March 2019 Moms
meggyme
member
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Product Spotlight: Babywearing
meggyme
member
Soft structured carriers, ring slings, wraps, there are lots of options for hands free baby carrying.
A great resource (although I think the international organization went bankrupt recently) is Baby Wearing International. Many local chapters still have meetings with educators and lending libraries.
A great resource (although I think the international organization went bankrupt recently) is Baby Wearing International. Many local chapters still have meetings with educators and lending libraries.
DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
Re: Product Spotlight: Babywearing
When she was about 6 months I got a ring sling. I LOVE it. It fit in the diaper bag better and was easy to toss her into for quick errands when I didn’t want the stroller but carrying her for 15-30 minutes wasn’t an option either. I plan to use the ring sling for the newborn stage with this LO. It will probably be my primary carrier.
We also had a Lillebaby carry on toddler carrier for when DD was 23 months and we toured Europe. It was great and now I wish I had checked out more than just the Ergo before making the decision. The Lille baby has a nice lumbar support pad that I intend to steal and use with the ergo.
When DD was about 1.5/2 I bought a Tula toddler carrier, which she can still technically fit in and she’s 4.5 now. I love the Tula and can’t wait to use it with this one.
I would like to get something else for the newborn stage. I was thinking ring sling, but I don’t know much about them.
I bought the Infantino because it was cheap. When I upgrade, I'm still deciding. I'm leaning toward a Lillebaby or Beco carrier. One thing I want is one that's taller in terms of how far up it goes on the baby's back, which both of those seem to have. One negative I've heard of the Ergo is that it's not as tall that way, and neither is the Infantino. I like the Beco because it has straps that cross in the back.
Had anyone used backpack frame carriers once their kids are older and has a brand or certain one they recommend? (These are more for hiking/type stuff rather than everyday.) We're starting to look toward one of those for our daughter, especially toward next summer when she will be 2.
ETA: forgot more about the Infantino. It works fine. I'd like something, as I said, that is higher in the back and a little higher quality, but it seems to work great as far as a cheap carrier goes. It holds their legs in the right position and is comfortable.
@novelblessings ring slings are pretty easy to figure out if you are interested. I’d go for a single layer with metal rings in a stiff but breathable material like linen. It softens up over time but still holds up to a lot of wear. You thread it like one of those two ring belts from the 90’s (through both rings and back through the top) and then you can pretty much leave it that way. They pack up really small, which is why I like mine.
carrier at about 12 months which has some structure. I really liked this one and DS loves it. He’s 16 months and 23 pounds now and fits in it fine still.
I tried the Sakura Bloom onbuhimo but I HATED it. It dug into my shoulders so much. Returned that one.
Married: 2012
BFP #1 Sept 2014, MMC Dec 2014 | BFP #2 May 2015, DD Jan 2016
ETA: because I hit submit too early
This time around I’m definitely going to be investing in a ring sling.
@lovesclimbing we ended up finding a used Kelty hiking pack for Jack via Craigslist. It’s been awesome.
Married: 2016
BFP #1 4/23/18, blighted ovum 5/29/18
BFP#2 7/14/18, DS 4/5/19
For people reading this who don't see a lot of wrap love, know there are people out there who like them a lot!
I wasn't a huge fan, but some tips to make them easier.
Definitely practice at home with your baby before you need to go out.
This is probably the most common and basic wrap, and it's the same for either stretchy or woven wraps. And it's super simple to do on your own without needing someone else to hold the baby in position. https://wrappingrachel.com/2015/10/22/master-your-stretchy-wrap-pocket-wrap-cross-carry-photo-tutorial/
A friend of mine kept the ends of her stretchy wrap tied together and she was able to just wrap it around herself pretty quickly and easily without needing to adjust and tie every time. This won't work with a woven wrap because there's no stretch, and it needs to be tight to hold the baby safely.
I recommend trying some different ones on especially because they can be expensive. You can try them on at Target or BuybuyBaby. If you can find a baby boutique nearby, they’d probably have even more options. That’s where we got our Stokke- something I’d never even heard of before.
For when DD1 got bigger and outweighed the wrap we got a cheap infantino that I could wear on my back but we only used it a couple of times and it wasn't very comfortable. I gave it away to a church rummage sale. We also got an old school frame hiking backpack carrier from a consignment store. I didn't use it much because it wasn't comfortable for my back and shoulders since it holds the child up higher but my DH used it just fine and actually liked it.
We learned a whole lot from this and I was much more prepared for DD2.
After she started to outweigh the k'tan (didn't take her long, only 3 months) I went to a local babywearing group and tried out a woven ring sling. I bought it because DD loved being on my hip and seeing out but by the time she was 6 months old it was too uncomfortable to use which was a shame because I loved how fast it was to throw on and put DD in. For those who are big chested and/or have back/shoulder issues: be advised that ring slings (while great for a smaller baby) do throw your center of gravity and all your weight onto one side.
