New to "babywearing" ..please help! :)

[mzpuff]

Hello, I have a 10 month old DD. and I am looking into babywearing and I just don't even know where to begin with all the options out there. I would like something I can wear in front or on my back, any suggestions? DD weighs about 25 pounds and I'd like something I could use well into toddlerhood. Thank you!

[bignerpie]

I love, love, love my Ergo. You can wear it on your front or back, and you can carry up to 45 pounds, so it should last you a while. 

Since you are new to babywearing, don't be put off by the prices. A quality carrier is going to be a little pricey. You can find cheaper carriers all over the place, but they do not properly distribute the weight on you or your baby.

There are lots of different carriers, and not everyone likes the Ergo. There is another similar carrier called a Beco, but I have never personally used one. I'd suggest finding a way to try out a few before you buy one. If you don't have any stores nearby that sell them, see if you can find an attachment parenting group or a La Leche League. Usually the ladies there have much babywearing experience and would be happy to let you try theirs out to see how you like it. That's how I chose a ring sling. 

[katelove]

We have a Beco Gemini and we *love* it. It is our most used carrier. I prefer it to the Ergo (we have both) but so many people love the Ergo that we may be a bit of an anomaly.

I would suggest either a soft structured carrier like the Beco or Ergo or a woven wrap. The SSC will be a bit less versatile but a much gentler learning curve and easier on and off.

There are so many carriers and peoples reasons for liking/disliking them are generally very subjective. If you have the opportunity to try any I would do that. Otherwise you kind of just have to pick one which looks like it has all the features you want and jump in. The good thing is that most of the common brands have pretty good resale value on either eBay or the forums.

[TiffanyToo]

You might go to a  babywearing group meeting. This will expose you to a number of different carriers and allow you to try/fit them to you and baby before making a purchase.

http://www.sakurabloom.com/pages/Babywearing-Groups.html 

[mzpuff]

Thank you all for your helpful responses I appreciate it.