What do you recommend?

[Dune Lover]

I want to purchase a new carrier. I have a DS who is almost 17 months old and will be giving birth in the next month. I have tried ring slings in the past and did not care for them. I have a Bjorn but find that useful for walking/hiking. I am considering one of the following:

Moby Wrap
EllaRoo
Hug a Bub

I will be wearing it mostly around the house and would like to nurse the baby while wearing. I am open to suggestions as well.

Thanks so much!

[Drummer's Wife]

I think a moby would be the easiest to use with a newborn -- unless ellaroo has a stretchy wrap I don't know about.

[MamaKickyPants]

Are you talking about the Ellaroo woven wrap? Or Mei Tai? They make both. If you are looking for longevity, and being able to use it with either of your kiddos, either of those options will be best. But for snuglliness and total comfort with a newborn, go with one of the stretchies.

You can nurse in any of these carriers, with the MT and stretchies being easier to master, and the woven wrap being a little harder to master.

The Mei Tai and woven wrap would also be fine for walking and hiking, for as long as your babe is willing to be worn! I carry my DS (18 mos, 25 lbs) on my back in a MT or Ergo on a regular basis for up to two hours. When he was little (up to about a year or so) I regularly (like every day!) wore him in a front carry, in my Babyhawk Mei Tai for anywhere from 4-8 hours a day.

The stretchy wraps would also be fine for walking or hiking, but babes usually get too heavy for them by about 6 mos, so they're only useful for so long. I do love a newborn in a stretch wrap though! So comfy...

[Quirky]

Assuming you're talking wrap and not mei tai for EllaRoo, I'd vote Moby. The EllaRoo wrap has no give to it at all and is not a good wrap for a beginner. I don't find it comfy at all. The Hug a Bub is a nice wrap, but much more expensive than the Moby. A stretchy wrap is a wonderful wrap for a newborn, but you'll outgrow it by 20 pounds. I'd get the less expensive stretchy wrap and then plan on getting another carrier as baby gets bigger.

A different option for a wrap would be a hybrid stretch wrap like the Wrapsody BaliBaby Stretch, which combines some of the stretch factor but overall can be used longer/with a heavier baby and can also be worn on the back (can't do with a stretchy wrap).

Or if you are motivated to learn to wrap with a woven wrap, something like a Didymos, Storchenwiege, Girasol, or Ellevil will be the most expensive wrap option but will also give you the most versatility and support in the long run, as these can be worn with quite heavy toddlers.

If you were talking about the mei tai for EllaRoo, a mei tai is also a great choice for a newborn and will be more versatile than the stretchy wrap over the long haul as it can be worn front or back. The EllaRoo isn't my favorite mei tai -- I think there are better styles out there. The headrest is really not very functional at all. But there are a lot of great brands to choose from.

[Collinsky]

Originally Posted by Quirky

A different option for a wrap would be a hybrid stretch wrap like the Wrapsody BaliBaby Stretch, which combines some of the stretch factor but overall can be used longer/with a heavier baby and can also be worn on the back (can't do with a stretchy wrap).

This would be my vote!

[AnnR33]

Are you just using it for the new baby or do you want something to use with both? The ellaroo would be good for both but the stretchy wraps would not be good for the 17 mos old.
I don't think the Ellaroo is bad for a beginner, it just takes practice. And there are some great videos out there on you tube and vendor sites that show step by step how to use one.

[Collinsky]

Most stretch wraps have a lot of stretch, which makes them great as a first wrap and for very young babies, but IME they start to become less comfortable and need more adjustment with older babies/toddlers -- the BaliBaby Stretch does not have the same type of stretch... it can be used for toddlers and preschoolers (up to 35-40 lbs) in pretty much all carries that a woven/gauze wrap can be used for (I confess I never tried torso carries, but I bet they can be done with a BBS - can't really say for sure though!!). I have a Moby and two BaliBaby Stretch (and two nonstretchy wraps) and the BBS is my go to carrier for my 2 and 3 yo.

I've never tried a Hug A Bub, but from what I've seen, it seems fairly similar to a Moby in stretch-factor -- so I'd say, GREAT for a young baby, but probably will begin to need more and more adjustment to compensate for stretching out with longer wearing at around 15-20 lbs.

If it is mostly for your little baby, then one of the stretchier wraps you asked about might be ideal. For your toddler I'd go with a woven/gauze or a BaliBaby Stretch - and of course either of those is fine for a newborn too, so they would give you the ability to wear newborn through toddlerhood with one wrap. Nursing in a woven generally means loosening a bit (unless you wrap baby on in a cradle/nursing hold in the first place, which I never do) but is very doable in woven or stretch wrap!

[Jlcampbellkidz]

My homemade no sew wrap is my alltime favorite, but I can't live without my hotsling when my babies are newborn and small.

You can see the new sew and several other patterns at www.wearyourbaby.com

[4Jet]

A Moby is perfect for nursing a newborn though not for a heavy toddler.

[*MamaJen*]

You're talking about for the newborn, not the toddler, right? I really like pouch slings for little babies, like a Hotsling.

[Adasmommy]

I had a ring sling with dd that I never got good with, then got an EllaRoo when she was four months old and it was both easy and super comfy for me.

I never did the stretchy wraps, so can't compare, but I love my EllaRoo and all my other woven wraps and that's what I'll be using for the baby due any day now (please let it be today!).

I bet the Bali Baby Stretch would be a great choice too, but I wouldn't be interested in a Moby or Hug-a-Bub, personally.

[thtr4me]

A Bali Baby stretch would be a great choice. I love my woven wraps though, and can still use most of them with my 3 1/2 year old!