Best for a newborn...

[alegna]

Okay- due in August, in Houston, so it will be HOT for several months after.

With DD I tried several ring slings and hated them.

Have a hotsling and liked it okay- esp. after 4 weeks or so when dd had head control and would sit up and look out.

DD was 8lbs 12oz and was 20lbs by 6 months- so planning for not-a-tiny baby.

Haven't tried wraps.... worried they will be hot. And don't know how easy they are for the in and out with a newborn.

LOVED MTs from around 3 months when we got our first with dd.

Most babywearing would be either A. around the house- day to day stuff or B. running errands and going places with a toddler (3yr old then)- store, park etc.

So, if you were me and planning ahead, what would you add? What would you plan to use when?

-Angela

[NamastePlatypus]

I would look into a wrap made from a soft linen. I love any sling so I am not picky. Congrats though and hope you get an answer!

[Jude-a-buddies-mom]

I have used ring slings, pouches, mei tais, and wraps and I have to say for the first four months with my dd I could not have lived without my wrap. I had dd in April and its hot here but I did not have an issue with being too hot, my wrap is pretty lightweight. I have this wrap. I really liked it because it had enough stretch that I could get it tied on and then take the baby in and out. It really did not take much practice to learn to use it and I just loved the position it put the baby in, it is so womb like having them in the wrap. I joke that my dd lived in there the first 4 months because she was in there all the time. I still use my wrap but a little more in a rotation but for a newborn it was essential for me. If you look for a wrap I would recommend one with a little stretch so you don't have to tie it on each time you can just take the baby in and out.

[tamagotchi]

We loved our stretchy wrap best for the newborn stage. It's easy to use, doesn't have a big learning curve, and you don't need to take it off yourself to get baby in and out. It's also very secure and supportive for a newborn. You can move around freely, lean over forward, etc., and it holds the baby close to your body and supports the whole baby very well including baby's head.

[NamastePlatypus]

My walmart as PERFECT wrap material on the dollar rack all the time. All you need is 5 yards, mine is 4 but I am a size 4 and tall so find what works best for you. You can usually make two araps from one cut of fabric

[liseux]

A didymos style wrap is ideal, I agree. The little ones can be worn so close and they don`t mind not being able to move their arms much. You are also totally hands free with a good wrap. I know you didn`t like the ring slings, but I had great success with maya wrap rs for quick trips. It is so fast to put on & when baby is vertical in he/she will stay asleep as moved from car seat straight to rs. Its all about spreading the fabric out, making sure there are no twists, and it has to be a good tough fabric like the Guatemalan cotton of maya wraps. It supports baby`s head and butt & doesn`t spread legs. For quickness and ease, a vertical baby in the sling is my favorite, but I never had the joy of a mei tai w/ a newborn. Congratulations!

[alegna]

Originally Posted by liseux

A didymos style wrap is ideal, I agree. The little ones can be worn so close and they don`t mind not being able to move their arms much. You are also totally hands free with a good wrap. I know you didn`t like the ring slings, but I had great success with maya wrap rs for quick trips. It is so fast to put on & when baby is vertical in he/she will stay asleep as moved from car seat straight to rs. Its all about spreading the fabric out, making sure there are no twists, and it has to be a good tough fabric like the Guatemalan cotton of maya wraps. It supports baby`s head and butt & doesn`t spread legs. For quickness and ease, a vertical baby in the sling is my favorite, but I never had the joy of a mei tai w/ a newborn. Congratulations!

Yep. Had a maya. Hated it. It was never comfortable. Never. But dd was big and didn't like newborn holds....

-Angela

[ColoradoMama]

Originally Posted by alegna

Yep. Had a maya. Hated it. It was never comfortable. Never. But dd was big and didn't like newborn holds....

-Angela

I hated my Maya, too, and I love ring slings. I was beginning to think I was the only one who had a bad experience with a Maya!

[Diane~KJ]

my little girl suffered from reflux pretty bad and the only thing that made it better was to have her upright in a MT. She hated slings and pouches, crunched up her stomach too much.

Sounds like you have a lot in your stash to pick from already, you may want to wait until after babe is born before you buy anything new. Like I said, I was able to use my MT with my newborn. Now I'm in the process of selling off everything else. LOL

Good luck and Congrats!
-Di

[inimeg81]

What about a solarweave MT or something, or even a solarweave HS? My DS was born in August, and I used a simple cotton pouch for the cradle position (great for nursing). But after a few weeks, he only liked tummy-to-tummy, and MT with legs froggied inside worked perfectly.

