Baby Carrier or Sling - Rego Park,NY

I have had a variety of baby carriers and slings and didn't use most of them. The only one I used a lot was the Hip Hammock. It is very easy to use for bigger babies (over 15 lb.s) but not comfortable to wear for a long time so it might not be best for you. I have heard good things about Ergo and haven't gotten one (yet).

get an ergo and don't look back. Better yet, get someone else to get it for you. This was the ONLY gift I requested for my first bord - more important than a stroller by far.

Hey, I want to say that I loved all my baby carriers! Here's my opinion --

1. To me the best is the Bjorn Sport (it's red and black). It was comfy, easy to use for long periods of time, and I did everything with it. The extra back support makes a HUGE difference for me, it made things like going up/down stairs so easy, as if I was almost not carrying a baby at all, and it was super-secure (my wiggly guy was going nowhere in that thing, yet he was happy and comfy). Was a lifesaver for trips to big, loud places like Costco, and my son often napped it it. It is also easy to take on and off and it's "sleek" - I can put my coat over it easily, and it hugs my son close so together we do not take up more room than when I was pregnant. That is a plus for tight spaces, like the subway, for ex. Also, you have the option of wearing it so baby faces you OR out, and there's advantages to both - facing you, for those subway trips where you know you will be close to others and you don't want germy strangers in your baby's face, and facing out, so your kid can enjoy the ride!

2. The second best, I say grudgingly, is the Ergo. I must admit, it is a pretty good carrier. Not as comfy as my beloved Bjorn, however, it can used for years (my son is still two, I still use it, and there is room to grow). However, I find it tremendously bulky and, frankly, ugly. I look like a football player in it. I wrote a long post on Amazon. com over a year ago and it is still there...I am OhMamacita, check it out if you want all the details. Many moms will say it's comfier to use than the Bjorn, but I've always felt the Bjorn active was better for my back. It Bjorn active has full back support, and it feels like an all around wrap. To me, the Ergo feels like putting on a bookbag backwards when it's positioned so that baby faces you. To me, and my opinion only, it feels very awkward.

3. Others I love, however may not be great for city life - the hotsling was small and compact, great for a newborn and small babies, but my kid grew out of it in just a few weeks. The Moby wrap I LOVED, very comfy, however, it was a bit of a hassle to take on/off (I basically left it on me all day and slipped my son in and out of it, may not be the best choice for you living in the city). However, for indoors, I felt it was great, as I felt it was the most secure and most versatile. Again, I can still carry my son in it at 2.

In the end, slings are a lot like shoes and bras - you have try on a few to get a piece that is comfortable for you. I think the ones I stated above are a good place to start since many are now widely available. If you are stil pregnant, bring a heavy bag of rice with you to the store, or a baby doll/teddy bear, and weigh it down so that it's about 15-17 lbs, to get a "real" experience. You can get a real baby too, but none of my friends had one yet!

hands down the ergo carrier. it is super comfy and distributes the weight on your hips, can be worn front back or side,and goes from infant to toddler - 40pd weight limit i belive. my son is 21/2 and i just stoped using it. i also had the back pack accesory and it was awsome traveling threw airports with it. pretty much the baby and carry on was straped to me leaving me hands free. definatly worth the $100 plus considering the use i got out of it!

I have the Sleepy Wrap which is like the Moby (www.sleepywrap.com) and absolutely love it. I also have the Baby Bjorn, but my son doesn't fit in it any longer, he is 20 months and 27lb. The good thing about the wrap is that it "grows" with the child, I still wear my son when he needs it. There are a lot of different ways to wrap a child, and once you get the hang of it, it's actually super convenient.

The one item I would never live without again with a baby is a Moby Wrap. I make them for all my friends now when they get pregnant. I could not live without it! It takes you all the way from a kangaroo newborn hold to a toddler backpack hold. There are several different holds, including one for nursing. It is more versatile and comfortable than the others I've had (BabyBjorn I found uncomfortable for my back and shoulders, and a MeiTai that I found awkward until my daughter was larger). Go for the Moby Wrap!

I love my ergobaby. You can put them in front or the back. It is so much better on your back and shoulders than other carriers. I used it until my son was 18months and became PG with our 2nd son.

Get the Ergo ...way more comfortable than baby bjorn....also I have 3 slings given to me and loved them. But now baby 18 lbs just use Ergo.

Hands down, the Ergo is awesome. I started using mine with the infant insert when DS was only like 2 weeks old. He is now 10.5 months and 25 lbs and I still swear by it. It doesn't hurt your back because the weight is distributed on your hips.

We took our son on a trip to Puerto Rico in July and I don't know how I would have gotten through the airport without the Ergo! It was a lifesaver!

It's a bit pricey but well worth the cost. If your LO is still a newborn, spring for the infant insert too. You won't regret it!

