my babywearing registry if you will

i'm working on putting together the carriers i woudl like to try....i'm a babywearing virgin so i could use some help...here's what i've gathered from my research so far and here are my needs:

i have a bad lower back so i want to distribute the weight as evenly as possible.

i will have a newborn and an ALMOST two year old

i will not be nursing (the baby has cleft palate) but will be pumping so the babywearing is also part of boosting milk supply for me...

we pretty much go to the grocery store, target, and the mall...and that's about it.

here's what i am thinking as far as what to try/get:
a KKAFP
some kind of Mei Tei (though i dont' know which one)
a maya wrap

is there something i'm missing? shouldnt' have included? i think the KKAFP looks really simple for newborn use, but the mei tei will be good when baby gets bigger. do i need more than that or am i good there? what kind of mei tei to get and where? is there something better for a newborn that i'm not considering?

i wish i could try these out in person!
TIA!!!!

The KKAFP is indeed very simple and easy soI highly recommend it. A ring sling is similar in use, but allows for greater adjustability. Although I don't love them for newborns as the rings often get in the way for me. I'm not sure whether you'd need the ring sling (maya wrap) AND the pouch, although you could get both to try. They are both one-shouldered carriers, though, so not the best for bad back if you are doing longer carries.

A mei tai with a headrest could be great for getting a more secure carry for your newborn. Pouches are great but not super secure so harder for running around behind your two year old. A mei tai with a headrest could give you a back as well as front carry and it also has more even distribution for long carries.

You might also consider a stretchy wrap, like the Moby (if money is an issue and to see whether you like wraps), the Hugabub or the Gypsy Mama (price-wise in between these two. If you like wraps, you could then get an Ellaroo, Storchenwiege or Didymos, which are woven and more supportive for later on.

And check out the other thread about swaps for buying used carriers. They are great places to try things out at a lesser price.

HTH,
Laurel
Mama to Jack 6/02 and Maddy 12/04

Babywearing education in Napa, CA

Hey Megs,
I'm no expert, but here's what worked for me: The KKAFP. I used it almost exclusively. I did find that to keep my lower back from aching that I needed to carry her tight and up high. That's why I like the adjustability of the KKAFP. I also have a Moby that I think I used once or twice. It was just too complicated to get on and off. I figured it out, but the KKAFP was much easier to use, so I always grabbed it. I also have a mei tai, but I did not use that with DD when she was a newborn. I didn't buy it until later on. I also have a Lucky Baby pouch, which is just okay. Like I said, I really, really liked the KKAFP and would still be wearing DD#1 today if I hadn't been put on bed rest for 7 weeks of this pregnancy and now I have a separated pelvis and shouldn't be carrying her at all.

I would be more than happy to mail you the Moby if you want to try it out. It's just been sitting in the closet for the last year! Email me through the boards and let me know. I'd offer you the Lucky Baby, too, but I think you are a bit smaller than I am and it wouldn't fit you. And I plan to use the KKAFP and the mei tai as soon as DD#2 pops out. Let me know.

thanks for the recs jen....and smaller? it's hard to imagine i'm smaller than anyone! you must have me confused with someone else!

do you have a NINO group near you? google it and see if there is one close to you. They will have a library of carriers and meetings where people bring in their stash for others to try out.

I think I maybe the only one who didn't like the KKAFP. Why? TOOO hot. My baby and I were seriously sweating!! That fleece is incredibly thick. I switched over to a Mom PiP. http://hyenacart.com/momandmecreations/index.php?c=11

Exact same in construction as a KKAFP but so much lighter. The hemp fleece is just as soft as can be and awesome. I had no pressure with this, as opposed to the KKAFP.

I'd skip the maya.

For mei tai's. I'd go with a Kozy all the way. They are just amazing. I'd also look into Babyhawks, Sachi's and Freehands.

Good luck!

Shelley

Let me look in the closet and see what I have in there. I only ever use the KKAFP, so I will mail you whatever I have in the closet for you to try out. And like I said, even though I measure a certain size I like to size down cause that's comfier for me.

I'd definitely go for the KKAFP. I have a Feb baby and we used the KKAFP all the time. I could put him in there with just clothes and he was warm and cozy. Depending on how big your baby is and where you live, you could use it from now all the way to Summer. Now that my son is over 20lbs, I can only wear him for 1/2 and hour or so in a pouch without feeling it. Also, at that weight, the fleece is too stretchy. But, I couldn't have lived without that pouch -- I still get misty thinking about it and my little baby. Now, we use a Mom and Me Creations hemp fleece pouch. I still can't wear DS for too long, but it has less stretch and so it supports him better than fleece.

For a mei tai, I've only tried a few (ellaroo deluxe, maya tai, napsack, octi). The ellaroo deluxe is really, really nice for a young baby. I found it very comfortable and since it's a little shorter than others, it was a nice size. The headrest worked great until my son was older.

I think with those three you'd be good to go. Any one of those could be used with a nb, esp. the KKAFP and wrap (I assume you do mean an actual wrap?). Since you won't be bfing, you won't have to deal with adjusting anything to get into nursing position. So once the baby's in, he's in for good.

For a meitai it would be great if you could try them out in person. I have an Ellaroo, which I love. It has very light padding on the shoulder, almost not there, but enough to keep things comfy. I can cross the straps in front, or tie them in a chest belt for more support. I never tried the Babyhawk, but they have more thickly padded straps, and the seller said that tying a chest belt would make it very bulky and hurt against my sternum, so I just nixed it.

As Dora gets bigger it's clear that my meitai isn't covering as much of her, esp. when we're bundled up. So in hindsight I might've gotten one that had a bigger body. I THINK the Kozy has a bigger body, and might work better as the baby gets bigger. Since I'm not about to buy another meitai I ended up getting a woven wrap for backcarries instead.

I too would see if there is a babywearing group in your area. There is one by where I live that you pay a fee and you can try out any carrier that you want for a week or two.

-Sonia
Mommy to Martie
& Li'l Girl Bunny to come Feb. 2007
http://bd.lilypie.com/Kchhm4/.png