baby carrier

[wifey1220]

I am looking for a baby carrier. i would like something that is good for a newborn. I saw lots of disers liked the ultimate baby wrap by parents of invention. But when I watched the video it looked like too much work. And I am afriad I would tie it wrong and the baby would fall out. Can anyone recommend a good carrier for a newborn ? Maybe something easy to nurse with. I plan to use the carrier while I am in disney in november.
Thanks

 

[aprilfoolwed]

A pouch-style carrier is the easiest to use, but that easy-to-use format has a few drawbacks. You typically can't adjust the size on a pouch, so it would be sized for you and can be more difficult to breastfeed in. But they are cozy and easy to use!

A ring sling is also fairly easy to use and is super adjustable!

Stretchy wraps are nice for newborns, but they do have a learning curve. But I think a stretchy wrap was my favorite carrier for newborns.

A soft-structured carrier (like an Ergo) is also a nice choice.\

My biggest suggestion is to try to find a local babywearing group - the moms there will likely have lots of different carriers you can try on and see how they feel. They'll also have some great babywearing tips!

Sometimes it takes a few tries to find the "right" carrier. Good thing there is a great second-hand market for carriers and you can sell one off easily if you don't love your first choice.

A good site for info is www.thebabywearer.com - have fun shopping! And feel free to PM me if you want to talk carriers! My youngest is pretty much done being carried - but we're packing a ring sling for Disney since we can't use strollers in the lines.

 

[kstgelais4]

Actually the wraps are really easy and quick to put on. It takes a few times of practice and then it comes easily. It's kind of like tying your shoes. I love the Moby wrap for Newborns.
www.mobywrap.com
If you really don't want a wrap try a babyhawk.
www.babyhawk.com
They are great for all ages of babies, and toddlers too

 

[MyZoeJane]

A pouch-style carrier is the easiest to use, but that easy-to-use format has a few drawbacks. You typically can't adjust the size on a pouch, so it would be sized for you and can be more difficult to breastfeed in. But they are cozy and easy to use!

A ring sling is also fairly easy to use and is super adjustable!

Stretchy wraps are nice for newborns, but they do have a learning curve. But I think a stretchy wrap was my favorite carrier for newborns.

A soft-structured carrier (like an Ergo) is also a nice choice.\

My biggest suggestion is to try to find a local babywearing group - the moms there will likely have lots of different carriers you can try on and see how they feel. They'll also have some great babywearing tips!

Sometimes it takes a few tries to find the "right" carrier. Good thing there is a great second-hand market for carriers and you can sell one off easily if you don't love your first choice.

A good site for info is www.thebabywearer.com - have fun shopping! And feel free to PM me if you want to talk carriers! My youngest is pretty much done being carried - but we're packing a ring sling for Disney since we can't use strollers in the lines.

Thanks for saving me a ton of typing! I completely agree. The pouch is AWESOME for nursing and for quick on and off uses such as when you're taking baby from the stroller to get into line to ride a ride or visit a show. It can be crumbled into a ball to fit into a pocket on a backpack or stashed undr the stroller.

But as the PP said, it's designed to fit pretty much one size. If you think you'd need something that could be shared by two adults or more, I'd go with a ring sling. Almost as effortless, though a bit more bulky.

 

[El&Asmom]

I agree with the PP except I never really liked stretchy wraps with my newborns. I'm just not a wrapper at heart, but many people love them.
For newborns, I love ring slings and pouches. Ring slings are more adjustable, and are good with your changing post partum weight. Pouches can't be any easier, but unless you get the right fit, you'll hate it. Thankfully, after much trial and error, I know what size I am, and use my pouches often with my dd that is 13 weeks.
Here she is at about 2 days old in a ring sling. She lived in that carrier much of the first few weeks.

 

[MyZoeJane]

Here she is at about 2 days old in a ring sling. She lived in that carrier much of the first few weeks.

OMG!

 

[wifey1220]

Maybe I worry too much , but the wraps and slings scare me. I am afraid the baby might fall out. I am planning on using the carrier alot. i want to take it to disney and all of my son's hockey games. Have any of you had any accidents where the baby wasn't secure or slipped out? i saw some body wraps being worn on the mom's back. so that should mean they are safe enough for hands free carrying. But what if they are not tied right, I am worried. Am I just being silly?

 

[design_mom]

Maybe I worry too much , but the wraps and slings scare me. I am afraid the baby might fall out. <snip> But what if they are not tied right, I am worried. Am I just being silly?

That's one reason I felt more comfortable with a soft-structured carrier -- It has buckles that snap, instead of ties, and I always felt more confident that I'd "done it right."

I had a ring sling at first, but never felt secure enough with it to be hands-free. I always felt like I needed to keep my hands on my child. (I've seen other people do it hands free... but not me.)

I had an Ergo and loved it ( www.ergobabycarrier.com ), but my child was older when I got it. There's a special insert you can use for teeny-tiny babies (before they can hold their head up). There are also a variety of brands of soft-structured carriers, in case you don't want the ergo.

