anyone want to carry an adult). All wraps are just a length of fabric so none are really easier than others, but newborn carries with stretchy wraps are generally easier to figure out. I promise that wrapping really isn't that tricky--look up Front Wrap Cross Carry on Youtube. If you master that carry, you're pretty much golden. There are many, many wrap brands at a variety of price points. I like Tekhni, Butterfly Baby Co., and Tula wraps a lot.
If you want to try something "wrap-like" without having to learn how to do it, a lot of people like the K'tan for the early days. I didn't use soft structured carriers (like Tula, Ergo, etc.) for the first several months because I really didn't like the way that the infant inserts worked but I have heard that the Lillebaby works really well for teeny tinies if you want to try a SSC from the get-go.
Our staff back wear infants as small as 4kg (8 lbs ish) with simple kitenge fabric wraps. Fairly similar idea to ring slings but knotted instead of a ring? These are examples of how I will carry LO. Though we also have a soft backpack like carrier for DH to wear because he insisted. Hand-me-down from other expats. Says Eddie Bauer brand.
This is an example of one carry, this child is about 12 kg (25lbs) (this pic is like a year and a half old)
and this is two different back carries (from 2.5 years ago) (the child is carrying a baby doll, no worries)
Love this thread thank you for starting @kmalls!
With my first, I registered for and received a Becco Gemini just based on reviews I had read on Lucie's List (a SSC). I never tried any on or really tested them, but liked this one. It could be used from infant up. Someone told me it has an option for hip carry as well though I've never tried it.
I honestly didnt' baby-wear very much with my first, but hope to this time around. I'll probably stick with my becco to begin with, and if I find myself using it more, may invest in others. Helpful to get ideas from this thread!
Me: 28 DH: 27
BFP #1 January 28, 2016
Felicity Joy, born September 2, 2016
My Chart
BFP #2 September 11, 2020
EDD May 23, 2021
Married to DH for 6 years (together for 16)
DS born 12.13.14
DD born 10.15.16
BFP 1.24.18, MC 3.13.18
Also, I love love love LOOOOOVE Wrap You in Love. There are some amazing video tutorials, including belly wrapping for us pregnant mamas, reviews, tips, etc. Definitely check her out!
Married to DH for 6 years (together for 16)
DS born 12.13.14
DD born 10.15.16
BFP 1.24.18, MC 3.13.18
Starting with the top left:
Grey Stripe is a Solly Wrap. Solly is EXCELLENT for newborn babies! There are other great stretchy wraps too, but for us we found Solly was the best. Moby and Boba were too thick and the K'tan didn't fit us right. The XS was too small and S was too big. Whatever brand you decide to use, a stretchy wrap is really a great carrier to use with your brand new baby.
Red is actually a scarf wrapping my very special Tekhni Radiant wrap. I ordered it when I found out I was pregnant with #2. I've used Tekhni's in the past and they are very supportive, and come in such a beautiful array of colors and patterns. I especially love their Repreve blends which are made from recycled materials. Tekhni also makes ring slings, accessories, and recently they've partnered with Beco to make wrap conversions with the Beco Gemini and Soleil carriers. I had a Delta Bekhni but it just wasn't my favorite. (Side note: Beco Geminis are perfect for newborns too. They adjust so you can use them from 7lbs up).
All 4 SSC's are Tula's. Left to right: Prepster (actually H's carrier), Coast Mariner Mesh Carrier (perfect for hot days), Varsity WC, and Daydreamer Winter Solstice. These are my go to carriers, as I fidn them the most comfortable for me.
The Ring Slings in the middle are Tula Love Noir (black), Tula Love Enchante (yellow), and Beachfront Baby Water Ring Sling (excellent for the beach, pool, or just a hot summer day).
Not pictured: Ergo 360. This was my go to carrier when my Toddler was too small for the Tula and I wanted to use something other than my Solly. The velcro waist band is a pain, though. Don't think you can quietly remove the Ergo if your LO is asleep. Not possible.
Other carriers I've tried and rotated out:
Lenny Lamb SSC - these are also really great for smaller babies. They are all wrap conversion carriers, a little less expensive than Tula WC's. Holy cow they are so insanely soft and floppy right out the package.
Lenny Lamb Wrap and Ring Sling - also incredibly soft and gorgeous, gorgeous patterns and colors.
Infantino Mei Tai - if you're on a budget, you don't have to buy a fancy $100+ carrier. The Infantino Mei Tai was actually one of the first ones I used. They are really easy to wear, and quite comfortable. You can pick one up for around $30 or so on Amazon, Target, Buy Buy Baby or most other retailers. My husband loved using this carrier as well with our LO.
Sakura Bloom Linen RS - really great starter ring sling. Every now and then they'll have flash sales on their site, so keep your eye out!
Lillebaby - these are pretty comfortable and have great lumbar support. You can actually use the support on other SSC's too, if you end up with a big stash like me. I'm just a Tula-holic and prefer those carriers.
Married to DH for 6 years (together for 16)
DS born 12.13.14
DD born 10.15.16
BFP 1.24.18, MC 3.13.18
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the only SSC's on the market that face-out right now are Ergo 360, Beco Gemini, and Lillebaby. Idk why but I just had a feeling that any kid of mine wasn't going to tolerate facing in and not seeing the world for long. So if you're in the market for an SSC, I would strongly recommend one of these three.
That being said, I am SO excited to use my new Kinderpack on this next LO. It's got a mesh panel, can be used from about 8 lbs (DS was born at nearly 9lb so good to go), and I hear great things about how comfortable they are. I'm considering a k'tan, or maybe even a woven Solly, but I may just skip these and go straight to the KP.
I shouldn't knock it since I haven't tried it, but from the looks of it and from what I hear people say, I absolutely hate the idea of a ring sling. It sounds to me like everything I disliked about when DS got heavier in the Ergo (ie: straps digging into my shoulder uncomfortably) plus the added awkwardness of Moby's learning curve.
Personally I use the same rule of thumb for baby carriers that I do for car seats: if it doesn't come with the product at the moment of purchase, I'm not using it.
To add: other accessories I've seen (from manufacturers) could include a nb insert to use your carrier with a smaller baby, a rain hood which is self explanatory and some people also use to nurse while babywearing, or an extra part that basically adds a warm outer layer during cold months.
ETA: it's BCIA regulations... That's the one. Several reputable accessory makers will go through the BCIA guidelines before putting anything for sale. You just have to be smart. Not all accessory makers do this and not all accessory makers are reputable.
ETA: removed legally. There's no legality behind it, you're just an asshole if you make and sell unsafe stuff.
Married to DH for 6 years (together for 16)
DS born 12.13.14
DD born 10.15.16
BFP 1.24.18, MC 3.13.18
Married to DH for 6 years (together for 16)
DS born 12.13.14
DD born 10.15.16
BFP 1.24.18, MC 3.13.18
Married to DH for 6 years (together for 16)
DS born 12.13.14
DD born 10.15.16
BFP 1.24.18, MC 3.13.18
With the fabric wraps, can you use them to hold babies on the hip when they get a little bigger or are most of them designed front-facing only*? Is it just all in how you wrap it the kid up?
ETA: I mean front facing in that the baby is on your front, not that the baby is facing out to the world.