Ring Sling or wrap/ pouch recommendation please

[Snapdragon]

So I had one of dh's relatives tell me she is making me a sling for the baby. But nothing yet. No word of when or if it will ever be made or here. I am thinking of getting one on my own- wish I had one already. I think I might use it right away?
What is a good one- reasonable price- that I can get online- for a newborn?
I could wait to see if the one I am told I have coming gets here soon- but I don't know this relative of dh's that well and I feel awkward asking!

Did you use your sling right away? I think a ring sling seems easier than a pouch but I am so not into shopping around and thinking hard about it anymore! I just want someone to say- here is a good one, and just get it.
So which ring sling should I get? And please if you could link me to an online place to get it I would appreciate that.
thanks!

[Keeta]

I personally think that ring slings are hard to get down with a newborn, but maybe it's just me. I strongly prefer a moby-style wrap for the newborn stage - they're just tucked so snug in there, it just HAS to feel womb-like to them. With Ringslings, I have a hard time adjusting the sling to feel secure and keep the baby in the right position when they're so tiny. Plus, it seems like my babies really like to be upright rather than cradled - I know you can do that with a RS, too, but I just can't seem to make it work.

I have 2 ring slings - one is a Maya that I got free for shipping here on the TP, and the other one is a no-name brand with a REALLY long tail. They're both fine - I like them better when they get bigger and have more head control - great for maybe 4-5 months plus, IMHO. I know others really dig them from the beginning though...

[Snapdragon]

Originally Posted by Keeta

I personally think that ring slings are hard to get down with a newborn, but maybe it's just me. I strongly prefer a moby-style wrap for the newborn stage - they're just tucked so snug in there, it just HAS to feel womb-like to them. With Ringslings, I have a hard time adjusting the sling to feel secure and keep the baby in the right position when they're so tiny. Plus, it seems like my babies really like to be upright rather than cradled - I know you can do that with a RS, too, but I just can't seem to make it work.

I have 2 ring slings - one is a Maya that I got free for shipping here on the TP, and the other one is a no-name brand with a REALLY long tail. They're both fine - I like them better when they get bigger and have more head control - great for maybe 4-5 months plus, IMHO. I know others really dig them from the beginning though...

Is a moby style wrap a pouch sling? I am open to whichever sling is best for a newborn. I guess I can google moby wrap.
Do you find you use the sling right away- like first week?

I just looked it up- are htey easy to wear and put on and off? I am looking for the best and easiest simple type of wrap for a newborn. IS the moby one you have to do a complicated tie with or does it just slip on and off? Thanks!

[northerngirl]

I just got a Sleepy Wrap $39.99 online. It is similar to the moby wrap I believe. It's a soft material that has some stretch to it. It can be used from day 1. I am real excited to use it.
I had only a ring sling with dd in the beginning (actually 2 hand-me-downs) and they were horrible, I hated them. Dd was 6lbs and she literally drown in the ring sling, there was SO much fabric and I could not get it adjusted. I ended up getting a Kangaroo Korner? fleece pouch and while it was better, I didn't love it. I could only get her in a position of tummy to tummy. When she was bigger I got an Ergo and loved it. I am not going to be using it in the early months though. Also, with the wrap dh can use it bc it is one size.

[Keeta]

Originally Posted by Katie34

I just looked it up- are htey easy to wear and put on and off? I am looking for the best and easiest simple type of wrap for a newborn. IS the moby one you have to do a complicated tie with or does it just slip on and off? Thanks!

Wraps are easy to tie on and and take off - it looks complicated online, but honestly it takes just as long to set up the ring sling - with those you have to get the fabric spread out just right, the fabric around the ring arranged just right to be able to adjust it once baby is in - so even though it might seem like the ring sling is just a pop-in, pop-out experience, in my opinion it's not (particularly with little babies with no head control). The moby style wrap takes about 30-45 seconds to tie on and then it's super easy to get the baby in and out. A lot of times I will tie it on before I leave the house, under my coat, so when I'm ready to pop the baby in that's all I have to do. They're just so secure feeling in the wrap - and since it's just a long piece of fabric you can make them super cheap on your own AND they're easy to share between you and your DH, no matter what your size differences (not so with other types of carriers necessarily).

