How did you decide?!

[hudsonam]

I just can't decide on a carrier. And I actually want two, and still can't decide! I'm considering a Hug-a-Bub, Hotsling, Rev. Jan sling, Maya sling, or a KKAFP for when the baby is tiny, and then something slightly more "traditional" for when the baby is a little bigger, such as an Ergo, Sutemi, Kozy or Ella Roo Wrap (that may be good for infant too though). How on earth did you all decide?! :-)

[sb1177]

It doesn't matter which one you buy as your first since you'll be buying more soon! It really is an addiction. I bought an ellaroo sling first thinking it would be my only sling but was I wrong. I now have/had an Ergo, pouch, tentoes sling, moby wrap, abc and a kozy on the way. This is all within the timeframe of last 3 months. I want a kkafp too now. Good luck.

[kristine3kids]

I went cheap and made my own first. Then after awhile I was addicted and even though I had made one of every kind imaginable I had to get more! I say go with something simple at first. Goodluck!

[lizamann]

The amount of choice available is really insane, and I have no idea how to help you decide! Doesn't it stink that you can't test them out in person? At least most of them are returnable, but it can take some practice and time to get good with a carrier...

Maybe, just maybe, someone near you has a stash that you can look at in person? There are a bunch of us crazy folks who hang out at www.thebabywearer.com (Hi Kristine!) You could join up there (for free), go to the "Forums" menu on the left side, and post in the Regional section to see if anyone near you would be willing to let you check out their carriers.

Other than seeing them in person, I say just go with the ones that look good to you for whatever reason - great fabric, price, style - whatever appeals to you. All the ones you mention are great, but there is really no way to tell if they will work for you and your baby unless you try them.

[sareva]

i'm still deciding! lots of trial and error and tears. i originally went with the MnM pouch and a Kissasling ring sling (lightly padded shoulder, no rails, a verly light fabric). but zoe has severe reflux and has absolutey *hated* slinging. she wants to be upright so she can puke more comfortably. so we started using the bjorn. in the beginning, with her facing inwards, her head used to slump forward in a funny way and it made me feel like she'd suffocate. as soon as she could face out, she refused to go face-in again. but we have an older bjorn (not the newer active carrier which i think has waist straps) and it's becoming less comfortable as she grows (although it is easy to pop her in and out). so now we're experimenting with wrap carriers. since we're moving to texas, i wanted the lightest ones, so i went with the ella roo (woven fabric) and the hug a bub (knit t-shirty fabric) -- these are apparently the "lightest" (i.e., hab is lighter than moby and ellaroo is lighter than didymos) with the woven ella roo being the best in that respect. the weave is better in hot weather. however, its ends are not tapered like the hub a bub and are finished with tassles. so despite the fact that the hug a bub is good for fewer types of carries (no hip or back carry with the hab) and is hotter b/c of the knit, i find myself reaching for it more often. i will probably return the ellaroo. the next step: a kozy and probably an ergo (ergo is apparently easier for popping a baby in and out than the kozy and is not as hot as the sutemi). my dh and i have no money right now but are spending on this stuff b/c it's really important for me to find something that works. i am hoping that as she grows, zoe will learn to love slings in more upright carries. the hug a bub is great but is bad for quick errands -- i find it hard to pop her in and out. that's why i want a kozy or ergo. however, i really like it and wish i'd had it when zoe was a newborn. you get a nice tight fit (i can lean over and she's not going anywhere), and i know some people can breastfeed in it by taking down one side (i can't b.c zoe doesn't nurse well). and while zoe hated her MnM pouch, i loved it. we had a bad labor and ended up with an emergency c-section, bad reflux, feeding problems, head trauma, etc. i was trying to heal but also have lots of skin-to-skin contact, so i would lay her on my chest and wrap the pouch around us and make it tight. then, if i fell asleep, i knew she wouldn't fall away from me (important -- i had to stay close to the side of the bed to in order to get out). it really helped me to bond with her after such a rough start. sorry this is so long and doesn't provide a definitive answer, but i thought i would share my experiences. good luck with the search.
sarah
mom to zoe 3-28-04

[hudsonam]

I'm planning to get a Freehand Mei Tai (www.freewebs.com/freehand) for when the baby is a few months old and up, but I am thinking I might like the Hug-a-Bub for when he/she is a newborn, and then an Ergo or Sutemi as a more structured carrier for a few months old and up. I'm still debating about a sling or pouch, such as the KKAFP or maybe a Zolo or Hotsling, but I don't know if my shoulders and back could handle it. Especially the traditional ring slings.

Thanks for all your insights! They were very helpful.

[lizamann]

I bet you'll love the Hug-a-bub with a newborn. I didn't have one at that stage but if I could do it over I wouldn't be without it. So snuggly!

