August 2022 Moms

Product Spotlight: Baby Carriers

Hi all. I know it’s super early to talk carriers and I would love some input on tried and true brands and ones to avoid. Post all your suggestions below. 😄
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Re: Product Spotlight: Baby Carriers

  • For bitty babies (newborn to 4 months) I love K’tan
    For babies that have head control I love Lillebaby.
    Pregnancy Ticker

    5.5.16 | 8.14.17 | 1.30.19
  • paytonpedropaytonpedro member
    edited January 2022
    I have a boba wrap which is super comfy but hard to tie in public places because the fabric is so long it drags on the ground (gross). I also have a Tula (that I got cheaper on Amazon) and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!! It’s super comfy and pretty easy to put on/ get adjusted once you get used to it. I absolutely recommend it to everyone, and also recommend getting it discounted lol. 
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  • I really wanted to do something like the Boba wrap, but does anyone know if you can do something like that with twins? Will they have to take turns? I guess they're already learning to share space already! 😂 
  • My friend lent me a Ktan when DD was born and I liked it a lot, then when she got bigger I got a used ergo on FB market place. I also got a toddler Tula but idk who I was kidding I can no wear my 35lb child anymore lol. 

    @coco2787 mentioned Happy baby carriers and after reading about them I kind of want one badly. DD was a winter baby but obviously these babes won’t be and I’m wondering if HBC will be a better fit since it’s supposed to be so lightweight 
  • Love my Wildbird ring sling and my Sakura Bloom scout carrier. I did get a Solly baby carrier and it was ok, I returned a Tula. I just wasn’t big on the ones that have to be wrapped a bunch,  ring sling is sooooo easy. 

    We have the Lillebaby for my husband, I’ve never used it, it feels huge to me and I’m 5’8”
  • I always wanted to try a ring sling but to be honest I was scared I wouldn’t do it right and somehow baby would fall out. I’m 5’7” so that’s interesting to know that lilliebaby felt big on you. 
  • I know nothing about carriers and haven’t done any research yet but if I know anything about my husband, whichever one he uses will need to be super easy to put on. Which ones are the least intimidating? He also gets sweaty super easily and we live somewhere really hot so lightweight is key, especially the first few months. 
  • I still have my LB but got rid of my K’tan because we were done having kids. I’d like to get something for little stage since I have 4 others I’ll have to tend to.

    For everyone using slings, do you feel like the baby is comfortable, supported, etc? Is there a learning curve?
    Pregnancy Ticker

    5.5.16 | 8.14.17 | 1.30.19
  • @and_peggy It took me a few minutes to get the “seat” right with it. Baby’s knees really need to make an M shape with their bum, so the sling created a deep hammock seat. You’ll know when it feels right, and it will be comfortable and feel snug for both of you!

    For the first three months or so carrying DS1 in the sling was the only way he would sleep. He basically lived in the sling. 
  • I also loooooved my boba wrap for the early days - there was a period of time it's the only place DS would reliably sleep! ( 😭😭😭 )

    We also have a lillebaby soft structured carrier for later and excursions. Tbh we haven't used it a ton (COVID baby/just used the stroller usually) but we'll see if that changes with #2! 

    @bridgiebee82 in not sure about wraps, but I have definitely seen double-ring slings! So that could be a good "soft" option? I also imagine having a solo wrap could be useful to wear one at a time. Just a thought - I don't have multiples though.
  • I have a ring sling and I hate it. I never could figure out how to wear it properly. Even after watching youtube videos.  We have 2 ergo a d they were great once my daughter got a bit older, they do have an infant insert you can get for them or there's a hack to do the same but I never tried.
  • +1 for the Boba! I carried both my boys in it until they were 5 months (#1) and 7 months (tiny #2). I never got a bigger one though because by the time they outgrew Boba they liked their personal space too much to want to be worn.
  • I have a Lillebaby that's okay, but the in and out was always challenging for me, and it is too hot for the summer here. The ring sling is my favorite, but I gave it to a friend, so I'll likely buy a new one (thanks for Wildbird suggestion). I feel like baby wearing is going to be critical for #3!
  • coco2787coco2787 member
    edited January 2022
    If you’re a beginner ring sling user I’d skip Wildbird personally, I found their linen is stiff and hard to work with. LoveHeld and Hope & Plum are what I recommend for a soft, easy to thread sling. 

    Happy Baby is definitely my favorite soft structured carrier, very few buckles to adjust and is c-section and bump friendly because it’s worn apron-style (so no bulky waistband). It easily folds up and fits in a diaper bag. There are a few different fabrics now- linen, linen/cotton blend, Tencel, and corduroy. Everything but the corduroy is super lightweight and breathable (so great for summer babies and hot climates!) 

