Best carrier for four week old?

[athompson]

I'm looking for the best option to keep my four week old girl close to me in a carrier. I have a Kangaroo Korner pocket sling, a hot sling, an Ergo and a Bjorn. You'd think I'd be all set, but no! I am also the mother of a four and a half year old (who is wonderful with the baby) and an almost two year old (who seems to have a split personality around the baby) and I need to keep the baby close because I love her, but I also want to keep her safe. I feel like she slouches in the cradle carry with the Kangaroo Korner pocket sling, the hotsling almost seems too small for her (she was almost 9 pounds at birth) and the Bjorn and Ergo aren't options just yet. Any suggestions for something I could comfortably wear almost all day that's easy to put on and take off? Thanks ladies.

[WatchingThemGrow]

I wore DS in the Infant Insert in the Ergo at that time. It kept him safe from the 19 mo. old hurricane in our house. If you can find one on CL, you can probably sell it for the same amount.

[hellokitty]

For the newborn stage, my fav is the moby wrap. I just it during those first few months.

[pb&j]

I am loving my Beco with built-in infant insert. DD (5 wks old) has her first cold and can only really sleep upright. I wore her 4-5 hours today while tending to a rambunctious 3 y.o. and cooking dinner, and it was totally comfortable. ETA: The infant insert for the Ergo would probably be equivalent, w/o having to sink much money into a whole new carrier.

[athompson]

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll check these out!

[dsb22]

Hi, wanted to reply b/c I am in a similar boat. Only one other child (dd 22 mos) but she is also still ambivalent about the arrival of ds (4 wks). I have a kkfp, a Hottsling, two Ergos, a Bjorn, and two Moby wraps (SIL gave me a second one at Christmas). I wish I loved the Mobys--I got another lesson in how to use them the other day, but I'm still having a hard time dealing with all the material. I have also been thinking about getting the Ergo infant insert but it looks a bit bulky and warm for indoor use.

My goal is something I can pop ds into and out of quickly, that will distribute weight evenly across my back (ds is quite a chunker at 12+ lbs) and provide decent neck support for him. I contacted the woman from whom I purchased my Ergos and am waiting to try out the Asian carriers she sells, Kozies and Maya Tais. (I came here to do a search on Kozy carriers when I saw your post.) I'll post back if either works for us. Here's a link to an old thread about Asian/soft-structured carriers that has some information I thought was helpful.

http://www.windsorpeak.com/vbulletin...highlight=kozy

Deanna

Rebekah (22 mos)
Sam (1 mo)

[athompson]

Thanks for the link to the other thread. I might check out the lightly padded ring sling. I also picked up another kangaroo korner adjustable pouch in a stretchier material similar to this one.

http://www.kangarookorner.com/c-26-.aspx

Looking forward to hearing what you choose!

Hi, wanted to reply b/c I am in a similar boat. Only one other child (dd 22 mos) but she is also still ambivalent about the arrival of ds (4 wks). I have a kkfp, a Hottsling, two Ergos, a Bjorn, and two Moby wraps (SIL gave me a second one at Christmas). I wish I loved the Mobys--I got another lesson in how to use them the other day, but I'm still having a hard time dealing with all the material. I have also been thinking about getting the Ergo infant insert but it looks a bit bulky and warm for indoor use.

My goal is something I can pop ds into and out of quickly, that will distribute weight evenly across my back (ds is quite a chunker at 12+ lbs) and provide decent neck support for him. I contacted the woman from whom I purchased my Ergos and am waiting to try out the Asian carriers she sells, Kozies and Maya Tais. (I came here to do a search on Kozy carriers when I saw your post.) I'll post back if either works for us. Here's a link to an old thread about Asian/soft-structured carriers that has some information I thought was helpful.

http://www.windsorpeak.com/vbulletin...highlight=kozy

Deanna

Rebekah (22 mos)
Sam (1 mo)

[dsb22]

Thanks for the link to the other thread. I might check out the lightly padded ring sling. I also picked up another kangaroo korner adjustable pouch in a stretchier material similar to this one.

http://www.kangarookorner.com/c-26-.aspx

Looking forward to hearing what you choose!

Hi--
well, I visited the woman who sold me the Ergos on Tuesday. I tried on a Kozy, which seemed very comfortable, but as we were discussing what I needed in a carrier, she convinced me to give the Moby another try. Also the Kozy and the Maya Tai needed to be tied on, where I'd been envisioning a ssc with buckles. I spent the next couple of hours practicing putting a Moby on and carrying Sam in it. I discovered one thing I was doing wrong that made a big difference, and that if I could get it tied well once, I could leave it on and take Sam in and out of it. So, I've been using my Mobys at home for a few days now. I'm getting better and a bit faster at tying it on. Sam falls asleep quickly in it, although he makes objecting noises when I bend over or move abruptly. My back is tired from him after an hour or so--I prefer the way the Ergo distributes weight to my hips. But the fact that he's encased in fabric (no arms or legs hanging out), and that I have both arms completely free, makes it easier to do things with my toddler without her grabbing at him. The biggest benefit so far has been at bedtime. Previously I would have Sam sleeping on a boppy on my lap while I tried to read with Rebekah. I think that would make her jealous, as she would try to sit in my lap on top of him or push him out of the way. Needless to say she'd get upset when I stopped her, and Sam would wake up and cry. With Sam in the Moby, she seems to forget about him and her bedtime routine is almost back to normal (knock on wood!).

Have you tried the padded ring sling yet? I'd be interested in hearing how the pouch is working out too!

Deanna

[annasmom]

Have you tried a mei tai? They can be kind of intimidating at first, but are really quite easy to use. I wore it almost every day with my now 2 y.o., and have been using it for my now 4 week old since she was 2 weeks old. It is VERY comfortable, and great on your back.

I also really love mei tais much more so than pouches or slings because I have full range of motion to chase after my other dc!

I have a BabyHawk mei tai, which I love, and am expecting a different mei tai in the mail any day now. If you have a local baby carrier seller, many sell the BabyHawk brand.

For reviews (and tips for wearing a newborn) check out www the baby wearer dot com.

Also, in regard to the kkafp, what do you mean by slouching? Does the baby fall too far down in the pouch?? This sometimes happens to me when I wear the baby for a long time. Folding under the bottom of the pouch to make it shorter, or folding down the shoulder also helps.

[megulis]

I am surprised there are no one here who wants to try baby wraps. I guess you need to be able to deal with the learning curve, but it is sooo nice and supportive. And the Moby Wrap is the gateway to other baby wraps!