I also hear very good things about the Becco and Moby wraps, but I've never tried those.

If you are in hte city a lot go to Metro Minis. Bianca - the owner - is a longtime babywearer and htey carry a HUGE variety of carriers you can try on. There are also Slings in the City meetings att over hte city (check out www.slingsinthecity.com) for more info. At the free meetings you can try on carriers others own and get hands on advise and help choosing what is right for you. There are also meetings in the surrounding suburbs, PM me if you need more info.
Here is Bianca's info:
Metro Minis
Neighborhood: Upper East Side
821 Park Ave
(between 75th St & 76th St)
New York, NY 10021
###-###-####
www.metrominis.com

General advise: Soft Stretchy Wraps are great for newborns. Structured carriers like hte Ergo others mentioned are great carriers from infant to toddler, as are woven wraps. Seriously though, I really feel that trying on different carriers is hte way to go if you can, because everyone has a different favorate for different reasons. We are in Warwick if you are north of the city and want to try on some carriers.
Best of luck!! The benifits of carrying your baby are wonderful!
K.
www.handsfreebaby.com

I found the babywearing group on babycenter.com to be very helpful! Here is a message I copied giving advice about various kinds of carriers (sorry it's long)!
BTW, I plan to get a ring sling and either a woven wrap (not a Moby because I hear those only work for very young babies) or an Ergo. Hope it helps!

"If you don’t have a carrier and need some suggestions, continue reading.

Types of carriers
Wraps
Stretch wraps: A large piece of fabric that you wrap around you and your baby. Worn on the front only, no matter what the photos on other sites show. It is not safe as a back carrier.
Best for: newborns and up to about 18lbs
Not good for: heavier babies, back carries
Recommended brands: Sleepy Wrap, Wrapsody Bali Stretch, Lovey Duds
Not recommended: Moby because it is too thick, it sags and loosens, although many moms love these
DIY: YES and no sewing skill is required! Try these instructions here and here.
How to use the wrap

Woven Wraps: A woven piece of fabric that you wrap in various ways around you and your baby. This is different than a stretchy wrap because it is more supportive. There are about a million different ways to wrap these depending on the length of the wrap. Some wraps are thinner than others and I am even listing a gauze wrap brand that is great but these are more difficult to use.
Best for: babies of any size
Not recommended for: These are great for everyone who has the patience to learn how to use them. It is not that hard, I promise!
Recommended brands: Girasol, Didymos, Hoppediz, Storchenwiege, Neobulle, Ellaroo (thin-not for toddlers), Wrapsody Bali Breeze (gauze) , Vatanai (maker of the coveted Pamir hand woven wrap)
DIY?: You can make yourself a woven wrap using heavy gauze or osnaburg fabric but these fabrics will need to be hemmed and they will not be as good as the wraps suggested here. We don’t recommend DIY woven wraps.
How to use: There are hundreds of different ways to use these. Start with the instructions here: 1, 2, 3, and from SquishyMommy! (who has lots of different carrier videos!)

Mei Tai (MT)
A large rectangle of fabric with long straps that you tie on. Can be worn on the front or the back. Since it ties on it does not need to be sized. XL straps are available on many carriers.
Best for: Babies to toddlers
Not recommended for: Tiny newborns but only because it is not as easy to use as other newborn carriers. It is still safe though and many people use these with newborns.
Recommended brands: BabyHawk, Kozy, Freehand, Catbird Baby, Ball Baby Overall, there are lots and lots of good brands of these! Wrapstar is a new brand from our very own greytmommy! Stay tuned for more info on how to buy a Wrapstar.
Not recommended: Random ebay or etsy WAHM brands. Some brands really are great and we love the idea of supporting WAHMs. Many of the brands we recommend started out selling on ebay, etsy and Hyena Cart and some still do. Just do some research before buying one of these carriers. The Baby Wearer is a great place to check reviews but since many of these are so unknown, you might need to do a thread search or even a Google search to find more info or ask us for help. There are a few brands in particular that are well known for using inferior materials or shoddy workmanship which compromises the safety of the carrier. Just be careful.
How to use a mei tai: Instructions from Kozy, TBW, and Squishymommy
DIY: Yes but a moderate level of sewing skills is required. Select bottomweight fabrics including denim, canvas, twill and upholstery fabric only. Quilter’s cotton should only be used for accents, not the stability pieces of the carrier. Great tutorials are available from SBP, TBW and here.

