Good Sling/carrier for Newborn?

I Love Love Love the Moby Wrap. It takes a little practice but my son is so comfortable and content. Even in the hot summer I can wear him without fear of overheating. It's not too expensive, about $40.
Try it, you'll like it!
M.

I have a great sling for my son. I got it from www.beanababy.com. It is very comfortable and you can use it in several different ways. My son doesn't lay in it anymore unless he is sleeping. Now he just sits and looks around. They are made just for you. When I ordered mine I got it within 2 days. Just let her know M. from the MOMPACK sent you to her. Have a good one and I hope you like it. Good Luck!

M.

Hi!

I used a regular carrier with my first and hated it. I use a Moby wrap now with my second and love it. Depending on where you live, there is a store at Val Vista and Williamsfield called Luna Blue that sells them for just a couple dollars more than online, but they will show you how to use it. (And it's not nearly as hard as it looks like it would be, I promise.) Or you can buy it online (ebay has a store thats reasonably priced and free shipping) and www.mobywrap.com has directions with pics of all the different holds. I especially loved it when she was a newborn because when she fell asleep in it, you can just spread the cloth out a little and use it to support their little head and help hold it in place.

i have a peanut shell and i love it! i didn't get it until my son was 20lbs and outgrew the baby bjorn but it's very versatile and easy to put on - no belts or snaps to worry about. you may carry a child up to 35lbs (i think...it may be more) there is another similiar carrier called the hot sling you may want to check out too.

Hello!

I loved my wrap! I used it only though after my daughter was already aproaching 12 months, because it took me a while to find out about the wraps. It is very sturdy and much easier to handle than any of the snap & click-on carriers.
There are several websites that talk to "baby-wearing" and BestFed used to have classes, which I am sure would include wraps and newborns.

Good luck and enjoy!
D.

I am the queen of baby carriers! I had the Maya wrap with my first and she liked it. I now have three kids, and while I still like that one, I have a few carriers. Each has it's own best use. The Maya wrap ring sling is nice because it is so adjustable, so for me it's great when I think the baby will be in and out a lot or if I may want to just loosen it when I sit down in a restaurant. I love this one for on a plane because I can loosen it to the point that it gives more freedom of movement, so that I can nurse for example, yet there's some support (rather than just holding baby in my arms alone). Also, my husband (6'1") and I (5'4") could both use it. My ABSOLUTE FAVORITE carrier for infancy through toddler is KANGAROO KORNER adjustable pouches. They rock! I have tried others like Hotsling (fits like a Peanut Shell) and then don't seem to fit the same as the Kangaroo Korner. Kangaroo Korner pouches are sized, but also adjustable so when you loose baby weight, it still fits. I love these because the materials tend to be more stretchy and give the baby a more snug fit. With the Hotsling it seemed too open (I had the correct size for me) and as if the baby would fall out if I bent over. I cannot say enough about the Kangaroo Korner pouch. My second and third girls have LOVED it; whenever they are tired or fussy I pop em in and continue doing stuff around the house and they fall asleep. The only down side is that they don't have the greatest patterns. I was tempted by the cute Hotsling patterns, but I ended up returning it because of the fit. I also have a Mammas Milk pouch. It's similar to the Kangaroo Korner and is adjustable as well (although in a different way). Be careful if you order on of those to pick a stretchy material, not a silk brocade pouch because the silk, although beautiful, fits like the Hotsling. I bought and exchanged one of the silk brocade for a more stretchy material. I have also used Mei Teis and they are cool, but more effort to put on and I was constantly re-adjusting the ties. For me the Kangaroo Korner is the only way to go for an infant and beyond. I have heard that the Ella Roo hip carrier is awesome for when they are a bit older (4 mo and up , I think) and also that the Beco carrier is a nice replacement for a Bjorn, but I don't have experience with either of those. Good luck!

I found a great sling with Lucky Baby slings. I love it! It's comfortable for me and for Emmalee, she likes that it's positionable to cradle (newborn), front carry (first few months she loved this!), and now hip carry (6 months+). The best part for me is that I can put her in it until she is 2-3 depending on her size and it's fully cotton so it doesn't get really hot in our burning weather. Plus they come in alot of really fun designs.
Check them out! It's a little company out of Salt lake. Really nice people! Lucky-baby.com

I have heard good things about the Moby. We tried a ring sling with our little guy and could never get it to work - baby looked uncomfortable and I was in agony from back pain whenever I tried it. So I might try a Moby next time!

Hello,
I used a sling from walmart! It works really good! My son is almost four months and I can still use it! I was putting him in it when he was only six or seven weeks old! It's the infantino sling at walmart and it's not really that expensive! Hope that helped! :)
K.

I used a Hotsling, which I loved, & Kangaroo Pouch.I have heard great things about all the wraps discussed also!

I highly, highly recommend a wrap! They are sooooo secure! I love my gypsy momma one. THe stretchy is nice for infants, but not as good when they get older. They have a more gauzy type one that works awesome for newborns all the way to toddler!!

http://www.gypsymama.com/ (the bali breeze is what I have and LOVE)

Good luck! ALso.. I don't know where you are, but I am in Phoenix at 35th Ave. and Happy Valley. If you want to look at mine first, just let me know.

