I love holding and carrying my baby (almost 3 wks old), but doing other things around the house with just one arm free is getting difficult. never thought I'd want a sling or carrier, but I do. I want to be able to hold the baby and still get on with life :) I do have a very bad back (burst and torn disc in my neck) so I really need something that distributes the weight evenly over the body - not so much strain on neck and shoulders - if possible.
Which carrier might be best for us? I've heard of Ergo carrier, the baby bjorn carrier - I don't know which one. I've seen that Ergo has lots of padding. Would that be too hot for here in Texas? I don't want to be smoldering in it. Of course the weather has been cooler (thank goodness), and cooler temps are probably coming, but still, comfort is the thing I think.
Any suggestions?
I've also heard of the moby wrap - how might that work? I want to be able to hold baby with her head right on my chest if possible, and something she won't outgrow very easily (like within a few months - I'd like it to last at least a few months). I don't really think a sling (like on one shoulder) is right for us.
I have a Hotsling and love it. You can buy on-line or buy at Lone Star Baby and Kids also sells them. It has a padding for your neck and distributes the weight well.
We have several different types of wraps but really recomend the baby Ktan. It takes all of the wrapping issues away from the mobey and similar wraps since it is preformed for you. It really takes ALL the pressure off of your back. It is really easy to use and we give baby wearing lessons in our store to help you. There are 5 ladies working in the store that all take thier babies to work so have to use these wraps. We have the hotsling, ultimate baby wrap (like a stretchy mobey), lucky baby and the Ktan. They all prefer the ktan. It holds twins, up to 45 pounds in a hip carry and has 8 different positions. The drawback is it has to be sized to you instead of one size fits all. But this helps it to feel more secure and snug as you want it. Check it out on our website, www.thenestingplace.biz.
This really does help the back.
K.
I made a baby carrier out of about 9 yards of fabric from the dollar rack at walmart. There is a website that shows you how to "wear" the baby and how to wrap the fabric. I think it was www.babywearing.com, but not positive, it's been a few years. Try googling it. I loved this because unlike the store bought front packs it distributed the babies weight so I didn't feel like she was pulling on my shoulders.
Best of luck.
I've heard good things about The Nesting Place and you got info from there already.
If you want to look more, my friend has an on-line store and she makes lots of options...
I use the babb bjorn and love it!!! There is one certain model of bjorn with extra back support. I tried several carriers and my main issue was the fact that they all made me and the baby so hot! You're smart to already realize that it's an issue, cause I didn't when I got the first couple I used. Anyway, the bjorn also has one with extra ventilation holes to avoid the heat. I just have the regular one and it's fairly cool itself, so I'd imagine the vented one would be great! Good luck!
Hi there.
I have the moby wrap and have really enjoyed it. It takes only a few practice wraps in front of the mirror to get it down. I have also heard great things about the Ergo but do not have one myself.
My baby girl is 7 months old and still spends some time in the Moby wrap but it was a life saver in those beginning months. The wrap distributes the weight much more evenly across the back than the slings or Bjorn.
good luck.
Hi R.,
Congratulations on your new little miracle. I highly suggest the Moby Wrap. My son loved being in ours and we still use it (he is 7 months old now and 23 pounds. In fact he took a nap in it yesterday at the farmer's market!
You have to get used to wrapping it around your body as the instructions show you - it really is not hard and you learn it very quickly. I have tried 5 other kinds of slings/wraps/carriers and it is by far the best on my back and shoulders. The baby's weight is distributed evenly and the baby is soooo comfortable. There are different holds you can use, depending on the age and development of the baby. You can use it up to 35 lbs. It was worth every penny I paid for it and more. When he was fussy - and he was a very fussy baby (he had reflux) - he would ALWAYS calm down and most of the time go to sleep when I wrapped him up and carried him. Good Luck to you.
S.