 

[irene_dsc]

That's one reason I felt more comfortable with a soft-structured carrier -- It has buckles that snap, instead of ties, and I always felt more confident that I'd "done it right."

I had a ring sling at first, but never felt secure enough with it to be hands-free. I always felt like I needed to keep my hands on my child. (I've seen other people do it hands free... but not me.)

I had an Ergo and loved it ( www.ergobabycarrier.com ), but my child was older when I got it. There's a special insert you can use for teeny-tiny babies (before they can hold their head up). There are also a variety of brands of soft-structured carriers, in case you don't want the ergo.

Honestly, you are in more danger of a buckle suddenly snapping than a tie coming untied so quickly that you didn't notice it. Believe me, if a carrier is getting loose, you will notice. (Not trying to make people worry about buckles - I only know of one buckle-related recall, ever, not on an Ergo fwiw.)

However, that being said, you do have to be careful with whatever type of carrier you use. (Or stroller, carseat, carrying in arms, etc.) It is definitely possible to use a carrier improperly and dangerously, so you should always make sure that the baby is positioned properly so he/she can breathe and don't, say, lean over so they can fall out. I haven't used an Ergo, so I don't know how secure I would feel with one compared to my Kozy. I think the most important thing is that you pay attention to what you are doing, and you will be able to tell if your child is in there securely or not!

 

[wifey1220]

I have been researching online and found some nice (expensive ) buckle carriers. Is anyone able to give me personal opinions on any of these:
beco butterfly
pikkolo
action baby
angel pack
babies beyond borders
ergo

 

[stacy6552]

I loved my Baby Bjorn. Yes you can nurse while wearing it (though you might still want a blanket for modesty). And when baby gets older he can ride face in or face out. We used it at WDW long after we'd stopped using it at home, when our son was about 21 mos. So it will last as long as you need it.

 

[wifey1220]

I loved my Baby Bjorn. Yes you can nurse while wearing it (though you might still want a blanket for modesty). And when baby gets older he can ride face in or face out. We used it at WDW long after we'd stopped using it at home, when our son was about 21 mos. So it will last as long as you need it.

Thanks
It is nice to know someone liked a carrier they actually have in a store. All the good ones have been available online only. I would like to be able to go to target or babies r us and try them on.

 

[El&Asmom]

I have been researching online and found some nice (expensive ) buckle carriers. Is anyone able to give me personal opinions on any of these:
beco butterfly
pikkolo
action baby
angel pack
babies beyond borders
ergo

I have an Ergo, and had a Beco with dd2. I love the Ergo for back carries after baby is about 5 months old. Before that, I don't think they are the greatest carriers for smaller babes. The Beco is loved by many, and works well for little ones if you get one of the newer ones. It wasn't my favorite though. The others that you mention, I have not tried.
I recently got a Connecta which is like a mei tai but has buckles. It works well from birth on up. We are loving it with my 13 week old. It is nice to have a two shouldered carrier that doesn't have the long straps like a mei tai does. I have also heard the Pikkolo works well for newborns.
I would also highly suggest a Babyhawk mei tai. These are becoming much more mainstream and offer a great personalization option. You can use these on the front or back and from birth on up. They are my absolute favorite MT.

I wouldn't worry about the safety thing, (not that you shouldn't worry about safety, but honestly slings are very safe once you get the hang of it). I also agree that the buckles are more likely to fail than a knot that you make, but still unlikely. I have been baby wearing for about 3 years with my kids combined, and have never had a close call.

This may have been mentioned, but thebabywearer.com has a wealth of information. There are many forums that you can ask specific questions, and get answers from some very experienced babywearing moms. Plus if you have questions about specific carriers, someone there will have an opinion on one or many depending on what they have used.

Bottom line is that there are many different carriers, and everyone has their favorite. It really depends on what you are using them for, and what works well with your body type and size. The other thing is that if you want to try specific carriers, you can look for a babywearing group in your area. That way you can see many of the carriers that are online without spending the money on one that may not work well for you. Your local LLL can also likely help you out if you need opinions on carriers.

 

[design_mom]

Honestly, you are in more danger of a buckle suddenly snapping than a tie coming untied so quickly that you didn't notice it. Believe me, if a carrier is getting loose, you will notice. (Not trying to make people worry about buckles - I only know of one buckle-related recall, ever, not on an Ergo fwiw.)

I
I wouldn't worry about the safety thing, (not that you shouldn't worry about safety, but honestly slings are very safe once you get the hang of it). I also agree that the buckles are more likely to fail than a knot that you make, but still unlikely. I have been baby wearing for about 3 years with my kids combined, and have never had a close call.

To be clear, my preference for buckles over ties wasn't a worry about the knot failing, it was responding to the OP's question about getting the carrier on tight enough that the child wouldn't fall out, etc.