[ellairiesmom]

i prefer a mt for newborns & use my rs once they can be upright on my hip. then once they get too heavy, i end up with them in a mt/half buckle/ssc again but on my back at that point.

favorite rs here is from jan at
www.sleepingbabyproductions.com

folks over at thebabywearer.com love her slings & shoulder style & i love that site as a reference for all things babywearing...

[itsajenism]

I love, love, love my maya wrap (ring sling) and have been using it every day since DS2 was about 5 days. I use the newborn vertical carry.

I actually have a harder time with the moby, but that may be because I've never used it before and the ring sling and I were best friends when DS1 was a newborn so setup with the maya is pretty quick for me.

[gini1313]

I love my kangaroo korner adjustable fleece pouch. It is a little on the warm side for summer (although ds was born in July and I used it constantly the whole summer with him), but for right now, it is absolutely perfect for a newborn. I am bringing both mine and dh's to the hospital to use right after birth...

http://www.kangarookorner.com

Just FYI, though, I had a friend who got the cotton pouch and it wasn't nearly as nice... not the right amount of stretch.

[SAmama]

I am going to try a Moby-like sling this time around. Found this site that tells you how to make one, without being able to sew, if I understand it right. http://balancingeverything.com/2009/...aux-moby-wrap/
I live overseas and wasn't sure if I would even like the Moby, so decided to try this way first. Cheap and easy. And you can google for how to tie a Moby. Then, if it works for you, you can get a real one if you like. Also, my midwife says they are great for doing skin to skin. She actually met a woman who was traveling internationally with her baby tied in the Moby with only a diaper on right against her skin and then with shirt or something that buttons/zips in the front. Apparently she couldn't even tell that the lady wasn't wearing anything under the Moby. Sounds great to me, especially for the first while.

[Snapdragon]

Okay, so- a regular original Moby wrap is good for a newborn then?

And would be used with the baby upright as opposed to lying down?

If I got that would I be able to put the baby in it in the very beginning?

[Nicole730]

Originally Posted by Katie34

Okay, so- a regular original Moby wrap is good for a newborn then?

And would be used with the baby upright as opposed to lying down?

If I got that would I be able to put the baby in it in the very beginning?

Yes, a Moby is good for a newborn. If you want you can "make" one fairly easily by buying a long piece of stretchy fabric. I bought some 60in wide stuff from the clearance bin and bought 3 yards, then cut it in half, so it was 30in wide and sewed it to be a little less than 6 yards long. Quite a bit less expensive than a Moby. Otherwise you can just buy the piece of fabric to be 6 or so yards long and no sewing involved. You might not want 60in width though if you do that - although, you could always just fold it in half. The fabric I got was a cotton knit I think, I didn't need to sew any of the edges.

Yes, baby can be upright in there, but I have a friend who puts her newborns upright in her ring sling.

Yes, you can use the Moby from day one.

--------

Last time around I only had a snugli and used it quite a bit. Then I started going online more and discovered the world of baby carriers...now I have way too many.

I am super excited to use my ring sling this time (don't know the brand, got it from a friend for free). I plan on using it from the very beginning, but only because I will also be chasing a toddler. When I had DS, I mostly just held him all over the place. Especially as a newborn he was easy to hold in one hand while I got stuff done with the other. This time I will definitely need two hands.

Another wrap to google would be K'tan. They look so cozy, work like a Moby, and there is no wrapping involved. If I didn't already own 7 pieces of baby wearing equipment, I would buy one!

Also - I have never heard anything good about pouches and newborns, for that age adjustable is the way to go. I used my homemade pouches for DS once he was a lot older and able to sit on my hip in them.

[HappiLeigh]

Originally Posted by Katie34

Okay, so- a regular original Moby wrap is good for a newborn then?