Oh, you might also want to try a mei tae... check out http://www.babyhawk.com/

Look for a babywearing group in your area (your profile says you are in New Mexico). azbabywearers_phx is in Phoenix and usually tries to have a monthly meeting (on Yahoo groups). There is also www.thebabywearer.com where you can find tons of info on babywearing and reviews of all the different baby wearing carriers. They also have a forum where you can buy used wraps from other people.

I liked the wraps that were long and really hugged the babe against me. Stretchy wraps! some were too much cotton...not enough spandex. Get one that retains shape! I went and bought mill ends at a fabric place and made two of my own. There is lots of advice on the net...peppermint.com had a nice comparison chart. I bet there are some others too.

Hi J., I used the Maya Wrap and I LOVED it and so did my son. Now pregnant with the third child I will use it once again. It is great for nursing your child and has so many position options. Yuu may find it a little less expensive by other manufacturers or even a mom-and-pop shop that can make it for you.

I love the peanut shell! I had a wrap similar to the Maya and I hated it! I wanted something easy to put over my head and go. I didn't have the patience to spend a few minutes trying to wrap this huge piece of material securely around my body. I only wish I had the peanut shell for my son when he was younger, I got it at about 8 weeks. He would usually just fall asleep in there, it was handy around the house when he was fussy or when we wanted to get out of the house for a bit. He is now 9 months old and loves it still. I use the side hold and it gives you so much support holding a heavier baby or when you have other things to carry. I don't think the peanut shell is for husbands, but I could be wrong. We also have a Bjorn too, that my husband loves to use. Good luck!

I have been using the HOTSLING since my daughter was born. She came home at just under 5 pounds, and that was in January and I still use the sling with her(She's about 14 pounds now). She just loves being in it. It is available at Target. I believe it comes in 4 sizes depending on your measurements.

I have an Over-The-Shoulder Baby Holder Sling and my kids and I have really enjoyed it, but I recommend checking out www.kangarookorner.com. It is very informative and their website has a page that lists and describes all the different slings out there and the pros and cons of each. It also tells you how to wear each sling in several different positions. It helped me know how to use my sling from birth to toddlerhood and for nursing. They sell several different types, but they make their own pouch sling that seems to be their best seller. I bought mine on ebay for $10 so I never purchased one of theirs since I couldn't find it for sale on ebay in my size.

The ergo with the newborn insert worked perfectly for my baby as a newborn. He was very cozy and secure and loved being snuggled up to me and being able to hear my heartbeat. Have you tried the newborn insert? You can get it on their website.

I really liked the "Over the Shoulder Baby Holder". You can find it online.

hi, J.!

how are you doing? just wanted to add my two cents about wraps...i LOVE them! i used one for my first little guy when he was a newborn. in fact, i used it just the other day and he loved being on my back (he is 27 months)...the wrap is very secure and he would just go right to sleep. it looks a little overwhelming when you purchase it because it is so long, but after a few tries, you become very comfortable with it and it becomes very fast to put on. with the front cross carry, you can actually tie it on yourself in the morning and then pop the little one in/out throughout the day without having to readjust it. i'm due with a second one in september, and plan on using the wrap again. i just love it and found it so much better than the bjorn or the ergo or pouch sling or other carriers when they are so little! hope this helps!

-B.

I didn't get an ergo until my son was 11 months but love it now! I tried a hotsling and liked that a lot until I got the ergo. But my son didn't really like it when he was a newborn - he liked a wrap and I liked using it (except wrapping it all up was a little frustrating at times). I actually have 2 wraps - a gypsy mamma and a jersey fabric that was from babies r us I think called the Ultimate Baby Wrap. They were nice until he got too heavy. I'm one of those people like a previous responder who thinks that baby carriers are addictive!

I loved using wraps for my newborn (we used the Moby Wrap)...it was great for inconspicuous nursing (first time I was able to eat with the family was while using the Moby). I have heard that the Maya wrap is better fabric for the AZ heat (Moby does get warm, and would be too uncomfortable to wear outdoors in the summer here). There are so many positions with a wrap that you should be able to find a position that works well for your baby and yourself. I'm also planning the next time around to use a ringsling for the newborn.

I loved a pouchsling after the newborn stage to about 6 months or so (and still using it occasionally). I used a Hotsling, but the Peanut Shell seems pretty similar.

BTW, my hubby won't wear wraps/ring slings/pouch slings...he thinks they're too motherly-looking. He prefers to use the Ergo, which we didn't get until the toddler stage. He did use a sling in the beginning, but it was a cheap Target sling that I quickly had to get rid of, b/c it hurt my back. HOWEVER, I have seen other dads that are more secure and are willing to wear any baby carrier!

I also loved Mei Tais for the 1st year. After my DD got past 15 pounds, I found that the Ergo did better at supporting the weight than a mei tai, but mei tais were quick and easy to use that first year.

Baby carriers are addictive! Good luck and congratulations!

I used the Moby with my second from the time she was born and just loved it. I agree that it would be to hot to wear in AZ in the summer so both 6 yards of a cotton gauze material and made my own lightweight wrap.

I used the infant insert for the ergo with both my boys and loved it!

Hi J.,

You could just get an infant insert for your Ergo. They are pretty cozy!

If that isn't the best option for you then a second and third the votes for a wrap! The Moby Wrap was my favorite!