Baby Wearing Thread « Back to Group Discussions

[MotoMom]

What are your favorite carriers and carries? How much of your day do you spend wearing baby? How do you negotiate breastfeeding and changing? I wanna hear the scoop! I'm still figuring all of this stuff out.

So I have a New Native pouch and it's my most used when I'm out running errands because its easiest to slip baby in and out of and to pop a boob in his mouth while I do my thing. I also have a ring sling but I haven't spent much time with it and I'm not sure how much I like it.

I also made my own Moby style wraps. One is a heavy jersey knit and the other is a cotton gauze in a really pretty pattern. I use the front wrap cross carry because that's the only one I know. Not very easy to nurse that way though. I prefer the two-shoulder support as it's easier on my back/shoulders, I just find it inconvenient.

Then I have the Ergo with the infant insert as well. Dad loves it and Hank seems to like it when DH wears him in it, too. But for some reason, doesn't like it when I use it? No clue.   

Tell me all your baby-wearing secrets!

[MadiMamacita]

I have 3 stretchy wraps- I prefer Moby to Sleepy wrap- I think they are more supportive. I do front wrap cross now and hug hold when he is bigger http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZWB-4JIw5w&feature=related. last time I didnt get a moby until ds was almost 6 mos old but I used it until he was well over a year. that said, he was under 20lbs at a year. DH finally learned how to wrap yay

I made a meshy sling that I have been using for quick trips and errands while in and out of the car. I cant wear it too long or I start to feel the stress of weight on only one shoulder. I made it to use in the water but havent been able to try it out that way yet!

I ordered a used babyhawk mei tai. I will report on that when it arrives.

as far as how often i babywear- whenever I am out in the world with baby I am wearing him. if he is fussy at home and I am trying to do something I wear him. DH finds he can calm him more effectively of he is in a wrap. if I cant nurse him in the carrier I take him out or readjust.

[Carlin]

Lets see - I have 3 ringslings. I use them around the house for quick ups and downs and when the baby's already sleeping because I can get her in the sling without putting her down. I also like them for running errands because they are quick and I don't have to worry about the tails of a wrap dragging on the ground when the weather's mucky. If I'm going to be wearing for awhile though, Ringslings aren't my favourite as I do prefer a 2 shoulder carry.

I also have a couple SSCs - I'm not using them yet, but I think they'll be nice for walks once the weather gets really cold as wrapping over big puffy snowsuits can be challenging.

And woven wraps - I have way more than I can possibly justify. Right now I'm mostly using FWCC, but I also like FCC because it's poppable and easier to nurse in. I'm also a big, big fan of back carries. I haven't put Ember up on my back yet but when DH goes out of town again next week I'll probably start.

Oh, and just 'cause, here's Ember all wrapped up a couple days ago.

[Worldshakerz]

Right now I have a Moby and an Ergo with the infant insert. The Ergo I find too bulky for getting things done while wearing him inside...maybe when we don't use the insert anymore it won't seem that way. Up until today, Benji didn't like being in the Moby. Maybe it was because I had to get good at using it again after not using one for many years. He has been wanting to be in arms a lot and he wakes up from his naps too quickly if he isn't sleeping right next to me/on me. He is sleeping in the Moby right now. I haven't got the hang of nursing him in it yet. Okay, for example he just woke up and started crying desperately for milk - I think his 6 week growth spurt is not quite over. I just can't get him in a good position fast enough so I took him out and I'm NAK with a boppy. I love the Ergo for long shopping trips and for long walks outside. I would love to add a ring sling for quick runs into the store. 

I hold him or wear him a lot, mostly based on his cues he just wants to be near me all the time. Up until today I was just holding him and my shoulder and neck are very sore because of it - so I'm trying to get in the habit of using the Moby instead of holding him in my left arm while doing things around the house with my right arm. When we are out I always wear. My mother surprised me and bought me a $100 stroller and I have yet to use it. 

[activealli]

Right now Im mostly using the k'tan when out of the house/walking/etc, and a stretchy wrap in the house. I dont like the stretchy wrap when Im out and about becasue I feel like no matter how tight I get it, she seems to inch down or bounce too much. I have a k'tan breeze for warm day and a regular k'tan for cool days. Here are a couple k'tan pics.

When DD gets a little bigger, I may switch her to my Beco. I just got hte k'tan when DD was 1 week old because I never liked the beco or ergo with the newborn stage because I felt like there was never enough neck or head support and it was hard to keep their slouchy bodies upright in it. But, I love my beco, especially for back carries with my 14 month old son. I have an ergo also, but I never liked it. I felt like me and hte baby were swimming in it and could never get it adjusted right. Our nanny, who is a beautifully curvy active lady, loves the ergo and its somewhat dedicated for her use so she can set the straps where she likes them.

DS in the Beco when he was about the same age as DD though he was much smaller because he was medically fragile nad had feeding issues.

DS would always faceplant in the Beco like this and I spent about every 5 seconds checking his airway...

