April 2019 Moms
lyse01
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Product Spotlight: Babywearing
lyse01
member
Because the people have spoken in favor of babywearing!
What carriers have you used and liked, or hated, or been ambivalent about? Why? Do you prefer wraps? Slings? Soft structured? Hard structured? Different carriers for different tasks? Where do you go to get more info? What materials are suitable for your environment, and what brands use them? Do you have other relevant info I’m forgetting?
FTMs: when you look at baby carriers, what’s confusing? Ask away!
Want to discuss something else? Recommend it here, or second some recs by loving someone’s post (I’ll try to prioritize): https://forums.thebump.com/discussion/12734953/product-spotlights-upcoming-or-requests
All product spotlights can be resurrected at any time for further discussion - type “Product Spotlight” into the search bar at the bottom of the page to find previous threads.
What carriers have you used and liked, or hated, or been ambivalent about? Why? Do you prefer wraps? Slings? Soft structured? Hard structured? Different carriers for different tasks? Where do you go to get more info? What materials are suitable for your environment, and what brands use them? Do you have other relevant info I’m forgetting?
FTMs: when you look at baby carriers, what’s confusing? Ask away!
Want to discuss something else? Recommend it here, or second some recs by loving someone’s post (I’ll try to prioritize): https://forums.thebump.com/discussion/12734953/product-spotlights-upcoming-or-requests
All product spotlights can be resurrected at any time for further discussion - type “Product Spotlight” into the search bar at the bottom of the page to find previous threads.
Re: Product Spotlight: Babywearing
As for my first (and my nephew), I used the Moby wrap and then a Boba carrier. The Moby was definitely warm for my area and the summertime, although I had a mesh baby wrap that I just never got around to using (I imagine it would be cooler, it was meant for the beach or pool). I was also very unpracticed at wrapping the Moby, which I only realized after watching my sister do it effortlessly. I suggest FTMs watch some videos and practice if they want to go that route!
As for the Boba, it is comfortable for the most part, just sometimes hard to get the top buckle on by myself, depending on how young or big the kiddo is. No real complaints with it, I also didn't use any other options so I can't really compare.
Once DS hit the minimum weight, we started using a Tula (soft structured carrier) and I've loved them, we have 2 standards and 1 toddler one now. We still use them with him being almost 2 and we definitely plan to use them probably even more with this next one.
I then got a a Little Frog brand woven wrap which was great for like 6 - 24 months.
I will probably get a second wrap to tandem wrap and would love to get a SSC carrier this time around too!
i plan plan to use the woven wraps again. (i’m an idiot who spent a stupid amount on a handwoven) but i want to replace my ergo w/ a soul slings aseema. they’re about the same price as a new ergo, and they are adjustable for newborn to toddler.
anyone who who is interested in babywearing w/ woven wraps and/or ring slings, i highly encourage you to find a local babywearing group or educator who can help you learn to use them properly. i also relied very heavily on wrapyouinlove’s youtube videos.
Im looking into a Lille carrier this time because it looks like it has a good lumbar support (I have buldging disks in my lower back)
I also have have a mei tai? I don’t remember the spelling. Lol. It was good for front and back and nice when I really needed more range of motion. But she outgrew it faster then the ring sling.
prevously helloblueeyes
Me:32 DH:33 Married:04/2012 DD:07/2014
BFP 8/14/2018 #2 due 4/18/2019
Under 4-6 mo depending on size of baby I like a ring sling. It takes some practice learning to tie and adjust but I love that it’s light weight and would put it on w/o baby in it before leaving the house and run errands and easily place baby in sling tighten and go. Also fits easily in diaper bags, and can nurse in it easily and comfortably.
After 6 mo baby is a bit big IMOP for it to be as comfortable. Then I prefer a soft structure carrier like the ergo or ergo 360.
My husband uses a hard structure one for hikes but I cannot remember the name- it’s too bulky for my 5’3” frame but he loves it!
The Moby was great early on when I was walking a lot and DD was tiny, but I quickly found it too thick/hot for the weather. I also didn’t love carrying a baby on my front and a diaper bag over my shoulder, or the sheer volume on my front with boobs plus baby - I felt like I had t-Rex arms and had to do everything sideways to see. I was/am scared to back wrap without someone experienced helping and that person is def not DH. That said, I really want a Solly wrap this time for the linen breathability, and maybe a weekend trip to my cousin the babywrap educator to get comfortable with wrapping.
The Ergobaby distributed weight well on me, and was much easier to get on/off while running car errands. We couldn’t front face in it though, and DD’s preemie size didn’t work well with her desire to see the world. For a soft structured carrier, I want something she can front face in. In theory, this is the carrier DH would be most likely to use, but he prefers to complain about the weight of carrying the car seat, or just carrying DD in his arms.
