Product Spotlight: Baby Carriers

ashnicell · April 2022

Let's talk baby carriers!

What are you planning to use/try or what have you used before? Carriers, slings, wraps, etc?

tiredtoddlermama · April 2022

We tried the Baby K'tan, Boba wrap, and Baby Tula carrier for our first.

The boba wrap was nice but super long. I'm short, so having all that extra fabric was a little bit of a pain.

The baby K'tan is all about sizing. I followed their size guide rather than my intuition and it just wasn't super comfortable for us due to being a little too snug.

We love our Baby Tula carrier but it's definitely easier for once they are out of the newborn stage.

I really want to try the Ergobaby Embrace this time around.

Gingermom15 · April 2022

I used a Lillebaby with my daughter and plan to use it again this time. I didn’t start wearing her until she was a a few months old, though. I would like to get a carrier for this one to use as a newborn since the Lillebaby just wasn’t comfortable to wear until she was older. I’m looking at the Boba wrap but haven’t made any decisions, so following this thread for advice

mflowers929 · April 2022

Okay! I practice attachment parenting especially in the beginning so got lots of thoughts.

My sling and wrap were both homemade so can't recommend brands, but I started with the sling with my son. I know a lot of people like them but for me I could never get it tight enough for my liking. I got my wrap when he was 8 weeks old and I think we were both more comfortable with it. It's got a bit more of a learning curve because you have to wrap it just right, but there are lots of videos on that. Both are a good choice for a little squish because you can tuck their legs in and it's not a lot of pressure on their hips.

I have an Ergo 360 structured carrier that I like for carrying them on my front when they're a little bigger but not quite big enough for my Tula (it has a 15 lb lower limit and my kids grow slow). It's easy on and off, and they do like to look forward once they have some head control, but forward facing has a limit of 15-20 minutes because of pressure on the hips (this is a big thing for littles if you didn't already know).

Lastly is my Tula, soft structured carrier, which is hands down my favorite for back carry, which is what my kids spend the most time in once they can sit up independently. Back carries are great for getting things done with a clingy child. It's easiest to get them up with help, but with practice I do it mostly myself now. Tulas are not inexpensive but there's a pretty good resale market on them if you don't care too much about the pattern

manamo777 · April 2022

When do you all start baby wearing? Can you do it from newborn or do they need more neck support?

mflowers929 · April 2022

@manamo777 I wore both my babes from the time I brought them home

You do have to be more careful of their neck before they have head control, make sure there's something behind them and that they don't go chin to chest which can block off their airway. But if you're wearing them correctly there's absolutely no reason why you can't! They do normally recommend a sling or a stretchy wrap for itty bitties though

chuckle_sandwich · April 2022

I have an original Ergo, love it for when they are a bit bigger. I have a wrap but those are just plain annoying to me. I had a baby k’tan and lent it to a friend, never got it back. I liked the k’tan, so maybe I’ll have to get another or sew my own.

PurplePumpernickel · April 2022

I had a wrap (I think Tula) that I'm pretty sure was too big for me and I gave it away (it was secondhand). I really really liked my Lillebaby but it worked better once my son got a bit older. But then it was GREAT. I still have it, so looking forward to using it again.

coldlife2 · April 2022

For infancy I just use my soft structured carrier or a ring sling. I have a cheap brand from eBay or somewhere. It works well.

I have a lillebaby all seasons complete. I really like it, but if I had to do over again, I’d buy a Tula. I borrowed a friend’s Tula at a barbecue, and I was SHOCKED at how comfortable it was. I barely felt a thing. Never had to adjust it, never felt anything in my back or shoulders, and I wore her for at least two hours. I’ve always assumed they’re basically the same thing, but wow. I get why people love Tulas now!

We also had an Infantino soft structured carrier for awhile that worked just fine.

We have an Osprey backpack for when they’re bigger. It’s great. Deuter and Osprey tend to be the two big names of baby backpacks, and the Osprey is better. I know two people who’ve had Deuters and got rid of them because they were uncomfortable. They’re spendy, but you can often find them second hand. That’s how we got ours.

dumbledoredies · April 2022

I didn't use a carrier much with my son. With my daughter I knew I would need one more since I'd be chasing my son around. I used an infantino carrier. I didn't use it until she was 4+ months. She was born in November and we live in the Midwest so we spent the first few months of her life inside. I don't personally like wraps. I have a Boba wrap that I never feel secures the baby enough and I get paranoid they are going to fall out when I bend over.

I'm 100% going to need a good baby carrier this time around. I mainly used it with my daughter when we would go to the park and the infantino always hurt my lower back after a while. My son was also 3 when she was born and has always been chill and a good listener. I never had to worry about him running off. My daughter is the opposite. I'm going to need my hands free to chase her around and she'll only be 2 when this baby is born.

I definitely plan on investing in a Tula, ergobaby, etc. Something expensive and sturdy. I dont have much to buy this go around so it will be one of my only splurges. I just don't even know where to start! If you go to buybuybaby are they there to try on?

PurplePumpernickel · April 2022

@dumbledoredies I know there are local baby-wearing Facebook groups. You may find one near you and they let you come hang out and try different baby carriers with your baby to figure out what works for you before buying!

mflowers929 · April 2022

@PurplePumpernickel I second this suggestion!

ashnicell · April 2022

I didn't use a carrier at all with my son or do any baby-wearing. I plan to this time around, so this discussion is super helpful.

ponyoisfun · April 2022

@mflowers929 We also do attachment parenting!
@coldlife2 Thank you for your tips about backpacks. Currently we just use our Ergos, but definitely will need some better options as ds is getting way bigger faster than dd (she's in pre-k and we can still put her in the ergo!).

I second all of the ergo suggestions. We couldn't live without ours and somehow we got one for free because it was extra from a family we knew and the other was $10 on craigslist. Both were brand new! I would have gladly paid full price for both considering the use we get out of them - literally use it 2+ hours per day for running errands, cleaning up etc. when we can't leave one unsupervised.

When they were newborns we used a plain soft wrap, similar to a k'tan, but just a big piece of fabric that you had to tie. It worked great until about 10Lbs.

Product Spotlight: Baby Carriers

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