good baby carrier for in the parks?

[smidgen21]

we have a 1 year old (he'll be 17 months at WDW) who weighs 29 lbs. we are taking our stroller, but I'm thinking about a baby carrier for waiting in lines, etc. any suggestions? p.s. i'm 5'2 and pooh sized, DH is 5'10" and pooh sized too. oh and we're on a budget. i could maybe spend $50-$75. TIA.

 

[WAHMto5]

When ours were smaller at Disney, I purchased the Hip Carrier from: http://www.walkingrockfarm.com

This was GREAT!!

 

[kstgelais4]

OOOHHHH. I love baby wearing! My favorite carriers for heavy babies are a babyhawk:
http://www.babyhawk.com/
You may want the toddler size. You can also customize your own!
Or a Beco Butterfly:
http://www.becobabycarrier.com/
These are both made for carrying babies longer than average, and your shoulders are not carrying all the weight. It is distributed evenly. If you look around, you may be able to find good deals on them.
thebabywearer.com also has a For sale or trade board which you can get great deals on.
If you are feeling adventerous you cna try a wrap! My favorite is this brand:
http://didymos.com/
This is what I use daily. It takes some practice but once you get it, you can get the baby in it in 30 seconds. And you can use this a ton of different ways (ie. on your back, front, side in a cradleing position).
Sorry for rambling, but I just love to carry my babies!

 

[SharkyGoddess]

I used a hand made Mei Tei that had some extra padding in the shoulders. I could use it on my hip, back or carry him on my front, and I used it up until he weighed over 30 lbs. I loved it!

 

[Ariel8676]

Go to http://thebabywearer.com/ they have a FSOT (for sale or trade) forum..there you can find great gently used carriers for great prices. Look for a Kanga XT( A SSC or soft structured carrier)..they are SOOO comfy and nice and tall http://hyenacart.com/blookangaroo/ they are a bit pricey to buy new, but you may be able to find a nice used one on FSOT. They are super comfy and easy to use, plus being able to throw that little guy on your back and have you hands free is great.
If not, a good supportive ring sling made from a wrap..there are normally a lot for sale there..would be great. That way you can hold him on your hip and they are adjustable, so your hubby can carry as well. And they are much more supportive(and more comfy for you) than one of those hip carriers.

 

[design_mom]

I loved my Ergo Baby Carrier (http://www.ergobabycarrier.com/) You can see DD in it in my avatar. She was 18 months at the time. There were several days that we left the stroller at the hotel and *only* used the baby carrier. It was comfortable enough to wear all day and so much easier than a stroller.

I think both the Ergo and the Beco (mentioned by a previous poster) are considered "soft structured carriers." IMHO, that's the way to go for a larger baby. (I wore DD in the Ergo very comfortably until she was 3-1/2. She's 4-1/2 now, and weight-wise she's still fine, but her dangling legs bother me!)

 

[TinkPearl]

I have a Moby wrap and it is very easy on my back! My baby will be 9 months for our trip next month and I plan on wearing him when waiting in lines (since we can't have the stroller then and he weighs over 20 lbs ) and also if my older son gets very tired and needs to sit in the stroller (hoping that doesn't happen too often). You should do some research on what you think would work for you and then check ebay for a good deal. I do not recommend a Bjorn~I think your son is too old for that anyway, but it will kill your back with any size baby!

Here's DS facing out in the Moby.....I loved the pattern for Fall but now I wish I could get another color for Disney!

 

[tanyaandallie]

For a 17 mos old, I'd go with a soft structured carrier. You can wear your baby on your back so comfortably. I'd look at the Ergo, Patapum, Beco. If you check out tbw like Shannon suggested you can find some great carriers at a great price.

 

[bumbershoot]

Ergo.

 

[hmurry]

i have to send 10 posts before i can do a PM...so frustrating AHHHH

 

[BiancaBernard&Penny]

For a 17 mos old, I'd go with a soft structured carrier. You can wear your baby on your back so comfortably. I'd look at the Ergo, Patapum, Beco. If you check out tbw like Shannon suggested you can find some great carriers at a great price.

I already asked on my favorite AP/ diapering board but more opinions are better. I'm thinking of getting a SSC for my trip to Disney (and hopefully will borrow before I buy) My daughter will be almost 3 and is about 35 lbs now. I wore her in a MeiTei just the other day and figured out a new tie for her but still I'm not using that! I guess she'll almost be too heavy for Ergo. I've heard Patapum might be a good choice?

 

[~Kristina~]

I'll be using my Beco Butterfly, a Baby Hawk, and Hotsling. Because ds doesn't like to sit in the stroller, I'm going to have to mix it up a bit to stay comfy.

 

[SharkyGoddess]

I have a Moby wrap and it is very easy on my back! My baby will be 9 months for our trip next month and I plan on wearing him when waiting in lines (since we can't have the stroller then and he weighs over 20 lbs ) and also if my older son gets very tired and needs to sit in the stroller (hoping that doesn't happen too often). You should do some research on what you think would work for you and then check ebay for a good deal. I do not recommend a Bjorn~I think your son is too old for that anyway, but it will kill your back with any size baby!

Here's DS facing out in the Moby.....I loved the pattern for Fall but now I wish I could get another color for Disney!

That is SOOOOOO cute!!!!!

 

[DRS_Are_Best]

This is something that I probably should consider too -- my twins will be 2 on Monday and we are working on making them "herdable", but not having much success with dd. Does anyone know of any twin carriers?