And would be used with the baby upright as opposed to lying down?

If I got that would I be able to put the baby in it in the very beginning?

Most people I know IRL prefer the wraps for newborn. I personally could never get the hang of it, but I already knew how to use a ring sling (from babysitting a sling baby) so I always defaulted to that or the mei tai in the newborn days. (And after--I actually could never figure out how to make the wrap comfy on me, but I know I'm the oddball on that.) But yes, as long as you are not me , you should be able to use the wrap from the beginning, and you can position the baby upright OR lying down, whatever is most comfy for the baby. My DD liked both positions as a newborn (I usually did lying down in the ring sling, upright in the mei tai), although she was generally happier for longer if she was lying down. My neices were the opposite--they both preferred being upright right from the start. I think it just depends on the baby.

[NicoleS]

Didn't read the other replies, but absolutely love my meitai. I'm also attempting to make my own sling using this pattern.

[Rikki Jean]

I'm Moby impaired, and was never able to figure it out with a newborn. Well, I figured out how to get him in there, it was just the nursing part that I never got down, and if I can't nurse in it, it's useless to me!

Personally, I think ring slings are fantastic for newborns. There is a bit of a learning curve, but I wore DS2 from day one in the RS, and DS1 from a few days old. Nursing in the RS was always way easier for me.

I've never used a pouch with a newborn. I did have one that I used when DS1 was a little older, but I didn't use it much, and just stuck to my RS and MT (I LOVE my MT, and am planning to try it out with my newborn this time. I didn't even think about it when DS2 was a newbie. Duh!). I have heard that pouches are pretty easy with newborns, but I don't have any personal experience with them. I like something that is adjustable, which is one of the reasons that the pouch wasn't for me.


My best friend makes ring slings at a good price: www.myspace.com/paisleypieces (Just ignore the fact that she hasn't updated that thing in like three years, LOL. She is still making them!)

ETA: In the link I posted, I *think* her slings are shown with craft rings. She used to use those, but she now uses the heavy duty rings that are much safer for slings. Just ask her to make sure that you get what you need.

[BeeBliss]

Both, but for different stages

I have a:

• rebozo wrap for the very early months,
• a Kozy Carrier Mai Tai for up to a year,
• and a Sleeping Baby Productions (Jan) ring sling for 1-2 years.

My children tend to run very large and long. I didn't feel that one carrier was able to meet my child's needs through all stages.

The Kozy Carriers are super well made and are easier to use than a full wrap. Somewhat costly, it was worth the price!

I sent Jan some special detail fabric for the ring sling and she tailored it beautifully with the heavy fabric she usually uses. It has held up well to my heavy toddler with no design flaws. My husband was also able to use this ring sling because the tail is so long and the ring fan is so broad. This was my favorite to breastfeed in.

[stacylsc]

I like Moby Wraps the best...
I've also tried ring slings...had trouble keeping the kid upright.
I've also tried Kangaroo pouch...the one I had was fleece and I was SO HOT...my hormones go nuts and I get warm...adding a fleece wrap and a newborn just sent me over the top...even with a tank top on it was still too hot.
Ergos are awesome and using their newborn insert makes it a good item for both small and larger kids....only having to buy one carrier is also a bonus.

[patronus]

+1 on he moby wrap. you can use them from day one. elise is sleeping in hers right now. once you put it on a couple of times, it's easy to wear.

[Snapdragon]

I think I am going to go for the Moby!
I looked on the website and the tying it on seems pretty simple.
Question- if you want to put the baby in the lying down position do you tie it differently?

[GuavaGirl]

I decided on a Baby K'tan for the newborn stage & a ring sling (maya wrap brand) for later. Eventually I plan to get something like a Beco baby carrier for later, as well.

[Marylizah]

Just have to say I got a Beco and it has saved me. I find wraps hard to get right, and I hated both the pouch and modified ring-sling for newborns. The Beco has been fabulous and right now it's baby's favorite place to nap. It's not cheap, but since it will last through toddlerhood, I think it's a good deal in the end.