Infant carrier / sling question

[judben821]

We'll be traveling to Disney next month with our 2 DD - 1 is 3 years old and the other will be 5 1/2 months.
I've never used an infant carrier/sling before, but think it will be needed with all the standing in lines. Since it will still be very hot, I'm looking for something that will not overheat me by wearing it or my child by being in it.
I'm around 5 feet 3 inches and my husband is about 6 feet. We'll both be using it, although probably me mostly.
Any recommendations. Thanks so much!

 

[KristinU]

Hi Judy,

I'd recommend checking out www.thebabywearer.com for tons of basic info on carriers and slings. If you are crafty and can sew you can make your own - here's a link: Directions for Slings and Carriers
My DS is 7 mos. and 21 lbs now and I like the Asian Baby Carrier style the best, but like you mentioned - we do get a bit sweaty when it's hot and muggy out. Most slings and carriers are adjustable so you won't have a problem fitting both you and DH. I'm 5'1" and my DH is 6' and we both "wear" Theo in the same carriers without a problem.

Good Luck!

 

[NotUrsula]

There are several dealers on the web that sell mesh slings, which are very useful for pool time and bathing on the road (you can take the small one into the shower with you). Just google mesh sling, and you should get several hits. You can make those, too, but mesh fabric is rather hard to find, unless you order it online.

Silk is also a good fabric, as it is cool, but stick to pale colors and a crinkle or slubby surface texture, smooth silk tends to slip in the rings too much.

 

[LMC]

Does your daughter hold her head up yet? If she does, she may find a sling too confining. If she can hold her head up and tends to reach for things then I would use one of the front carriers that their feet hang out of. When you want, you could turn her to face you. I had a fisher price and it was a sling, back carrier, and front carrier (facing in or out). I never got the sling on it to work good so I can't recommend that part of it. IF, she does not hold her head up, a traditional sling would work great and she could even sit in it w/ her back to you and face out some. She would be slouched down in the sling but that would give her a view and she would be far enough down in the sling that she wouldn't fall out. Just criss-cross her legs and sit her on her bottom.

 

[DisFam95]

http://www.onestepahead.com/jump.js...51&itemType=PRODUCT&iProductID=751&change=117

We used this at Disney for our 17mo old and our friends borrowed it for their 7mo old. Both kids slept fine in it too. It was so easy to put on/off. We were already getting into line while our other friends were fumbling with the bigger front carriers and trying to fit the baby in and fasten and adjust all the straps each time.

 

[stacy6552]

The baby Bjorn is the only way to go. We used ours for our son when he was 11 mos and 20 mos. The straps are really comfy for you during long stretches and a regular sized one should fit both you and your DH well.

Thumbs up all around.

 

[DisFam95]

I have the Bjorn as well and it is easy to use but the OP is looking for something cooler and I personally would not want to wear my Bjorn or any of the body hugging carriers in the hotter weather.

If you want a front carrier the Bjorn is very easy. We tried them all on at BrU and it was the easiest to adjust. But if your looking for something cooler the Onestepahead sling is very nice.

 

[akrake]

in my opinion are the way to go. we used the hugabub & ellaroo last year with our 7wk old & plan to do the same with her this january. moby wrap is great too.
amie

 

[dijid]

I made two slings out of solarveil fabric to take with me last trip when DD was 8mo. The first was just a simple, unpadded sling. It was easy to make and great to wear in the pool. But the ultimate sling IMO was the other one I made.

I used the solarveil and then took a comfy cotton and made padded rails and shoulder with it. Just lightly padded, but enough to make it more comfortable on DD's legs in a hip carry position. The thing that made this the ultimate sling was that DD could sleep in it. She took her morning nap in it every morning. She was able to lay down completely and relax. The solarveil kept her protected from the sun. And I wasn't tied down to sitting by a stroller and we were free to keep riding. I also sewed on a pocket so I had a place to stash FPs, a diaper, a spit up rag and an extra binky.

Personally, I'd skip the Bjorn, but you're welcome to give it a try. See what you can borrow from people and try on for a day or two to see what's comfortable for you and baby. My oldest DD liked to face out, DS only wanted a hip carry and youngest DD likes a variety. Each child is different.

 

[momofbuzzfan]

Last October my two kids were the exact same ages as yours. After much reseach and reading of these threads i decided to try out the maya wrap, and boy was I glad I did!! It was in the upper 80's to low 90's everyday and I kept her in the sling almost all day, she wouldn't ride in the stroller. I wasn't too much warmer than I would have been normally. We took it easy with the two kids and I never was too sore or tired, there are enough sit down attractions that are airconditioned that kept me cool. She was able to sleep in there very comfortably and there was a long enough "tail" that I could shelter her from the sun or cover up while nursing. I also kept a wider rimmed sun hat on her to keep the sun off. I loved the little pocket that was sewn in to keep an extra diaper, hand gel, room key, etc.. My only regret is that I didn't get one sooner, it would have been so nice to have when she was just born. i ended up taking my bjorn back, they just aren't as comfy as the sling IMO.

 

[justhat]

We have the Bjorn Active Carrier, which is deisgned to be easier on your back than the regular ones. After using my friend's Bjorn, I can agree that the Active Carrier is much better. I wore mine in WDW in May (5/19-5/25) and June (6/7-6/21) and I found my daughter stayed cooler in the Bjorn than in her stroller. I, on the other hand, did not, since ht eextra back support can really make you sweaty. May was much better than June and I really have no complaints about wearing it then. June, however, was a weather nightmare, incredibly hot and humid everyday. Still, it wasn't really any worse than not wearing it. To cover her legs and arms, I used a white receiving blanket, which I tucked in the top of the Bjorn and then draped it over the back. Not only did it keep her arms and legs out of the sun, (which let me dress her in short sleeves/short legs since I didn't have to worry about sun exposure and burning), but it covered the whole Bjorn surface in white, which made it cooler for her than if the sun were beating on the black Bjorn. I also put a sun hat with a visor and neck flaps on her, so she was pretty much totally shaded all day. I also used sunblock since her pediatrician said it was okay to use even though she was under 6 months (almost 3 months and almost 4 months on our trips). Even though she was able to hold her head up by then, I kept her facing me to keep more sun away from her. On most show-type attractions, I took her out completely, but on some rides I would either sit sideways or face her out so she could see what was going on. She's 5 1/2 months now and I generally face her out, but still face her in when she's sleepy and she'll fall asleep pretty quickly when she's in that position. So yeah, it was warm to wear it in June, but May wasn't bad at all, so if the weather is similar for your trip, you'll be fine with a Bjorn.

 

[b-1]

Maya wrap all the way!!!

Loved this sling. My DD was 15 months on our last trip and I used the maya pouch. It was easy and adjustable for various heights. WHen it was time to ride, I would shift her over from my hip to in front of me, or take her right out.

I also used the sling in the airport and just checked the stroller right through.

 

[DWhittles]

I ordered a sling from a place called Babymoon Slings. The sling is really well made and I plan on taking it to Disney with us!
I also have a Bjorn that I'll be bringing too...

 

[Trinity721]

Judy B, before our trip to WDW with our DD last year, who was 10 mos at the time, I got a Baby Bjorn off of ebay. We are just like you! I am 5'3" and my DH is 6'. For us, the Baby Bjorn worked wonderfully. DD loved it, and it was easy for both of us to use.

It is different for everyone, and different people prefer different things. You should try borrowing a carrier of some sort or buying them and trying them out on outings, to the mall or what have you. And if it doesn't work out, you can return it.

Good luck!