[PJAlama]

I decided on this very comment board last summer! Now that my baby is 9 months old, it's time for a follow-up.

I bought a Kangaroo Corner cotton pouch, and also received as gifts a Baby Bjorn, a New Native Carrier, and (as a hand-me-down) an Over-the-Shoulder Baby Holder.

For the first 3 months or so, the Kangaroo Corner cotton pouch got the most use, although I never used it as much as I imagined. Baby Sean never regarded being in the pouch as the same thing as being held. When he wanted comfort, he wanted me to take him out of the pouch and cuddle him. However, during the first 3 months the cotton pouch was good for light errands (I could wear an over-the-head shoulder bag on the other side & carry a bag of bagels with the handles over my wrist, as long as one hand was on the pouch), for church, and occasionally for hanging out at parties so I could carry the baby & handle finger-food at the same time. When he was little & his head control was uncertain, Sean liked the pouch better than the Bjorn, because he could only face inward in the Bjorn, whereas he could look sideways in the Kangaroo pouch's tummy-to-tummy position & see some things.

When he got bigger & got good head control, Sean wanted to face all the way out & move his arms & legs. That's when the Bjorn took over. We have had tons of fun with the Bjorn. He can see everything, grab things with his hands, hold toys, and practically dance with excitement, waving his arms and legs joyfully. He is almost too heavy for the Bjorn, and I will be sad to see it put aside.

I never mastered the hip carry in any of the carriers. Once or twice I got it going well with the Over The Shoulder Baby Holder, but that must have been a fluke, because the next time I tried it, Sean seemed to be sliding out at the bottom. He also doesn't like it the way he likes the Bjorn, because he can't move his arms & legs. The only times he settled into the OTSBH peaceably have been when he was sleepy & I was rocking him to music & wanted some support for my tired arms. EVen then, he would only put up with the OTSBH when I put one arm in the sling, hugging him. It would be nice if I could get this to work now that he's growing out of the Bjorn, but so far I haven't mastered the ring adjustment on the sling.

The hip carry on my old friend the Kangaroo pouch seems to elude me, too -- it's hard not to have his butt slipping out at the bottom. Besides, once again, he can't move around the way he wants to.

I only used the New Native carrier once or twice. I found it a little more difficult than the Kangaroo Corner pouch.
Pauline J. Alama
"Literature is mostly about having sex and not about having babies. Real life is the other way around.\" -- David Lodge

[tarahsolazy]

I think a Moby or HaB is an ideal choice for a newborn. We used my MnM pouch for thr first few weeks, which we both loved, but the hands-freeness of the Moby can't be beat! I love my Hotsling, and it would be a nice light option for a summer baby. It also lasts into toddlerhood, and its great for quick errands, out of carseat, into sling, back to carseat, etc. I could not get the hang of a ring sling, but I think one with a pouch built in, like the Wise Woman Sling or the BabySpace Adjustable pouch would be really nice (It better be, I've got a Wise Woman on the way). When choosing two carriers, I think a two shoulder carrier and a one shoulder carrier would compliment each other nicely.

That being said, at four months, we have the following: Bjorn(DH's carrier); MnM pouch, Stretch Hotsling, Moby Wrap (DH and I both love this one), and a Sutemi on the way, adjustable ring-pouch on the way, custom ABC on the way (made as part of a trade).

I had an ABC, the packababy, but the straps were too narrow, so I sold it
I had an Ergo, but I wanted front carry ability, and it didn't work for me in front carry.
I had a Rev, Jan, and am too dorky for a ring-sling, or was a few months ago, this is the one I traded to another Mama (WHAM) who made me an ABC, on the way here.

So, if you like carriers, you'll probably want to try lots of different kinds, LOL!

[hudsonam]

Is anyone concerned about the supposed problem with Bjorns, and carriers like it, being bad for baby's spine? I'm just wondering if it's something to actually worry about. Obviously baby's health is important, but whether or not these carriers actually pose a risk.

Thanks for your suggestions! :-)

[lizamann]

This would be a potential problem in any carrier where the baby's weight is centered on a narrow support in the crotch region with the legs dangling, not the upright carriers that have the legs spread out more (froggy style).

My personal UNprofessional opinion is that the Bjorn is worse for the parent's back than the baby's. I know that some slinging babywearing enthusiasts talk about the risk of "spondylosis" or some such thing with the upright position and legs dangling, but I don't think there has been an actual documented case of the Bjorn causing or exacerbating this problem. And we all know how many Bjorns are out there!

That said, I think there are a TON of carriers out there that are more comfortable than the Bjorn for the wearer, and probably the baby, too.