Thursday, November 19, 2009

Slings, Wraps, & Carriers: An Unofficial Guide

I like to use my blog for three things:
  1. Personal Life Stuff
  2. Product Reviews
  3. Info to help others

Today, I'm combining all 3 into a little thing I liked to call: Slings, Wraps, & Carriers: An Unofficial Guide

A lot of my friends are pregnant and/or have little ones. There are tons of carriers on the market, so I'm going to list of a few of my favorites, list the price & its benefits, as well as the company website. In no particular order:


1. Moby Wrap: By far, the most popular wrap-style carrier on the market. The big difference here is that you use both shoulders and your back to carry your baby. With the Moby Wrap, there are no rings, velcro, or little straps. The weight is distributed evenly, so it's more comfortable. The wrap feels just like a t-shirt. Since the baby is placed right in the middle of your body, between your breasts, this wrap can be used for Kangaroo Care. There are over 9 ways to use the Moby Wrap, and it can even hold twins! The only downfall might be that it could be difficult to figure out. After all, it's up to you to figure out how to wrap it around your body. It's $39.95. It has got to be one of the cheapest carriers on the market. Here are a few pictures of the multiple ways to wear the Moby Wrap:






http://www.mobywrap.com/

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2. Kangaroo Korner Pouches & Slings: There is no way I could do this brand justice. There are dozens of different types of slings & pouches. They offer a different one for different ages, uses, climates, etc. My two favorites are the Adjustable Fleece Pouch & the All Seasons Adjustable Pouch. The only difference is the material -- if you live in a cold climate, you'd opt for the fleece pouch. The neat thing about Kangaroo Korner is that you get to choose your fabric. On the downside, your size (small, medium, large, xlarge) and dominant hand diminishes your available fabrics. Also, different fabrics are more stretchy than others -- and the stretchier they are, the more comfortable it will be for you & your child. This is the easiest sling ever. Your baby can lay down as an infant (and even nurse in that position) or can sit up and look out at the world. If you wear this sling correctly (high and in the middle of your body), it will eliminate back pain. They sell for $62.

Plus, MckMama loves them:



and so does Small Fry. That's Small Fry in the above picture, and here she is taking care of her baby, Ruby:



If that isn't enough to make you run out and buy them, I don't know what is.

http://www.kangarookorner.com/index.aspx

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3. Maya Wrap: This unconventional wrap is also popular among hip moms. This wrap uses a ring to tighten or loosen the material. This wrap, too, can be used with newborns and toddlers alike. It also has a cute little spot to store keys, a wallet, chapstick, etc. Personally, I think this wrap looks impossible to do. I've read mixed reviews -- the gist being that it's really difficult to get the hang of it.. but, once you do, you love it. There are different slings made by this company, as well, but my favorite is the Lightly Padded Sling. I've watched the instructional video on their website, and I don't think I could figure it out. Plus, I don't know about you, but I don't think I could deal with that huge lump of fabric hanging in front of me. They're $65.95, and you get to choose your material.



oh, and MckMama likes this one too:




http://www.mayawrap.com

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4. Ergo Baby Carrier: The top favorite, according to lots of moms! It's also, reportedly, the most comfortable of all slings and carriers on the market. The neat thing about the Ergo is that it's super easy to put on. You don't have to slip your baby in the carrier, but rather, you fasten it around your baby. So, if you already had a sleeping baby in your arms, you could easily pull up the shoulder straps, and your baby would already be in the carrier. Did that make sense? Clear as mud? Good. It's totally fool-proof. It doesn't get any easier than this. You can wear your baby on the front or on your back. It comes with a "hood" do support your baby's heavy head when he/she falls asleep. The company has made different instructional videos to show you how to wear your baby different ways. Click HERE to watch the videos. They're expensive: $105 each, so start saving now! However, users report that it is THE most comfortable carrier on the market, so you would be able to carry your baby all day.





http://www.ergobabycarrier.com/

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5. Mei Tai Baby: This type of carrier goes back hundreds of years and finds its roots in Asia. Basically, it's a square piece of fabric with straps on all four corners. It, too, can be worn on the front or back and ranges from holding newborns to toddlers. You can also interchange the fabric that you choose! So you aren't stuck with a floral design once you have a son. And you aren't stuck with baby boy blue once you have a daughter. They are pretty cute, and are reportedly pretty comfy too! They're $79. If you want a cute fabric insert, that's $25 extra. Pricey, but cute!





http://www.meitaibaby.com/

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Ok. I'm exhausted. I was going to post about Heavenly Hold Action Baby Carriers & Hot Slings. I'm pooped. Whatever you do, at least by one of these baby carriers. Baby wearing (and attachment parenting) is good for you and your little one. Plus, your hands will be free to do other things! They would rather be held close to you (mom or dad) any day of the week, rather than sitting in a car seat or bouncy seat. What could be better than being snug as a bug in a rug next to mommy? :) I don't have a favorite brand (yet) because I've never used any of these. Since I don't have a baby. But, if any of you have, let me know what your favorite carrier is!