The ring sling ended up my preferred carrier, because it was so easy to throw over a shoulder and pop a baby in, making it perfect for car errands. I also liked how DD was off to the side and I got full use of one arm back. Even though it’s designed to distribute weight a bit, one shoulder and my lower back do get sore after awhile. And I never figured out how to nurse on the go - my nipples were entirely the wrong level for keeping DD secure in the sling. I will probably keep this in heavy rotation though.
I have friends who loved the k’tan, which I’d be interested in trying. As a pre-sewn wrap, it basically gives the ease of a sling with the weight distribution of the wrap.
I have an an enormous amount of trouble finding good info online (especially Facebook), other than recommendations to go to a Babywearing international meeting and choose from a lending library. Since the closest chapter is 1hr + away, that’s just not happening. And there really do not seem to be brick and mortar stores that carry wraps or slings.
I have an ergo but recently discovered it is a counterfeit (I purchased used) and am trying to decide if we will need to get a different structured carrier.
Im really interesting in wraps but the only one I’ve touched felt thick and bulky and so I’m going to wait and go to a baby wearing group to see different ones and feel them and get advice about sizing.
As she got bigger, we moved away from the Boba and to a Baby Bjorn. I just feel meh about it. Getting it rigged up is annoying and it just never feels right to me - we use it very sparingly. My daughter is fine in it, but for me, meh.
We had an ergo with her and we used it quite a bit but the issue was that we could never get comfortable with using it when she was still a newborn. We just could not figure it out so we waited until she was bigger. I love all the suggestions on here with wraps! I need to come back to this thread to see if maybe something else will work if the boba doesn't.
I know when I lived in a bigger city there was a group that you could go to and try a bunch of wraps with other moms to get practice before baby was born and I'm wondering if I might be able to find something in my new area as well. That's worth looking into if you aren't sure on whether or not there is something like that in your area.
I have a Solly wrap and a Lillebaby All seasons. When my DS was itty bitty, I used the Solly a lot. It’s easy to tie, lightweight, stretch and the letters are adorable. My Lille was used the most for airplanes, festivals and farmers markets. My husband could easily use the Lille as well. My child seems to sweat a lot and by summer time he was 6 months and hated being carried. Hoping to stretch it out longer with the next one.
BFP: 8/11/18 Due: 4/26/18
We tried a Moby wrap but I just couldn’t figure out all the fabric and could never get a tight enough fit.
1. Boba wrap. I enjoyed this wrap for the first 2-3 months of my baby’s life, especially since he was sooo tiny (under 6lbs) when he was born. Plus it was winter. The boba is a lot of fabric, and it takes a little practice to get the hang of thing it on. But once you get the hang of it, it’s preety quick, and you can leave it tied on and just pop the baby in and out for running errands. It keeps baby close and snuggly. And you can tuck baby’s head under the fabric shoulder to keep him secure before he develops head control. Cons: it takes some practice to get the hang of tying it. It gets saggy and unsupportive very quickly as baby gains weight. And it’s HOT.
2. Sakura bloom ring sling. I LOVED this carrier, and used it constantly from about 3 months to a year (maybe 1.5?). It’s light and the linen is cool for summer in the south. It’s very quick and easy to take on and off. As baby grows and develops head control it’s easy to sit him on your hip and let him look out from the sling, but you can still cuddle and turn him in for nap or to reduce sensory overload when needed. Extra pro: they’re really beautiful slings.
Ergo360: also LOVED this carrier. We used it constantly for travel and hiking. I like the option to use for forward facing, chest facing, or back carrying. I finally stopped using this when my son hit around 25lbs because he was just too heavy and my back would hurt. But until that point I thought it was an incredibly comfortable, versatile carrier. It also packs up small to take in luggage. Though I always wore my baby through the airport. The waist strap is nice and wide for back support. It’s a Velcro waist strap, so it’s easy to adjust between wearers if your husband is a much different size than you. But there an extra clip for safety as well. The only thing this carrier doesn’t have is a pocket.
The LilleBaby airflow carrier - definitely not lot. It’s synthetic material, with holes for breathing. But I didn’t find it any cooler than my cotton ergo baby 360. The waist strap was less comfortable for me. It came with a back support panel thing, which I hated and it made me extra sweaty.
Tula Baby - pretty but not that functional. I had a foxy print Tula. It was really cute but way less functional than my ergo360. For one, you can only face inward - you can’t toward face in it (which my son loved). The waist strap was a buckle strap so it wasn’t as wide in back, and provided much less support. And it was more annoying to adjust between myself and my husband. The straps also tended to sit wide on my shoulders. I really didn’t think it was worth the hype or the money.
I have the Moby, which is so damn long and difficult to wrap. The lady in the store made it look so easy and it just wasn't, and then after trying forever to get it set up, I slid my son in it and he screamed bloody murder. I should have known because since birth he's insisted on having his arms and legs free at all times. Needless to say, I never used it again.
We don't use it enough but we also have an Ergo, which is great - H mostly uses it, but I will for sure try it more often this time. In my opinion this one is much easier for the baby wearing novice!