Soft Structured Carrier (SSC)
This is a carrier similar to a mei tai but uses buckles instead of ties. These are super comfortable and can be used for front or back carries and these are especially good for heavy toddlers. Can be adjusted for different users. Very dad-friendly!
Best for: Babies to toddlers
Not good for: Difficult to fit very petite mamas
Recommended brands: Beco, Ergo, AngelPack, Pikkalo (the only one with facing out capability), Patapum, Olives and Applesauce, Dream Carriers, Two Mommas Designs (these last three also carry ½ buckle and mei tai carriers)
Not recommended: Baby Bjorn (this is in the category because it buckles on but this carrier is designed differently and is really inferior to the others)
DIY?: Yes, but it is important to find strong clips and webbing.
How to use a SSC
Comparison Chart
More info from TBW

Pouches
These are tubes of fabric that your fold in half and wear like a sash. Your baby fits into the pocket made by the fold. These must be correctly sized in order to work properly. These come padded and unpadded. I personally like the padded better.
Best for: Newborns who like the cradle hold, infants and toddlers in the hip carry. Good for quick trips.
Not good for: Long carries with a heavy baby, the period between about 4-6 months
Recommended brands: Hotslings, Peanut Shell, Karma Baby (these run large), Zolowear, Kangaroo Korner (adjustable)
Not recommended: New Native (hangs too low to be comfortable but some moms love it), ebay pouch slings (read the Not Recommended section under Mei Tais)
DIY?: Yes but it is difficult to find a pattern that fits. You are better off making a pattern from a pouch you know fits you. Here is one tutorial though. Be sure to read this on how to choose fabric.
How to use a pouch by PDF (with troubleshooting) and youtube.

Ring Slings
Carriers similar to pouches but with adjustable rings. These also come padded and unpadded but I prefer unpadded slings since they are easier to adjust.
Best for: newborns through toddlers, great for nursing
Not good for: some ring slings are not good for heavy toddlers, no back carries
Recommended brands: Sleeping Baby Productions (otherwise known as SBP, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED), Kalea Baby, Sakura Bloom, Zolowear
Not recommended: Again with the random ebay brands. I especially worry about the quality of fabric and the rings being used on these. You can’t beat SBP slings and they are just about the most affordable out there. Go with that instead!
DIY?: Absolutely and with minimal sewing skills required. Please order sling rings from here and read these instructions.
How to use a ring sling: I love the Zolowear videos. Here is a good one on how to nurse in a sling.

Places to buy
Used
The Baby Wearer: Must be a member (it’s free!) and to sell on the FSOT board, you must be a member for 30 days AND have 30 posts. This can be a little overwhelming at first. If you know what you want, we can help you navigate and search for your carrier.
Diaper Swappers: Must be a member (it’s free!) and there is no post minimum to sell. You do have to have 10 posts to add photos though. You will find the occasional crappy carrier here but there are lots of great deals here too.
BBC Babywearing Swap: must be approved to join the group. Pretty slow moving but still has good deals.
Ebay (do you really need a link?) Just be wary of non-name brand slings.

New
Slings I Love
Frogmama
Attached to Baby"

If you're going to be doing a lot of travel on public transport, I would go for either the Patapum, Ergo or Becco depending on the age of your baby and your frame. Patapum for toddlers, Ergo for all ages and larger frame adult, Becco for infants to toddlers with smaller frame parents.

Slings are Ok for short distances, but put strain on your body with extended wearing in one position.

Wraps are comfortable, but tend to be daunting in the "learning period."

Avoid Baby Bjorn and other "hanging carriers" that put all the stress on your shoulders and the baby's crotch--they will cause both you and your baby strain as the little one gets heavier.

Ergobaby is great for the city. You should check out Metro Minis on Park Ave. They can really help you through all the many choices and I believe they have a try before you buy policy. You could also ask them about the group "Slings in the City". I belive they have a sling library, so you can borrow and try.

Cheers,
C.

We're planning to use the Moby wrap... we're haviing twins and its really the only convenient one we could find that makes it easy to carry either one or two and there are just so many options for wearing your baby in different ways - very versitile. And for such a simple piece of "equipment" it grows with your child.
The Moby website isn't too helpful - i think they only show the basic front carry with an infant. But there are tons of youtube videos that show and explain how to set up the wrap in so many ways and it seems like it would become very second nature after a few times. :)

L., I have heard a lot of great things about baby slings. I was never able to use one but I know women who used anything from homemade slings to the top of the line. From what I understand it doesnt matter as long as you get one you can work wit If you are interested I have a brand new Graco sling that I NEVER used. It is Navy and Cream. Let me know if you are interested.

Check out www.quirkybaby.com. It's run by a mom who is a babywearing expert and she can answer all your questions and recommend the best carrier for you. We have the Ergo as well and use it all the time. Only thing is, the child can't face out but you can wear him/her on your front, side or back. It's like a hiking pack in that most of the weight is on your hips, so it doesn't hurt your shoulders and back.

Gloria
http://centraljersey.citymommy.com/

The Ergo carrier is the best that I have tried. They are about $100.00 and the come with a video to show you how to put it on. Here is the link: http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_info.php?cPath=35&amp...