The only wrap I would recommend in the heat would be a stretchy gauze wrap like a gypsymama or hotmama, since they are much cooler. Otherwise, wrapping can be HOT. MT are great for newborns, too, so you can use the one you have or buy a new one in thinner fabric or a solarweave/solarveil.

HTH!

Laura

[taradt]

My August baby went into a wrap when we were out and a pouch in the house where it was cooler Though I live in the coast so it isn't that hot here.

tara

[AdinaL]

My baby was born in April - on the first day over 80 here - and we *loved* the Moby. Both DH, who runs super hot, and I both wore her in that and it worked like a charm. Once you get used to it - getting them in and out isn't a big deal, and i like that it holds them closer than some others. And there were a couple of days when I went out with her that I wore that as my shirt pretty much

[alegna]

:

Sorry.... 80 is chilly here.... the LOW won't be at 80 until the babe is at least a month old

We're talking HOT.....

-Angela

[AdinaL]

yeah, 80 was cool for our summer. That was in April though. I wore it in Denver on an over 100 day, and did just fine. DH wore it in Denver in June, over a full suit when it was over 90 and did fine. And the week or so it was over 100 here, I wore her in it just fine.

I also had a solar veil ring sling that worked well, but didn't hold her as close as I like. I tried a gypsy mama gauze wrap on at the babywearing conference, and LOVED it...that might be a nice option.

Congratulations by the way...somehow I missed that you were pregnant!

[alegna]

thanks. Haven't put it in my sig yet, just posted around ddc and such.

I've heard very mixed things on the comfort of the moby (heat-wise) and it makes me wary... I really wanted one, but if it's really hot, it will be useless, ya know?

Thinking I really *need* a gypsy mama wrap

-Angela

[Rico'sAlice]

I don't know anyone who spends anytime outside in Houston in August.
But I didn't spend anytime with people with small children while I was down there either. So I mostly associate being in Houston with being freezing cold all the time because everyone sets their A/C to 60 degrees. (DH and I didn't, of course, but I was almost never home.)


Anyway, I think a GypsyMama gauze wrap http://www.gypsymama.com/shop/breeze.htmis supposed to be relatively cool. It won't be stretchy though.
(or you could buy gauze & make your own)

ETA- ooops. didn't read the other replies carefully enough. Apparently BBB has already been suggested.

[alegna]

Originally Posted by Rico'sAlice

I don't know anyone who spends anytime outside in Houston in August.

True, 'tis generally avoided Though come september everyone is itching to get outside and it's still well above 90.....

And you've still got to get from your airconditioned car to the airconditioned mall I have memories of dd as a tiny baby in a sling or carrier, pop her in at the car... walk to door, by the time I get to door sweat STREAMING down me.... sigh...

-Angela

[kerikadi]

Angela,

As you know our little one is due in March when it won't be HOT just yet, probably only in the 80's I have a Moby that someone lent me so I'll have plenty of practice in it during the summer heat and will let you know my thoughts. I think a light colored one might be better but I LOVE the look of the Moby D black with black silk The regular Moby I have that I borrowed is the dark red so we'll see how it goes, they do have them in lighter colors now so that might be an option for you.
I had two Maya's, I actually like the sling but the black one I had was hotter than the bright stripe one so color may be key.

I have heard great things about the Gypsy on TBW, they love it over there but that isn't really the look I am going for.

I'll let you know in a few months how I feel about the Moby in our lovely weather, with the older kids and having to go to the PO regularly I spend a lot of time getting in and out of the car.

Keri

[LandonsMom]

Originally Posted by NamastePlatypus

My walmart as PERFECT wrap material on the dollar rack all the time. All you need is 5 yards, mine is 4 but I am a size 4 and tall so find what works best for you. You can usually make two araps from one cut of fabric

I found "wrap" material the same way! Except I was using like 8 yards, maybe thats why the difficulty! DS was bigger by the time I came across someone wearing one, her babe was small and she had him on the front, looked SOOO comfy, she raved about it and sent me to wearyourbaby.com for instructions on different ways to wear them with the wrap. Pretty easy and VERY cheap!

Good luck and congratulations!

[alegna]

Originally Posted by kerikadi

Angela,

As you know our little one is due in March when it won't be HOT just yet, probably only in the 80's I have a Moby that someone lent me so I'll have plenty of practice in it during the summer heat and will let you know my thoughts.

Ohhhh... perfect, do tell! Most people I've talked to who have actually USED the moby in weather like ours admit that it's HOT. Even if they like it. They say, it's a good carrier, but it's HOT. Can't wait to hear how it works for you.

I think I just have to find a good lighter-weight wrap of some sort....

(second baby- I need SOMETHING to shop for, right?)

-Angela