With two other kids around, I’m thinking this time around I really need to give a baby sling a serious try. The only thing I’m not sure of is… which one?
We had a sling with my oldest, but it really didn’t work out. It was one my mother picked up, and we just couldn’t get it to work. I don’t recall which type it was, but we just couldn’t get the adjustments right.
This time around I’m thinking with two other kids a sling sounds really nice.
Something other than a stroller to push when I pick my daughter up from school.
Something to keep my hands a little freer while still holding my baby.
We had a front carrier with my daughter, and it was pretty nice too, but not always comfortable. I’m thinking about comfort as well as practicality here.
I’ve heard good things about Maya wrap
Any opinions out there?
Moby’s are fantastic for that newborn period, but become less comfortable as the baby grows. If you want something that lasts a little long, but still keeps that snuggly feeling, try a Bali Baby Stretch.
Kozy’s are the original Mei Tai, and, I think, the most comfortable. They CAN be used for newborns, though aren’t as comfy, and kids never really grow out of them.
Once your kid gets over a year old though, Patapum’s are the way to go – similar to an Ergo, but more comfortable.
Yes, I’ve thought about this way too much. 😀
I love my moby wrap. I used it constantly when my son was little. The only thing I didn’t like about it was I live in Florida. Its hot. I could NOT use it in the summer months me and my son would have suffocated its so warm. You get used to all the cool ways to wrap it. Theres an awesome tutorials on youtube on how to wrap it and it comes w/ a manual. HTH
btw-I plan on using mine this weekend when we go camping even though my little on can now walk. Hiking will be fun! lol.
I 2nd the moby wrap. Absolutely L-O-V-E it! My daughter is now 5 months old and we use it all the time. She faces out in it now, but when she was brand-new it was nice, ’cause she’d be all curled up inside it. Use it every week during church (I sing in the praise service), and the best part, she almost ALWAYS falls asleep in it, it’s so comfortable for her. The minute I take her out and try to hold her, I feel it in the small of my back, so it’s better for me too!
I agree with a wrap for the newborn stage. If you have access to a sewing machine you don’t need to spend your money on a Moby. Just get 5 yards of gauze from your local fabric store. Fold the ends over twice to enclose the raw edge, then stitch it down. Just a plain straight seam. I like to fold the fabric in half lengthwise when the baby is very little, then use the full width as baby gets bigger. My son was very strong and a real squirmer so by the time he was 8 months old I did not feel that he was secure enough in the wrap any more. I switched to a mei tai, which I also love, but you just can’t beat a wrap for comfort.
I used a rebozo, which is like a sling, when baby was little, but I actually switched to a woven wrap carry once he was 15 pounds, and still use it now at 13 months. I wish I had discovered it earlier. (But I do think all wraps have pro’s and con’s for different situations.)
From what I’ve read the Moby is nice and cozy for getting a close fit for newborns, as it’s knit, but for older babies you can still use a wrap. It just needs to be woven fabric with no stretch. (Or you could just use a woven wrap from the beginning.)
My review of pouch carriers and slings has more info, links on resources for slings, making wraps yourself, and some links on where to buy used. For older babies and a “poppable wrap” I use these pocket wrap cross carry instructions. I really dig that carry.
Enjoy your hunt for the perfect carry!