    This is how the Happy Baby is worn, so it’s great if you’re still carrying littles and post partum won’t rub on a c-section scar or squeeze your mom pooch (not my picture)

    ETA sorry for the wonky spoiler 

    Me: 35  H: 35
    Married: 4/5/13

    "You know that place between sleep and awake, 
    that place where you can still remember dreaming?
    That's where I will always love you.  
    That's where I'll be waiting."
    ~Peter Pan 

    *TW*
    BFP #1: 11/12/12  EDD 7/25/13 Baby boy: 7/27/13
    BFP #2: 10/29/17   MMC dx @ 9 weeks
    BFP #3: 2/2/18 MC 2/7/18
    BFP #4: 3/2/18  MC 3/9/18
    RPL testing and hysteroscopy: all normal
    BFP #5: 4/1/18 MMC dx @ 14 weeks ----> genetically normal girl  :'(
    Hysteroscopy to remove scar tissue 9/28
    BFP #6 11/5/18 EDD 7/20/19  <3  Rainbow baby girl born 7/23/19 
    BFP #7 12/8/2021 EDD 8/22/2022 
  • @coco2787 I’m lol-ing at your wonky spoiler! That definitely looks nice that it sits high. Does it give you a stomachache? 
  • I'm a k'tan fan mostly because I hate extra fabric that ring slings have flapping around (I know, I'm being overly dramatic lol). With another little one, I'll be up and down a lot and can't afford to trip over extra fabric. The k'tan worked really well with my nicu baby. I think I'll try the Happy Baby (the toddler one looks great for my non-mobile 3 year old!), it looks so lightweight and perfect.
  • For a regular baby carrier, I’m going to start with a less expensive, lightweight one on Amazon that has lots of good reviews, and if I don’t like it, I can upgrade to a different one. I’d rather do that than start off with a pricey one and not like it. :)  To carry the baby around, I’m going to invest in the Mory June Moses Bag. It lets the baby lay flat, so it’s better for spinal development than a car seat being used as one. It also doubles as a diaper bag, changing mat, play pen, and portable napping spot when not home. 
  • @paytonpedro I never baby wore while pregnant so can’t speak to bump comfort, but no, it was never uncomfortable on my stomach. You can adjust it if you don’t like wearing it quite that high but it does sit higher than other types of carriers with the wide bulky waistband, so if you like a waistband to sit on your hips you might not like it. 
    Me: 35  H: 35
    Married: 4/5/13

    "You know that place between sleep and awake, 
    that place where you can still remember dreaming?
    That's where I will always love you.  
    That's where I'll be waiting."
    ~Peter Pan 

    *TW*
    BFP #1: 11/12/12  EDD 7/25/13 Baby boy: 7/27/13
    BFP #2: 10/29/17   MMC dx @ 9 weeks
    BFP #3: 2/2/18 MC 2/7/18
    BFP #4: 3/2/18  MC 3/9/18
    RPL testing and hysteroscopy: all normal
    BFP #5: 4/1/18 MMC dx @ 14 weeks ----> genetically normal girl  :'(
    Hysteroscopy to remove scar tissue 9/28
    BFP #6 11/5/18 EDD 7/20/19  <3  Rainbow baby girl born 7/23/19 
    BFP #7 12/8/2021 EDD 8/22/2022 
  • I've got a Boba and an Ergo with DS. I hardly used either. After having DS, I felt physically weak and couldn't carry him around easily for awhile. After that I was back at work full time, so while I wore him a couple times, I wasn't constantly moving around with him. I'm hoping this time around with a 4yo underfoot I'll carry baby more often. Both wraps/carriers worked fine (and actually DH used the Ergo with DS several times). 
  • I really love the ergo 360. I got an ergo with my daughter from my cousin and loved it so much that I bought the 360. 
  • meagan822meagan822 member
    edited January 2022
    @paytonpedro Yes! I have one picked out like that. I haven’t had kids yet, but I have thankfully well-educated myself on baby products for a long time, and baby posture and proper development are things I’m super passionate about! :) 

    Realistically I’ll probably use it more than a wearable baby carrier out an about unless the baby is really clingy and wants to be against my body. I’ll especially use it when outside at picnics, fields, and sports games unzipped as a contained play space or diaper mat (if entirely unzipped,) and a place to take naps. It’ll especially be useful at our families and friends’ places for naps as well. I also can put it in a shopping cart and not have to worry about the billions of germs on them so much. It’ll also be a good way to have the baby with us in church but not stuck in a carseat or on the floor. And of course it holds the contents of most diaper bags. A mom of 8 designed it and she had one for each of the twins she had most recently. 🥰 Every mom has different products they swear by, so I usually evaluate if it will fit the lifestyle we have, and for me personally this is a no brainer product, but I’m sure others may not use it quite as much. Although everyone I know of who tried it LOVES it. 
  • @meagan-firsttimemommy8-22 Honestly, and in my personal experience of having two babies, a blanket in the diaper bag to lay them down on is all you need. I always got my buddies out of the car seat and then carried them and then set them down wherever we were (blanket if it was grass or carpet, blanket over the diaper bag changing pad if it was hardwood). My #2 really liked his personal space and got irritable if you held him too long. I remember being at a party in my parents' back yard when he was about three months old and I was talking to my mom's boss and he started to fuss so I bent down and laid him in the grass in front of my feet and he got so happy and the boss thought I was some kind of baby whisperer.

