Ever Tried the New Native or Dr. Sears' Baby Sling?

I liked the Dr. Sears one. It is the only one I used, so I cannot compare it with anything. One note of caution however. When you bend over, keep a hand on the baby. Mine almost fell out. I was lucky to catch him before he hit the floor.

I had something very similar to the New Native sling and I used it for baby #2 and #3. It was the only way they would be happy some days. Very comfortable to wear, but a little fiddly trying to get baby into the right position. They loved it, though. I could even do chores while wearing baby.

Good luck!

Hi A., Congrats on the new addition to your family! I had a lot of different slings/wraps and for the newborn I loved my Moby the best. It was so comfortable, and baby LOVED it. I could almost always get him to sleep in it. It is cumbersome to deal with, but once you get it on, you can just leave it on for the day and pop baby in and out as needed. It's not uncomfortable to leave on, at all.

I did have the New Native too and I used it sometimes, but found it wasn't as comfortable since all the weight is distributed onto one shoulder, and I also felt like baby just got lost inside of it. The fabric just folded in two over his body and I felt like I was suffocating him at times. It wasn't really as 'hands free' as the Moby, because I could really only fully use one arm, but with the Moby I could use both freely. The good thing, though, is it was fast to get him in/out. I found mine used on Craig's List for $15 and I got my money's worth.

When he got a little bigger, I used my Ergo and we still do, and he's almost 2 1/2 now. To sum it up, the Moby is great for around the house, the New Native is good for quick trips to the store, etc., and the Ergo is all you need when they are about 5 months and older!

I used the NoJo (Dr. Sears' baby sling) and the Ergo. The Nojo was all I knew in the beginning so I was fine with it, but, when I tried others later- I found them to be much better. Unless they have updated the Nojo a lot, I would try out some others first. I have heard you can go to places like Milagros or Mother Natures and they will let you test some out in the store. As far as the Ergo-- as long as the baby is big enough (holding his/her head up), the Ergo can't be beat. I loved mine to bits! You can use it on the front, side, or back! It goes way up in size and the weight is distributed over the hips instead of the neck and shoulders like the Baby Bjorn. I have heard great things about other carriers as well. Hope you find the best fit for you and your baby and many congratulations on your adoption! Best wishes !

We've been using a Moby wrap since my son was just days old (he's 14 months now!) He's getting big for it now, but it's been wonderful for so many occasions - there are several different ways you can wear it (facing inward, facing outward, legs in, legs out, even on your back!) It comes with a really good instruction manual. The first couple times you put it on, you think you'll never get the hang of it - and then it's as easy as tying your shoes after that! I highly recommend it!

I like the ERGO carrier with the infant insert.

First a Moby, then an Ergo or Mei Tai.

Well, it seemas as thought I am one of the few who actually liked the New Native sling. I used it with my newborn and can't remember how long I used it, but I loved it. It is very easy to wear and put on by yourself. There is not a lot of extra material to make it feel bulky and not complicated. My only dissatisfaction with it was that I got it in black and the material picks up a lot of lint and cat and dog hair and it showed. Washing it helped. I'm not sure if it was the type of fabric or that it was black and I could see it that bothered me. My son loved it and so did my husband. I used it for chores around the house,vaccuuming, doing dishes, cooking, laundry as well as when we were out and about. My husband used it while he was working at his desk. It sort of works like a pouch and since there are no loosed ends, We never worried about falling or coming apart. We are expecting #2 here in February and I will use it again, or at least so if there are other choices of colors and/or materials. Good luck and Congratulations!

I add my vote to those who go with the Moby. Yes, it takes a bit more time to put on, and you need to keep it on, but it's truly not a problem, particularly now that it's getting cooler -- I use it as a second layer and it's incredibly warm and comfortable for the baby and me. It works really well for kangaroo care, too, if that's something you're planning to do with your new baby.

Congratulations on your expanding family!

I absolutely LOVE my Baby K'tan sling...it's quick and easy to use and doesn't hurt my back at all! The best thing about it is there's no wraping that you have to do. Check it out along with some instructional videos at http://babyktan.com/

I'm a bit late in this response, but I vote for the Moby. I found it easy after the first couple of times to put on. I didn't find it any harder to put on than a sweater if I wanted to go out. I usually had it on in the house anyway and I could just pop my little on in and out of it just as easily as a sling. The plusses, it wears like a t-shirt over your regular clothing, you can wear it in the car (sans baby, of course), easy on back and shoulders because it spreads out the weight, baby fits snuggly in the front when newborn and later can ride either forward facing or toward you if wanting to sleep, can be used as a sling if wanted, can use on back-but need help with this wearing, and you can nurse in it quite easily. I still nurse my son in it on occasion and he is 2. He is a little big for it now because it is stretchy, but can use it for short trips when he isn't feeling well and wants to cling.

