baby slings

Hi mama! congrats on your upcoming little one! I started out with a Hotsling and that was cool but as my DS got bigger it just wasn't comfy or practical for us. Then I moved on to a Moby Wrap which I love but once again he's sproutin' away. It's not as comfy for me to carry him in the front anymore and I don't like the back carry in it. When he was smaller though it was great because it kept him so nice and snuggle-y while freeing my hands up to get things done around the house.

nak

now i'm patiently waiting for my ergo to get here. it's good for front, back and side carries. there's an attachment you can get to wear your newborn in it i believe. and also i think you can wear your dc for up to 40 lbs. it is almost $100 but if you use it everday for a year it pays for itself! we had to save up to be able to afford it but to me it's worth it to be able to get things done w/o getting a monster backache. here's where i got mine.

Here's MDC's babywearing board and also one more useful site.

hth, good luck finding a great carrier! but be careful as babywearing/carrier purchasing can become quite addicting.

yah!! baby-wearing is fabulous!!
we started off with a homeade mei tai-ish one and a mobywrap/ellaroo-ish one. we LOVED the moby one and used it constantly. dd and i loved having her so snuggly and hands free is great. it takes some practice to get used to using a wrap, but not too long. before i knew it i could put it on in seconds flat (but grandma is still intimidated by it - "don't you just want us to buy you a stroller??"). awhile ago, someone gave us a mayawrap (ring sling) which i use b/c it is quick to slip on and off, but it's not fully handsfree like the others and it hurts my shoulder after too long. plus, dd didn't like it when she was a newborn b/c she would have to be lying down in it. some babies love that though, just not ours!! but...since we saved for an ergo and finally bought it, we barely use anything else. we absolutely love it. we got it after dd was big enough not to need the infant insert, but i've heard you could just put a blanket in with babe and achieve the same effect. congrats on upcoming motherhood!!

nak
yup. get a few different kinds (try thrift shops, freecycle, craigslist if money is a problem). i like a super padded ring sling for a new born (best support, especially for a snuggle hold...which is NOT lying down. but chest to chest) or a wrap (stretchy ones like moby are okay, but as they gain weight you need a woven one like an ellaroo or didymos or make your own ) (great wrapping instructions at www.mamatoto.com) then as they get head control i like a pouch (www.hotslings.com ) for its ease...and wrap is still good...now that lil man is hitting 15 lbs the ergo ( www.ergobabycarrier.com ) is great, really comfortable, although i only use it for our long night walks since it takes a bit of effort to get into. we're also looking into getting a mei tei for wearing the baby on the back.

check out www.thebabywearer.com for excellent product reviews.

www.attachedtobaby.com sells lots of different types of slings, wraps and carriers.

i highly recommend taking a class if you can find one. remember, babywearing takes practice...don't give up and get help from someone experienced.

good luck!

DS and I LOVE our Moby, too - facing out for walks so that he can look at the trees, or facing in if he's resisting napping. I had some back issues during pregnancy and this has been NO problem, the support is well distributed. DS is 17 lbs and we're still happy with the moby. It took a little time to get used to tying it but after several tries I was a "pro". Beware getting a dark colored one when it's warm, though, the black one was WAY too hot in the spring when it wasn't even really hot yet, so we got a "natural" one and a green Moby D and those work great. Guess I'll save the black one for winter if he's not too big by then. For now it's in the car for emergencies and use in cold air conditioned places.

I have a maya also, but it's not as ergonomically designed. I like how much simpler it is, though, so sometimes we use that for quick jaunts like to the car or back when I have to carry something else also.

My hotsling pouch hasn't gotten much use.

Good luck - it IS addictive!