[MIrandaM]

In the house I use the ringsling (tummy to tummy), the baby bjorn (with small folded blanket in the seat to keep his hips splayed), and much less frequently the woven wrap in a front wrap cross carry (like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RHyUi3OOb0).  For the first few weeks only the baby bjorn really worked well, now the ringsling is great, so I should really give the woven wrap another try!

Outside I am loving the Ergo, we have the old insert that I use in combination with a rolled up swaddling blanket in the seat to serve as a little bench for his butt so that his hips don't have to spread quite so wide. He's huge though, so we're phasing out the insert. 

Edited by MIrandaM - 10/29/12 at 2:25am

[MIrandaM]

Forgot to ask, when you have the baby legs froggied and in the sling (or wrap) where do their feet end up?  It always seems like his feet end up right next to each other directly under his bottom, which seems uncomfortable/strange, and the two feet are never in exactly the same position.  Is that a problem for him or just for me? ;)  And he is now constantly trying to stand up when I put him in so his legs don't naturally fall into a froggy position.  Does that mean its time for legs out? He doesn't seem quite big enough to really wrap his legs around me comfortably.  Can't wait until he can sit on my hip in the ringsling, that's my absolute favorite! In all my babysitting years that was the one action that really made me think, omg someday I'm actually going to be a Mama! :)

[hyde]

Originally Posted by MIrandaM 

Forgot to ask, when you have the baby legs froggied and in the sling (or wrap) where do their feet end up?  It always seems like his feet end up right next to each other directly under his bottom, which seems uncomfortable/strange, and the two feet are never in exactly the same position.  Is that a problem for him or just for me?   And he is now constantly trying to stand up when I put him in so his legs don't naturally fall into a froggy position.  Does that mean its time for legs out? He doesn't seem quite big enough to really wrap his legs around me comfortably.  Can't wait until he can sit on my hip in the ringsling, that's my absolute favorite! In all my babysitting years that was the one action that really made me think, omg someday I'm actually going to be a Mama!

Exact same question here. Sometimes R. does well in the sling and sometimes she really isn't into it, and I've wondered if something about the way her feet/legs are arranged contributes to it. I reach in and manually adjust her position, but her feet always end up under her butt.

(Alternatively, does anyone have a babe that just has an off and on relationship with certain carriers or carriers in general? R. loves being carrried in arms and the sling frequently puts her to sleep but when she's not sleepy the increased restriction imposed by the sling (or so I think, anyway) can really get her riled up.)

ETA- In response to the original post, I'm brand new at this so no secrets to offer! We have a k'tan which I disliked initially and need to try again now that she's a bit bigger, and 3 ring slings- one from Etsy that is very cute but crappy to adjust because of the fabric she used, and two from Sleeping Baby Productions that are *awesome*. I heartily recommend SBP to anyone in the market. We only ever do tummy-to-tummy/hug/whatever because R. thinks she's too grown for anything resembling being cradled.. Looking forward to experimenting as she gets bigger. I have a feeling this one's going to demand outward-facing positions sooner than later.

[MadiMamacita]

Originally Posted by MIrandaM 

baby bjorn (with small folded blanket in the seat to keep his hips splayed),

can you talk more about this? I have a babywearing halloween costume in mind but it only works with a front pack carrier tummy to tummy. can you froggy legs in a front pack like that? how do you position the blanket?


I think trying to stand/pushing with legs is a sign they are ready for legs out.

[teegan db]

I've got a boba wrap (like a moby) that I use A LOT - pretty much any time I need to do something and I can't get him to lay down to sleep - doing dishes, walking the dog, shopping at the grocery store, eating out (he sleeps! through every brunch! or at the one bar we took him to...).

I'm thinking I'll try to make a mei tai and maybe look into getting an ergo off of craigslist or something. Someone also gave us a large pouch sling that I'm pretty sure is way too big for him right now...

[AnyaRose]

I have a stretchy wrap (Sleepy) that I used all the time when he was first born. I also have a sling (non adjustable) that I never use yet... and a K'tan that I figured out how to nurse in!!! So, I use the k'tan a lot now. haha. 

I'm looking for a woven, but I think I'll just have to make one out of a sheet or something, because noooo one here BWs. 

[Mittens]

I have a sling, a moby (haven't tried it yet) and an ergo. Since Levi was 11 pounds at birth, he is big enough to go in the ergo already without the insert and he seems to really like it so long as i am outside walking, or i have discovered that if i walk inside for a little bit, he likes it then too and cozies up and goes right to sleep. the sling already just feels yucky, but it was nice for the first week. he is a month old now.

how do people find the ergo with a newborn (with or without insert) in terms of their legs and feet being inside of it. i worry that there could be too much weight on his legs and feet in there.