Sorry to horn in your post, but I thought it would be easier than starting a new thread (some reason my connection doesn't like to do that as much as reply -- weird).....

Thanks in advance!

 

[smidgen21]

I have a Moby wrap and it is very easy on my back! My baby will be 9 months for our trip next month and I plan on wearing him when waiting in lines (since we can't have the stroller then and he weighs over 20 lbs ) and also if my older son gets very tired and needs to sit in the stroller (hoping that doesn't happen too often). You should do some research on what you think would work for you and then check ebay for a good deal. I do not recommend a Bjorn~I think your son is too old for that anyway, but it will kill your back with any size baby!

Here's DS facing out in the Moby.....I loved the pattern for Fall but now I wish I could get another color for Disney!

your son is so cute! I had a maya wrap that we tried to use when he was a NB, but he hated it. Cried everytime we used it so I sold it on Ebay. I hope this time around is better. I think as long as he can see it will be okay. He was so little before, and I carried him facing me in the front.

 

[bkreitzel]

Ok, baby wearers!
I have never done this with my older two b/c I only had the Bjorn. I am 5 ft tall and could never see over the baby's head
Sooooooooooooooo. I am due w/ DD#3 and we will be at WDW for 10 days over Easter (in a wedding, could they have picked a busier time???).
Anyway! I am revisiting the sling-thing....thoughts on a great carrier for a 2.5 month old ... w/ a short mommy ... in hot weather?
On the flip side, my DH is 6'7" ... we wont be able to both use a sling, right? They seem to be sized??? So he could used the bjorn and I will get a sling is what i am thinking...that'll leave one of us free to chase DD's 6 and 4
Oh. I will need to buy on line b/c nobody sells them around here, small town and whatnot....

 

[NJR]

Ok, baby wearers!
I have never done this with my older two b/c I only had the Bjorn. I am 5 ft tall and could never see over the baby's head
Sooooooooooooooo. I am due w/ DD#3 and we will be at WDW for 10 days over Easter (in a wedding, could they have picked a busier time???).
Anyway! I am revisiting the sling-thing....thoughts on a great carrier for a 2.5 month old ... w/ a short mommy ... in hot weather?
On the flip side, my DH is 6'7" ... we wont be able to both use a sling, right? They seem to be sized??? So he could used the bjorn and I will get a sling is what i am thinking...that'll leave one of us free to chase DD's 6 and 4
Oh. I will need to buy on line b/c nobody sells them around here, small town and whatnot....

I was there in November with my 2 month old, and used my Sleepy Wrap (http://www.sleepywrap.com/) - it was great! Very, very comfortable, and I could even nurse him in it. I would think your DH would be able to wear it too as it's not sized, although I have not seen a lot of men wear wraps. On days that were particularly hot, I wore just my nursing tank under the wrap, so convenient!

 

[BiancaBernard&Penny]

Ok, baby wearers!
I have never done this with my older two b/c I only had the Bjorn. I am 5 ft tall and could never see over the baby's head
Sooooooooooooooo. I am due w/ DD#3 and we will be at WDW for 10 days over Easter (in a wedding, could they have picked a busier time???).
Anyway! I am revisiting the sling-thing....thoughts on a great carrier for a 2.5 month old ... w/ a short mommy ... in hot weather?
On the flip side, my DH is 6'7" ... we wont be able to both use a sling, right? They seem to be sized??? So he could used the bjorn and I will get a sling is what i am thinking...that'll leave one of us free to chase DD's 6 and 4
Oh. I will need to buy on line b/c nobody sells them around here, small town and whatnot....

At that age, Bernard liked to use the Bjorn. I never got that comfortable with it even though we had one sized for each of us (happens when you have family in Sweden) I used a WAHM sling like a hotsling at that age since Penny nursed on demand. If I did it over again, I'd try a wrap... that sleepy wrap looks lovely! I'd probably even make one.
Oh, and Penny was 2 months in August so we survived the heat with my sling and his Bjorn.

 

[kstgelais4]

Ok, baby wearers!
I have never done this with my older two b/c I only had the Bjorn. I am 5 ft tall and could never see over the baby's head
Sooooooooooooooo. I am due w/ DD#3 and we will be at WDW for 10 days over Easter (in a wedding, could they have picked a busier time???).
Anyway! I am revisiting the sling-thing....thoughts on a great carrier for a 2.5 month old ... w/ a short mommy ... in hot weather?
On the flip side, my DH is 6'7" ... we wont be able to both use a sling, right? They seem to be sized??? So he could used the bjorn and I will get a sling is what i am thinking...that'll leave one of us free to chase DD's 6 and 4
Oh. I will need to buy on line b/c nobody sells them around here, small town and whatnot....

definitely a wrap. You and your Dh will both be able to use the same one. Get a Moby wrap, or another stretchy wrap for when she is a little baby, and then get a woven wrap like a Didymos or a Ellaroo for when she gets a little heavier. The woven wraps just support the weight better. To save some money you could just sell the Moby wrap on thebabywearer.com and buy a used Woven wrap there.

 

[summermac]

Ergo all the way!! I'm bringing mine for my DD and she'll be 2 when we go. It's awesome. She loves it and I love it. I'm small and short and this is the one carrier that doesn't kill my back.

It has a huge weight limit too - I actually put my youngest sister in it and carried her as a joke. She weighed about 95 lbs at the time. LOL!