I now have an Ergo and I find that the Moby is so much easier to put on and take off with a little one that is sleeping and in general. I could just pull my little on out or slide him in.

I used it when my daughter and I got to go to Paris. She was 5 months old and we walked all over Paris with her riding either forward facing and greeting everyone we passed or facing me when it was nap time. I could sit at a cafe and discretely nurse her while I relaxed a bit and had a snack, too.

D.

I took our New Native back to the store... it just wasn't very comfortable. I second the Moby/Ergo... My toddler rode on my back in the ergo until she was two, and my four month old is now riding front and loving it!

Hi A. -

As a few others have said, I loved the Moby wrap, but it's not ideal for going out somewhere, because it's a 6 foot long strip of cloth and you have to wrap it around yourself. So I either took a front carrier for trips to the store or else wrapped myself before leaving home and put my coat over so I could just stick baby inside when we got to the store. Also, I didn't buy one, just bought the material, cut it into three strips and had two of my own for $7 each (gave the third as a gift)! My favorite part is that baby is up against me with no cloth in between, and you can nurse with a Moby and no one even notices!

Then a friend gave me an Ergo to borrow and now I love that, and my daughter loves it too. Very comfortable for her and me also. However, I was very happy with my inexpensive Snugli before I discovered the land of slings and wraps. The only caveat is that being upright in a front carrier is hard on baby's spine, but you probably already know that since you're looking for a sling!

Blessings!

I second the moby wrap, I love mine - BUT it is a bit cumbersome to tie and untie and get the baby in just right, so it's not something you would want to use for a quick ride. I also have a hotsling (like the new native) that I bought at Target (cheaper than the new native or peanut shell but same design) and I love it too - my daughter was always happy and snug in it and now at 1 1/2yrs is so easy to pop her in and out on my hip or back. Both of these are much more comfortable than a baby bjorn (in my experience) with the moby being at the top of my "comfortable" list!

my shoulders are narrow (or something) and most baby slings didn't fit well

eventually a friend let me borrow a Moby Wrap for a few months (with baby #4) and I loved that (although it took a bit to get the hang of the wrap-pattern). It was especially nice because you could use it as a sling or an upright (front facing, tummy facing, front or back) carrier

Same friend also had a New Native for the newborn stage that they loved and an Ergo for upright carrying ...

I've also used a carefully-tied sarong (newborn), and a bei-bei (upright) ...

... all of which adds up to, maybe see if you can borrow a selection from friends who don't currently have newborns ;).

best for infant is moby wrap they love being all snuggled up until about 3 month then it's baby bjorn....my babies always hated slings. good luck!

I have tried both and like Dr Sears better. It's more comfortable and the baby feels more secure in there.

Hi there! While my son didn't like the sling, he LOVED the Moby, and we swear by it. I've seen other people like the sling, but the Moby was definitely the wrap for us. :) It might be worth getting both for different purposes. Good luck!

Hi A.,
I used the Maya Wrap sling and I loved it. I had registered for a sling from babies r us that held the baby on its back in a "cradle" position. My son hated it! We used the maya wrap b/c it kept him upright against my shoulder. I recommend a sling that is adjustable(in size), will allow the baby to be upright against your shoulder, or held in a cradle position, and that it have a pocket for your stuff.
The pocket is strangely useful. I would run into the store with keys, sunglasses and a credit card and it was so much easier to get quick errands done!

I used both and liked both, but especially the Dr. Sears sling for newborns -- it felt the most forgiving and cozy. New Native is deeper than most pouches so probably not the best choice for a newborn. Other pouches, however, are great for newborns and can be extremeley convenient. Just make sure baby's butt is at the pointy end of the sling.

Going to babywearing groups will make a world of difference regardless of which carrier you use. Using a carrier properly can make the difference between a horrible experience, and pure bliss. I also used the Moby, but my baby tended to overheat in it pretty quickly. I've used many carriers and my opinion is that *any* sling, pouch or wrap is great for the first 4 months.

I was never able to get the infant insert to work for me with the Ergo, and many others have agreed with me on this. But after 4 months, hands down Ergo Baby Carrier is the best. Don't go without it, it is the one piece of baby equipment I would get over everything else -- even a crib or stroller!

Also, I totally agree with Karen C's advice.