[MIrandaM]

Originally Posted by MIrandaM 

baby bjorn (with small folded blanket in the seat to keep his hips splayed),

Originally Posted by MadiMamacita 


can you talk more about this? I have a babywearing halloween costume in mind but it only works with a front pack carrier tummy to tummy. can you froggy legs in a front pack like that? how do you position the blanket?
I think trying to stand/pushing with legs is a sign they are ready for legs out.

From what I read the problem with the baby bjorn is that the strip of fabric that he's sitting on (that runs between his legs) is too narrow, so there's too much pressure on his baby bits and his hips aren't splayed out enough so his legs just dangle.  So I folded up a thin flannel receiving blanket and placed it in the seat area so that in the direction from his back to front it's the same size as the baby bjorn, but wider than the baby bjorn in the hip to hip direction.  Then I just place him into it and the blanket gives him a wider 'seat' and that way the weight is distributed nicely over his crotch and his thighs instead of just his crotch. (Saying crotch about a baby sounds so weird, but I can't think of a better way to describe it. :0) Plus that way his hips splay out more and the only part of his legs that dangle is from the knee down instead of from the hip down.

If it's a carrier like the Ergo, where the problem is that the baby can't splay his hips wide enough, you can also use a blanket to fix it.  In this case, I just roll up the same thin but stiff flannel blanket and put it into the seat lengthwise (hip to hip direction, blanket should be folded to be smaller length-wise than the Ergo is) and pushed away from my body, up against the part of the Ergo that his bottom will be.  Then when I put him in, I rest his butt on the rolled blanket like it's a little bench, and his legs can start to bend/froggy earlier so it's less of a wide straddle.  For my LO his feet barely poke out the sides of the Ergo and are more resting against my belly (hard to explain, sometimes he'll also rest his feet on the waistband but he seems very comfortable), his knees are bent and are at the same height or above his hips. I'll make the blanket wider and wider until he's big enough to just sit in the Ergo normally.

Does that make any sense?  I'm so bad at giving instructions. 

[MIrandaM]

Originally Posted by Mittens 

how do people find the ergo with a newborn (with or without insert) in terms of their legs and feet being inside of it. i worry that there could be too much weight on his legs and feet in there.

What do you mean? I'm curious but not sure I understand the question :)

[domermommy]

I have a ring sling, a moby wrap, and a beco. DH has a ring sling and then will also use the moby or beco. We haven't used the beco with DS2 at all yet, but the sling and wrap are pretty useful, especially with a 2.5 year old running around. 

Question for you ladies -- how do you dress your LO for being worn when the weather is in the 60s/70s? It's still fairly nice here weather-wise, but really variable throughout the day. I don't want my LO to get overheated, but obviously I don't want him cold either. Any tips?

[MadiMamacita]

I usually have him dressed normally like for around the house and then put on a hat if its cold/windy, and a blanket over the wrap if needed. have you seen baby wearing coats? those are pretty cool. i wear a big cardigan that i can cover us both up in somtimes

[katt]

we have 2 mobys, 1 silk woven wrap, 2 mei tais, a sling.

i love then moby for newborn and up to like 6m ish.  i still froggie the boy.

i wear the moby all day long like a shirt even when baby isn't in it.

[Monkey Keeper]

Let's see...

 - 2 wrap conversion ring slings:  Inka in regular length and Earthy Rainbow in a sz 2 wrap converted so that I can reinforced ruck in it.

 - Nati wooly wrap (5)

 - Didy Olaf wrap (6)

 - Ergo (beat up, our outside sweating/hiking wrap...I've had it since 2007 and bought it used!)

 - Toddler Kinderpack half-buckle

 - Olives & Applesauce half-buckle (standard size)

I'm ISO of a size 3 wrap in neutrals, and that should finish out my stash. Day-to-day i use one of the RSs most. I have a double layer carry I made up that I really like for the XL RS. But either will do. I'm working on my back carries with DS so that I can wear them both, which is part of the reason I just bought the O&A half buckle.  That way I can wear one on front and one in back.  

Feet--The babywearing powers that be are now recommending feet out from the beginning. If they're starting to stand up, then yes, I'd go feet out. Make sure that your bottom rail isn't too tight so as to cut off circulation, and be sure to keep their knees above their bum. If you're using an Ergo, the blanket trick is good.  Or you can froggy one leg only, making sure it's in front of baby rather than under him.

Bjorn--Someone in my local BW group posted a neat way to "modify" the Bjorn to place baby in a better position.  I can't find it right now, though. You basically use a scarf to support the back of the knees.  I will look for it later.

[AnyaRose]

I just made a wrap today... I would just like to say that I'm not HALF as handy with a sewing machine as the worst half of you guys... but I'm SOOOO excited about it. I'll post a picture soon!!!!! 

[MadiMamacita]

allison- what material did you use? you mentioned using a sheet- i want to know how that works out because I want to try it!

thought you all might get a kick out of this:

http://www.amazon.com/Flying-Falcon-Infant-Seat-Carrier/dp/B000EFOQMO/ref=pd_sbs_ba_6
talk about reinventing the wheel!