Man, I just cannot get enough of baby products!

14 comments:

  1. Can't wait to tell you how much I LOVE Kangaroo Korner wraps. You know, since I'm still carrying my baby inside at the moment, not outside. ;)

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  2. idk between the fleece & all seasons one. the website says that if you live in a warm climate, or if your baby is born around summer, that you shouldn't get a fleece one. of course, mckmama has a fleece one because of the frozen tundra. but i bet that we would have to get the all seasons one -- esp because BB will be born in May (or late April) and would sweat to death in a fleece one. but i LOOOVE the fleece look, and i also love the idea of how comfy it would be :\ but the website is pretty clear on fleece overheating a baby. sigh! :\

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  3. and, note to the rest of you: I'm not pregnant. I only said "we" because I live in VA by the beach, and it never gets too cold here. It's hot and mild almost all year. So, yeah. Let's not start any rumors ;)

    (not you, Brittney, but everyone else who doesn't know me as well) :)

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  4. Ha, you're so cute! :D

    And yeah, I adore the fleece one. I might wait and get one for the winter months, since it DOES get cold here. (Uh, except for the fact that it's the middle of November and still in the upper 50s/lower 60s.) I'm actually convinced it might be "cold" when BB is born because we're having such a mild winter right now, I think it'll eventually get COLD and spill over into April.

    I still wish I had enough of my fabric from Africa to send to KK to have them make me my own. But it isn't enough. Stinky!

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  5. I looked at the interchangeable fabrics for the Mei Tai carrier and there is an Air Force fabric with the seal (logo, you know) and planes! It was cute!

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  6. I guess, ideally, if a mommy really liked the KK one, she'd order the fleece AND the all seasons one. You're right -- KY gets freakishly cold (ew), so a fleece one would be good. I just can't understand what the exact material of the all seasons one feels like. I like the Midsummer's Day Dream one. Are you going to get a Small or Medium? That small is LITTLE. The chart only goes up to 130lbs for a small, and that's INCLUDING the 20 pounds for your baby (and bigger boobs for breastfeeding and things). I'll be eventually getting a medium lefty. yay for slings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  7. OMG MEAGHAN. WHERE?!?!?? pleeeeeeeeeeease link it to me! PLEASE!

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  8. http://www.meitaibaby.com/buildyourown.html

    Page 6.

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  9. oooooh. hot dog.. those fabrics are to die for. I, um, never scrolled down to even notice that those existed. lol! I love the owls in the trees too! Adorable!!!! I might just have to order one someday :)

    is it too much for one mom to own a kangaroo korner sling, a mobby wrap, a mei tai wrap, AND an ergo carrier? no? well, ok. good :)

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  10. I was a die hard Moby girl, I really was, but then I needed it not to take 5 minutes for me to get OBaby into his carrier (especially 5 minutes of crying in his car seat while I wrap the dang thing around and around and around myself). So, I tried the pouch holder like Kangaroo but by Hot Slings (same idea, not fleece) and liked it for a time, but I missed the multiple holds options that Moby gave me.

    ENTER: Ring Sling! Mine is a Sakura Bloom, but whatever, they're ALL awesome. It took me a week (maybe two?) to feel confident that I wasn't doing it totally wrong (youtube tutorials rock) but ones I was canfident, I've never gone back. I take that thing everywhere, man. OBaby can sit up and look around, sit on my hip, or snuggle in like a pouch and sleep. LURVE IT!

    That being said, Moby has definitely been used since we got the ring sling because it is so ergonomic with the both shoulders thing. I wear it if he needs to nap and esp. around the house. Ring sling for on the go though!

    (I should probably just paste this into my own post. Sheesh. Thanks for reading and commenting on my blog Shannon!)

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  11. "onse I was canfident". Wow.

    Goes to show I was too excited talking about slings to proof read. Please scoozie.

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  12. Great advice, Allison! I'll definitely be taking that into consideration myself once I get into the wearing stage and out of the carrying stage.

    And Shan, I planned on getting a S righty. It will work for me (I'm hoping) while I'm getting back to pre-preg size and BB is growing. I mean, it should work, because I'll be bigger when BB is small. And as BB grows, I'll be getting smaller. (Ideally.) :) So I think it should work! I was 110 pre-preg, so S seems like it will work perfectly for me and BB once s/he gets 20 pounds. If it's TOO small, though, I can always return it for a M. :)

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  13. wow. so neat. How will I ever afford all these slings/carriers that I want?!!? I want them ALL!!!!!

    Thanks, Allison!!!!

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  14. When I was preggo with Maddox I thought slings and carriers were stupid...lol...now I use them all the time! i love my carrier and so does Jakk. He gets to be close to me while I actually get to do something!

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