    Anyway, you're right about the basket being way better than leaving baby in the carseat bucket, but if just looks so... big. And since you need to buy the carseat anyway (and a separate stroller seat if you don't like the kind where the carseat bucket clicks in), that just seems like a lot of big things to lug around. 
  • @meagan-firsttimemommy8-22 We didn’t have one that fancy and didn’t take it on the go, but we used a old fashioned Moses basket at home with both kids because we didn’t do the pack and play thing. Loved it for naps when they were small enough to fit in it. 
  • I’ve changed hundreds upon hundreds of diapers, and you definitely don’t need much for them!🤣 But I’m getting it as a multitasker item, not specifically a changing pad. Seeing people carry them, it seems less bulky than many other items. Carrying a diaper bag and everything else at once doesn’t seem less bulky to me. I want the carseat to be stationary in the car at all times, and a stroller is a lower priority to me. I’d choose to use the stroller or Moses bag anyway-not have to lug both! To each their own, I suppose. It’s definitely a must have by choice for me that I don’t know of anyone regretting after trying it! 😊

    @Maggiemadeit That’s awesome!! I always thought pack and plays were so bulky to travel with as well! It’s such a great solution! It’s so cute to see them snuggled up in a cozy little space!!🥰
  • I have the nesting days and Lille baby carrier but will probably also get a Moby this time around, my sister used that constantly with her two babes and I really didn’t use my nesting days too much so I’ll give that a shot.
  • @itsme215 my husband is the same way and he liked the ktan for tiny baby, and when baby got older he was super happy to use the soft structured carrier. It is actually a baby Bjorn and I was worried about the hip placement when someone got it for us as a gift, but it's not like the old ones that have a tiny spot for crotch and legs just hanging down (my MIL tried to give us her super old baby Bjorn and I rejected it out of hand when I saw that), it has a large area so the legs come straight out for a larger baby, and if I'm recalling correctly with the smaller baby setting they do make the M shape.

    I was very happy with our stretchy wrap for when baby was tiny but I'd really like to try a ring sling this time. My local mom group was just talking about ring sling and the person to get a lesson in using them from so I'm definitely going to hit her up for advice :)
    The stretchy wrap was mildly annoying in how much fabric there was, but I got used to tying it on at home and then getting in the car/putting baby in the stroller and popping baby into the pre-wrapped carrier when we got to our destination. It mostly worked pretty well. Even DH liked it when I helped him wrap it since it snuggles baby so close and cozily.
    Pregnancy Ticker Lilypie Maternity tickers
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    Pregnancy Ticker

    5.5.16 | 8.14.17 | 1.30.19
  • Have you guys found any gear that is good for sleepy baby transfers? I'm thinking something like a sling you have have under them when they are breastfeeding, then just use the sling to lift them up and transfer them to the crib? This would be amazing but I don't think anything like it exists!

    Sleepy transfers are always so anxiety inducing : )
  • @megapreggacate I never transferred DD once she fell asleep bc she would just immediately wake up and I would have to start the process all over. I think a sling would be a good idea, but that’s my best guess 
  • @megapreggacate I wouldn’t look for carriers with that purpose in mind. All 4 of my kids woke immediately upon transfer. I would just buy what you want and hope for the best
    Pregnancy Ticker

    5.5.16 | 8.14.17 | 1.30.19
  • @megapreggacate Same. I never transferred a sleeping baby. They fell asleep breast feeding. Nap on the Boppy! It's actually night time and we're going to bed? I lay them in the crib "drowsy but awake" from 3-4 months on.
  • We used Lillebaby with our older two and I am excited to have it for #3. We have an Ergo baby (with infant insert etc.) And I find it so much trickier to put on!
  • Found the Lillebaby easiest (easier than sling) but would agree that I wouldn't buy a carrier with that as a main reason in mind as it's not a guaranteed thing to work. Laying baby down drowsy but still awake will help you in the long run if that little personality allows you to do that :)
  • The baby carrier working as a parenting helper is generally used in travel or when you're too busy to hold your baby. But it is recommended to use the baby carrier for no more than 2 hours each time.

    If the baby carrier is used for a long time, it may compress the nerves and blood vessels of the baby's legs, increase the body temperature, cause dizziness due to shaking, spit up milk, etc.

    To ensure your child's healthy growth, avoiding the long-time use of a baby carrier is better.
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