Sling or Wrap Recommendation?

I found the moby to be the best for my little one at that age...However, it is a lot of cloth but once you get it on and get them in it they are typically as happy as clams. I wore my child in the moby until 7-8 months and then switched to the Becco which remains to be fabulous. My child is 21 months old and can still use the becco and wear her on my back.

Cheers,
S.
MeetModernMoms.com

I have a "Sleepy Wrap" in navy blue. If you like, you can have it for FREE (cost me $40). My daughter hated it. I don't know if I was wearing it wrong or if it's just her but it's brand new, worn twice and now put in its bag with the instructions. Just let me know. My email is ____@____.com.

When my son was an infant I found the Bijorn carrier provided the best support. When he became a toddler the wrap style gave us much needed flexibility for what position to carry him in. I suggest taking a trip to Babies R Us or similar store - they have several floor models you can try on.

You are getting too much information, I know. But I used a lot of different things and I would recommend that what ever else you buy and use it is GREAT to have a Maya sling around. I had to watch the video to learn how to use it so my baby would be upright and well supported (he refused to be put in a slung position)-- but once we got it we wore it everywhere. I could nurse in it discreetly, and he slept in it a lot. Now that he is a year old we still use it all the time when he feels like being carried around but I need two arms for doing stuff. Don't buy a padded sling because they are not adjustable enough. My friend had a Maya wrap-- which was wonderful for her baby as a new born but she grew out of it. Now they use the ergo, which is great too.

I liked a wrap when my son was an infant... but he was born in January. By summer it was WAY to hot in Sacramento to want to have one more layer wrapped all over my torso.

Given the timing, I'd stick with a sling which at least allows some airflow.

T.

I have done lots of research on baby wearing since I was having such a terrible time with the Bjorn...so hard on my neck especially. I found a great website www.carrymeaway.com There are fantastic tips for baby wearing, wraps, slings, etc. If you have more questions you can even call. The person I spoke to was extremely helpful. I ended up getting a Hot Sling. They have seven sizes, I believe, so each individual is able to find the correct size whereas some only come in 1 or 2 sizes. It's so comfortable, and my baby and I love it. During and after wearing it my neck feels fine. I also love my Moby wrap. Of the wraps, this one has gotten the best reviews. I never thought in a million years that I would end up liking slings and wraps so much. I've heard great things about the Ergo carrier, but I was told that it may not work well for me because of my height. (I'm short...5 feet.) There's so much out there. It can get very confusing. Good luck.

I am in love with the Moby wrap. I wore my daughter in it all day at times, when she was teething or going through a growth spurt. What I love about the moby is that it is SUPER comfy, I could nurse easily, discreetly, AND hands free. Sometimes I would go for a walk with her in it, and she would fall asleep nursing. I would pull the fabric up over her head to support it, and people would approach me and ask when I was due!! It looked just like I was still pregnant.
Her head could rest right on my chest so she could hear my heart beating, feel the snugness of the wrap, and rhythm of me walking and breathing. The Moby was the closest to an "in-utero" experience I think for both of us. VERY soothing.
Her father loved it as well, though he never got the hang of tying it. haha.
It was powerful and slightly funny to see a man looking pregnant out and about. I say powerful because men rarely get to experience that level of intimacy with their children when they are breastfeeding. It was a huge bonding experience for him and her. Other carriers seem too "at arms length" for me. At least when they are so little.

Try a Moby. It works greats and can be used as your baby grows

I highly recomend and Ergo. It, in my opinion, is THE best carrier. More comfortable than a sling or a wrap, and safer than a Bjorn for your child. I had a hotsling, my son hated it. We moved on to a Moby wrap, hated that and man was it hot!!! Bought an Ergo, and haven't looked back since! Absolutely love it! You can use it to carry your child in front or on your back, or even your hip.

I adored the Moby Wrap. Nothing was more comfortable for me and my baby but you should take her to a store a try some on and decide which one you both like. :)

I have a 2 year-old and a 7 month-old, and my day-to-day favorite is a NOT-padded ring sling--basically just 2 rings sewn to a long (2 1/2-3 yards) strip of fabric. It can adjust as tightly as you like--and you'll want it tighter than you think. It worked equally well for my less than 6 pound preemie as for my almost 10 pound full-term baby--and the only reason I quit putting my 20 pound 15 month-old in it last summer was because I was too pregnant with her brother to use it comfortably. It would still work for her now. I always have one with me when at home or anywhere else. It's also easy to nurse in once you get the knack of doing so--I can often be seen doing things like walking through Costco pushing my toddler in the cart & nursing my little guy in the sling. When my daughter was born, they had her connected to too much wires and lights & so forth to use the sling until our last day at the hospital. That day (we were basically waiting for Daddy to come get us from 200 miles away), I put her in the sling. She settled right down, happy as a clam, and slept like THIS was what she had been waiting for her whole first week of life. If you know anyone who sews even a little bit, they are also incredibly easy to make.

The go-to website for all things babywearing is http://www.thebabywearer.com

I had twins who were both under 5 pounds when we brought them home, and the Moby wraps worked wonders. Once you learn the basic wrap, it is very easy to use. If you are driving somewhere with the baby, you can also tie it onto yourself, and put the baby into the wrap when you arrive at your destination. The Moby wrap is very supportive and easy on the back until they get to be about four or five months old (I bought Ergo carriers after this point). It also was a lifesaver for my husband and me when we couldn't calm the babies. Unless they were hungry, the Moby wrap worked 100% of the time to calm the babies or make them fall asleep.