With the buckled carriers (or at least with the Ergo, which is what I had), you could cinch up the buckles after they were snapped to ensure the tightest fit rather than having to undo/redo the whole wrapped/knotted thing if you thought it was looser than you wanted. (And in my experience, the tighter it was, the more comfortable the carry). And, once you got the buckles where you wanted them, it was pretty much set-it-and-forget it... You could take the carrier on/off without having to adjust much at all, rather than starting from scratch each time.

To be fair, I've never used a mei tai (or other tied carrier) other than trying one on and I'm sure they're great. However, as a "new baby wearer," I felt that the buckled-carriers were easier for me to use and know that I was doing it properly/securely. (I never wore DS. He hated the Baby Bjorn and I never tried anything else. DD and I both loved the Ergo. She was rarely in a stroller.)

 

[irene_dsc]

To be clear, my preference for buckles over ties wasn't a worry about the knot failing, it was responding to the OP's question about getting the carrier on tight enough that the child wouldn't fall out, etc.

With the buckled carriers (or at least with the Ergo, which is what I had), you could cinch up the buckles after they were snapped to ensure the tightest fit rather than having to undo/redo the whole wrapped/knotted thing if you thought it was looser than you wanted. (And in my experience, the tighter it was, the more comfortable the carry). And, once you got the buckles where you wanted them, it was pretty much set-it-and-forget it... You could take the carrier on/off without having to adjust much at all, rather than starting from scratch each time.

To be fair, I've never used a mei tai (or other tied carrier) other than trying one on and I'm sure they're great. However, as a "new baby wearer," I felt that the buckled-carriers were easier for me to use and know that I was doing it properly/securely. (I never wore DS. He hated the Baby Bjorn and I never tried anything else. DD and I both loved the Ergo. She was rarely in a stroller.)

I agree that it is definitely a personal preference sort of thing. I like giving baby carriers for presents, and always ask my friends what sort of thing they want. One friend was insistent that she didn't want to have to tie anything - so I got her an Ergo. I've also given a couple of ring slings and a couple of wraps, depending on what they preferred. I've used a ring sling, wraps (tho never got very good at it), and a mei tai, and am probably the most skilled with my MT (fwiw, I can adjust the knot at my waist if need be, tho as I got better, I hardly ever needed to do it). The great thing is that there are so many choices out there!

 

[scape1224]

you have already got a wealth of information.

i have a hotsling and beco butterfly II. i love both.

i have had a bjorn, can you say major back ache!!

 

[ElleBren]

I don't remember the name of the sling I used, but I know I bought it from Target. It was awesome!! I felt secure, and it was great for breastfeeding and I almost didn't even need a blanket. Also it worked well as a changing mat when nothing else was available. I will have to go back and look at the name.

^^^ I totally agree about the bjorn. My back would always be killing me, and my daughter was rather light for her age.

 

[flipflopmom]

I used a ring sling until DD was 9 months exclusively, and I LOVED it! When she was about 5 months, we were at the beach shopping, and she was nursing, I was walking around while she was nursing, and even DH didn't realize it! We graduated to a MT at 9 months, loved it until DD got bigger, and we've used a wrap since! She is a very heavy 2 year old, and I can wrap her comfortably for hours!

 

[El&Asmom]

To be clear, my preference for buckles over ties wasn't a worry about the knot failing, it was responding to the OP's question about getting the carrier on tight enough that the child wouldn't fall out, etc.

With the buckled carriers (or at least with the Ergo, which is what I had), you could cinch up the buckles after they were snapped to ensure the tightest fit rather than having to undo/redo the whole wrapped/knotted thing if you thought it was looser than you wanted. (And in my experience, the tighter it was, the more comfortable the carry). And, once you got the buckles where you wanted them, it was pretty much set-it-and-forget it... You could take the carrier on/off without having to adjust much at all, rather than starting from scratch each time.

To be fair, I've never used a mei tai (or other tied carrier) other than trying one on and I'm sure they're great. However, as a "new baby wearer," I felt that the buckled-carriers were easier for me to use and know that I was doing it properly/securely. (I never wore DS. He hated the Baby Bjorn and I never tried anything else. DD and I both loved the Ergo. She was rarely in a stroller.)

Sorry, in no way did I mean to offend you or buckle carriers. I have a couple myself and love them including the Ergo. I was just trying to respond to the fact that ties are very safe, and having used MTs for a while now feel that it would be pretty hard for baby to fall out because of a faulty knot.
And in regards to being too loose, all you have to do to make it tighter is undo your knot, pull your straps tighter by "bouncing" baby, and retying the knot. Not as "set it and forget it", but still pretty easy.

I'm glad there are so many carriers out there. As we can see by this thread, everyone has their favorite.

 

[tloveswdw]

I have been researching online and found some nice (expensive ) buckle carriers. Is anyone able to give me personal opinions on any of these:
beco butterfly
pikkolo
action baby
angel pack
babies beyond borders
ergo

Becos are so simple and easy. I can wear an infant or a 4 year old, with little adjusment. All of our children have seen Disney in a Beco Easy to nurse in, not as hot a wrap, easy to cover with sun protecting blanket....