I bought a lillebaby 360 that has breathable air holes. I loved it, it was versatile, the rise on their back could be adjusted, I LOVED the back/lumbar pad for me and the material it was made of. I wore DD2 in that (mostly on my front and back) for a long time.
I observed a mom friend who was very practiced at wrapping with a woven, (she was on baby #5) successfully wrap her several weeks old newborn onto her back securely. (Her newborn was a good size, mind you, I think 12 lbs by the time she was 6 weeks!) I was quite in awe and have been eyeing some less expensive hand-woven wraps from MX on etsy. I'd like to give it a go just to have my front free a little bit. I've watched youtube videos and obviously you have to be very comfortable with wrapping. I'm not sure if it will happen, but I've been giving it some serious thought. Woven wraps seem so much more versatile than stretchy wraps.
Does the type of carrier you use matter depending on what activity you're doing? Or is the goal to just find something that's comfortable and it doesn't matter where you're using it? For example, I imagined myself frequently using a carrier while walking my dog in a park I go to every morning that has a wooded area with dirt trails, so basically a 40ish-minute easy hike. Does the type of carrier matter if I'm using it in that setting vs. walking around the grocery store?
Ring slings I’d say are more for frequent in/out trips. Running errands like into the post office, picking up a gallon of milk or standing in line for a quick coffee. Especially after baby is too heavy to carry in a car seat but can’t walk and you might not want to carry without a carrier. I liked it because it rolled up small and fit in my diaper bag, so often I’d run a couple errands without it or something would take longer than expected, my arm would get tired and I’d be able to pull it out and toss kiddo in it quickly.
You could easily use one or the other as your primary carrier, but I think they both have their advantages (and the ring slings can be found fairly cheaply, like $40) that it’s worth having both so you’re never without one.
An added perk of ring slings, I intend to use mine as a pregnant belly support as I get bigger, kind of like a rebozo. Wraps can do this also (and are probably better suited for it, but whatever). Sorry for the novel...
I tried a couple of wraps and ring slings but I think because I’m short/small I just ended up with all this extra material and it was not comfortable.
My daughter never liked any carriers. We were gifted a few different hand-me-downs in different styles and she hated all of them. I am really hoping this new baby will be more amenable to the carrier, and this conversation is really helpful.
I have but don't use: a traditional woven ring sling and a Moby.
I cannot recommend highly enough the balboa baby if you're considering ring slings. It's to traditional ring slings like the ktan is to stretchy wraps (like the Moby). @mammabearcher there isn't any tail (extra fabric) on it, and at 5'2", I also hated dealing with yards and yards of (pretty) fabric.
Just to throw a little love here for woven wraps, after 15 lbs the stretchy wraps just don't provide enough support for my comfort, and the woven can be used from day 1 (front carry, obv), so if you're only getting 1 carrier I'd consider a getting a woven over a stretchy wrap (Moby). They also can be used in more configurations than most ssc. Yes there is a steeper learning curve, but there is also longevity. Though obviously I wasn't in the 'just getting 1 camp' lol.
We ended up never wearing her except for constant movement like hikes or walks. I also turned her outward facing sooner than you're supposed to (FFFC?) and just made sure I had a hand there to help support her head. That helped, but not a lot. At the store, I also put her in the cart seat at the store before she could sit independently and just stuffed my diaper bag on one side and coat on the other so she'd be supported. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
You do what you gotta do. Some babies just aren't babywearing babies.
I am really hoping this one will be into baby wearing because with a 2 year old to look after it will be very helpful to have 2 free hands. Fingers crossed!
I haven't had a baby that small to test, but most of the well known brands say 7+ pounds - Lillebaby, Ergo, Beco, Tula.
You could always try the Baby Ktan. It's like a wrap but simpler. The downside is it's sized, so you and your spouse couldn't use the same one unless you are similarly sized. They don't give a minimum weight except to say you should consult a doctor if your baby is a preemie.
https://schamelot.blogspot.com/2012/05/no-sew-baby-ktan-wrap-style-carrier.html?m=1
Someone further up post said something about being able to wrap the money without untying the ends. That might also be an option. I also think there are premie wrap and ring sling carries.
@lovesclimbing Here’s DD in the one I made. I probably should have made it with a size M shirt, this is a L. Basically you make it with a few shirts that fit you and then as it stretches it’s still snug when you put a baby in it. She always felt pretty secure but I should have dozed down a bit. Now would probably be a good time to source the shirts before we all get much bigger.
Since DD was so tiny as a newborn she didn't weigh enough to go into many soft carriers so i bought a ring sling to use the first few months till she was big enough. I'll most likely being be doing the same thing with this one.