Choosing A Baby Sling or CarrierWith so many different types of baby slings and baby carriers available today--how do you choose? You will want to look at how much you plan on wearing your baby (which will hopefully be often), the age of your baby, the type of activities you will be doing while wearing your baby, and if multiple people will be wearing the baby. Here are the main types of carriers and the pros and cons of each. Wrap Style CarriersI wore my daughter in a Moby wrap almost continuously for the first three months of her life. Except for diapering and breastfeeding she was always in the Moby. Then, for the next three months for much of the time, I still wore her until she could sit and wanted to play on her own. We developed a wonderful feeling of closeness between us and she has been a very content baby. There is more of a learning curve with wraps than with some other carriers. Wraps take a bit longer to learn how to tie and it takes a bit of practice to learn how to position the baby, but it is well worth the effort. A wrap will fit any size person, and can be used for so many different carrying positions. Because they go over both shoulders, and wrap the baby tightly to your body, they are simply the most comfortable way to wear your baby! I highly recommend getting a wrap style carrier. A wrap is simply a very (very) long piece of fabric about two feet wide and six yards long. Some are stretchy knit and some are woven knit. Please, please, please, take the time to learn and try a wrap style carrier. Many people find them to be intimidating because there is so much fabric and you have to tie them on. DON'T GIVE UP! I found it to be the most comfortable especially in the early months. There is nothing like the feeling of having your baby so securely wrapped to you that you almost feel they are part of you. It is easy to give up on baby wearing if you don't feel that your baby is secure. It is also easy to give up quickly if straps are digging into your shoulders and you are in pain! The more secure you feel that your baby is, and the more comfortable you are, the more likely you are to continue your normal daily routine and have your hands free. It helps to have someone who is familiar with wraps put it on you and help you put the baby in it the first few times. It is very comfortable as it goes over both shoulders and wraps baby very closely to your center of gravity. For the first 7 weeks after my baby's birth, I wore my baby facing me with her legs tucked up into the Moby. After this point she wanted to push her legs out so I pulled her legs through the fabric so they hung free. At about 4 months, I began facing her out in the wrap as she wanted to see the world. I made sure to keep her hips lower than her knees so that her spine wasn't bearing her full weight. Much of the time I would pull the bottom piece of fabric up around her legs so she was sitting in lotus position. Wraps cost anywhere from $40 to $100 or more depending on the fabric. PROS: extremely comfortable ease of movement while wearing the baby one size fits all many different carrying positions--very versatile can be found in many price ranges CONS: Has more of a learning curve than other types of carriers Takes a little longer to put on and take off If the material is stretchy it may not work well with bigger babies (over 25 lbs or so) lots of material--not so easy to pack in the diaper bag Baby Slings
Baby slings are made of a continuous tube of fabric that only goes over one shoulder. Because of this I find that they are not as comfortable for extended use as the wraps or carriers that go over both shoulders. Baby slings are quite easy to put on and are easily stashed in a diaper bag, back pack, or large purse. I used a Hotsling brand baby sling when my baby was very little--less than one month old. I carried her in the cradle carry for short periods of time. I never felt quite comfortable with how she was laying in it. It was always uncomfortable for me as well. At 6 months, I began using the baby sling for the hip carry, but again not for very long periods of time. It works well when I need to quickly pop baby on and then quickly pop baby off. I am hoping to try a ring sling or some other type of baby sling that is adjustable. The easy on, easy off aspect of a baby sling really appeals to me, but I just could not put up with the neck and shoulder discomfort that I experienced with the Hotsling. Baby slings cost anywhere from $40-100. PROS: easy on easy off can be found in many price ranges easy to pack in the diaper bag CONS: baby slings can be extremely uncomfortable for the neck and shoulders more limited carrying positions one arm does not have complete freedom of movement ErgoBaby CarrierI also have an ErgoBaby carrier. The Ergo is easy to put on and take off especially when on the go. I just toss it in the back seat and put it on before I take baby out of her carseat. It buckles around the waist, baby straddles your waist, you pull the back fabric over baby, put your arms through the shoulder straps like a backpack, and fasten the chest strap. The Ergo has padded straps, is adjustable to most sizes and has a couple of pockets in which you can carry your keys, wallet, or an extra diaper.
I started wearing my baby in the Ergo facing towards me at about 4 months, and then at 5 months started wearing her in the hip carry. At 6 months, I started wearing her on my back. There is an infant insert that goes with the Ergo. This converts it for use with tiny newborns. It is a padded piece of fabric that inserts into the top of the Ergo so that the baby can be carried in the cradle hold. I will probably purchase it for use with my next baby since I like the Ergo so much. The Ergo is almost as comfortable as my Moby Wrap. An added bonus is that my husband thinks it looks more "manly" than the Moby, so he is more willing to use it! The Ergo can hold a lot more weight than the wrap, so we will be using it for a longer period of time-- although I still absolutely love my wrap! The Ergobaby carrier costs about $105. PROS: very comfortable great for toddlers and young children as its weight limit goes up to 40 lbs easy on and off ease of movement while wearing the baby one size fits all CONS: a little on the expensive side must have the infant insert to use with a baby younger than about 3 months a little bulky--not so easy to pack in the diaper bag Mei Tais (May-Tie) Asian Style CarriersMei Tais are a similar concept to the ErgoBaby Carrier. They are just a bit simpler without as much padding and without the extra features.They consist of a large square of sturdy fabric which has long ties at each corner. It is tied around the waist, the baby sits straddling your hips and the square comes up around baby. The top ties are then tied around you and baby. Mei Tais can also be used in several different positions--back, front, and hip. Mei Tais cost from $70-100. PROS: ease of movement while wearing the baby one size fits all easy to pack in the diaper bag CONS: some learning curve These are just some of the basic carriers and carrying positions. There are many brands and types of carriers out there. There is no one carrier for everybody. Have you tried a type of baby carrier that I haven't covered? Do you have rants or raves? Post a review of your favorites! I'd especially like to see reviews of some of the more unusual carriers like the Podaegi and the Chunei. Your Favorite Baby Carrier
What do you love/hate about a particular baby carrier? What different brands and types of baby carriers have you tried? What was the most Reviews from Other VisitorsClick below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...
i-phyeonhae chunei (choo-nee)
Hoppediz 4.5m baby wrap
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Baby slings are usually sized, so if you have two people who want to use the sling who are quite different in size, you will need to get two. Most baby slings are not adjustable unless you get a ring sling. 