Hi, I too had a preemie and she was only 4 lbs when she came home from the hospital and the doctor suggested I get a sling to use when I went out so no one wouuld try and touch her or anything. I ended up getting the Hotslings brand. It is pretty comfortable and it covers the baby and keeps him/her close to you. I loved it. I also just purchased the Ergo carrier for my third child, which I actually thing I love even more. I can wear it for long periods of time and it doesn't bother my back or neck at all. It also has an insert you can purchase for newborns and small babies. It also has a little hood thing that you can put over them when they fall asleep and to protect against the sun..etc. The one thin I do love about it too is you can put the baby on your back when her or she gets bigger. I would try them both on. I am not sure where you live but Lulluby Lane in San Bruno carries the Hot Slings and you can try them on with the baby. I purchsed the Ergo from the Breastfeeding Center on Burlingame Aveune in Burlingame. They let me wear it with the baby for about 20 mins to make sure she liked it. I would probably try a few on and see which one he or she likes. But I do reccomend getting a some type of carrier with a preemie, it really does prevent people from wanting to come up and touch them. I hope this helps.

Go into the Nordstrom catalog on-line and look up their baby sling. I have it and I love it. You can use it when she gets a little older as well. Good luck.

I'm sure you will get a lot of feedback on this but I loved the Moby when my boy was little (3 weeks early) and when he started getting bigger (4 mos) I liked the Ergo Carrier. I could still use the Moby, I'm just lazy.

My sister gave me this hi-end sling made by Sprouts? and my little boy just got swallowed up in it and didn't like it, but all kids/moms are different. If you are in SF you could go to Natural Resources in the Mission to try some different options out with your baby. I found that helpful before making a purchase. Good luck!

I love, love, loved the Moby when my son was a newborn. It was extremely comfortable for both of us and can be used for every type of carry (back, hip, front facing, front forward, cradle, etc.) and they distribute the weight so well. The only drawback is the learning curve and trying to put one on in a parking lot and not letting the ends drag on the ground. You can also make one yourself for a fraction of the price without sewing. Just get a long length of jersey cotton and tie it on. It won't fray, so you don't have to worry about finished edges. Good luck!

-H.

I highly recommend the Roundhouse Baby Carrier. (http://roundhousedc.com/) It's as easy to use as a sling but the buckle is much more secure than on those ring slings so you don't have to keep adjusting. I used mine from birth until close to 18 months--it's rated up to 3 years or 35 pounds. You can wear your baby 6 different ways. You can see how-to videos on the website. It goes through the wash like a champ and I even went through the airport by myself when my son was around 5 or 6 months with a big suitcase and car set and stroller in tow! (car seat on stroller, stroller in front of me, suitcase behind, son in carrier and off we go!) I couldn't have survived with my carrier!

Since your baby is so small, I wonder if laying a folded receiving blanket under her in the carrier, sort of like a platform, would help give her a little more mass in the carrier. (my pondering only, I haven't seen that recommended anywhere.)

I went through many slings and carriers and HANDS DOWN I would recomend the Ergo. I love that the baby is up against your body and not some uncomfortable fabric/support system and it is the easiest on the body to use. It puts the baby weight on your hips and not your back and neck. Its amazing. I could never wear my baby in the "other" brands more than an hour without dieing from back pain and with the Ergo I can wear her for hours at a time...until she is bored and wants out :- ) We use it a lot at the beach bending over to pick up shells/agets etc. Anyways, we LOVE our Ergo... a little pricey, but SOOOO worth the money : - )

Hi H.,
I LOVE LOVE my Moby wrap. It looks intimidating at first (about 20 feet of cotton), but it is actually very easy to wrap and use. They provide excellent step-by-step instructions. My baby is now 3 months old and he still loves it. I started using it when he was 2 weeks old. He feels so snug and secure in his Moby. I have a 3 year old, so I needed to be able to use both hands and the Moby allows this. Eating dinner, doing dishes, folding laundry, working, it can all be done with your baby in the Moby! It is around $40 and can be purchased at Baby Buzz in Willow Glen. Or you can also order it online at Amazon.com. Good luck!

I love my Maya Wrap sling and have been putting my daughter in it since she was about 2 weeks old (almost 7lbs from what I remember). In terms of neck support, the bjorn is better, but the position of babies in the bjorn may put too much pressure on their spine if they are too young. The bjorn allows both of mom's arms to be free, while the sling might be a little cumbersome since you don't have the same range of movement as when using the bjorn. So, I end up switching back and forth depending on what tasks I need to do while carrying my daughter.

I suggest going to the second hand baby stores. Most of them have many different wraps/carriers and you can try them out.
I loved my Baby Hawk Mei Tei (www.babyhawk.com) for my baby and as she has gotten bigger it is awesome because I can carry her on my back when needed.
Also check out www.thebabywearer.com for more great advice.
If you are in the Santa Cruz area, I can also probably get a demo set up for you of different wraps/carriers. Just let me know and I will see what I can do.
Good luck finding the carrier for you!
J.

The Sleepy Wrap is my all time favorite! And I have tried them all!! You can buy them online for about $45.00 from sleepywrap.com or you can make your own, you need 5.5yards of stretchy fabric (preferably cotton) and it needs to be about 20 inches wide... I checked the sales bin at Wal-Mart and found enough fabric to make two sleep wraps, and some curtains for my husbands grandson! It takes a little getting used to wrapping that much fabric, but you can wear a baby of any size and in many different positions, my 7 month old loves it and my 2 year old begs me to make her a back pack so I can wear her too!! Good luck in your search I hope this helps!

X.

P.S. you can also go to a site called www.wearyourbaby.com and check out all the different wraps and ways to wear them! Good Luck!