Hi all,

I'm G/C from pregnancy but could really do with some help! I have been looking at baby carriers for a while, we live surrounded by woods and fields etc, which may not always be practical with a buggy, so want to invest in a good baby carrier. Does any one have any recommendations as I've looked at so many I've confused myself!! Just keep going round in circles!!

Ideally I want one that will be easy to get baby in to and out of on my own and without waking them during this process if possible!!

Thanks girls!

Rosie 20+6 xxx

Hiya Rosie
Ive got a Babasling and i absolutely love it!! it does 8 different ways and is from birth to 2 years. u can also breastfeed in it (to hide your boobies) hehe.
I think they only suit certain ppl as i know a few ppl dont get on with them.
I love it! i have a springer spaniel who i take out everyday either up the woods or down the beach and putting my lo in the sling is much easier and quicker! and she loves it!
I also use it if im going shopping.

my friend has a front carrier and we went for a walk down the beach the other day and it took her an extra 5 mins to get the baby in the carrier .

have fun !!

jo x

I have the baby bjorn active and it works well for us.
We tried the babasling and it didnt work for us as even as a tiny baby my little one didnt like not being able to see anything

I have a Connecta and I LOVE it! It's so easy to put on myself as it's buckles not ties (I wouldn't be able to trust ties!) I can easily get Beth in and out without waking.
Beth hates her sling but falls asleep within minutes in the carrier. It's a lifesaver!

x

Apologies in advance as this may turn into a long reply

I've tried a number of different types of carriers with my 2, both of which have had advantages and disadvantages.

The sort of carrier you see most is something like the Baby Bjorn or Tomy ones, a semi-structured carrier that fastens with buckles. A lot of people use these successfully, especially the Baby Bjorn ones, but personally I couldn't get on with them. I found they gave me backache, and I hated the way the baby dangles from their crotch, I wouldn't like to be carried like that and I can't believe it's that comfy for babies!

When my eldest was little I also used a ring sling, which I still like very much, the Babasling that JoJo mentions is a version of this although probably not the most versitile. The big advantage of this type of sling is that a little baby can lie flat in it BUT both of my two hated lying flat in the sling so I didn't really use it untill they were a bit bigger. I also found that when they got a lot bigger (12 months plus) it wasn't comfy for long periods of time because all the weight is on one shoulder. They can be picked up quite cheeply though, and last ages, a good site to look at is www.freedomslings.co.uk

I now use a Mei tai and this is definitely my favourite. It's a traditional asian soft carrier that can be worn in a number of different ways on your back, front and hip. I find them really quick to put on, although back carries take a bit of practise, and increadibly comfy to wear. My little boy is 16 months now, about 29lb, and I can still wear him for about 2 hours without any backache (although I do need a lie down after that long ) The way that the baby sits in a Mei tai seems much comfier to me as well, they sit on their bum, with their knees slighly higher than their hips, so the weight is all down through their bum, their backs are also well supported in this position. At this point I am going to have to declare a slight bias as I actually make Mei tai's now, so this link it mine www.mooboobaby.co.uk but I promise that even if I didn't sell them I would still recomend this sort of carrier.

I haven't ever used a wrap, but they are supposed to have most of the benefits of a Mei tai as well, only slight drawback is that they are more complicated to put one so take a little longer to get used to.

Hope that helps!
Kerry xx

Thank you ladies, will definitely check out the website Kerry! xxx

i definatley recomend one of kerry's slings we had a baba sling but it gave me really bad back and shoulder pain. Kerry are fab so comfy i love having pippa in it
xx

I'm currently using a Moby style sling (ebay £10!) which I adore. It's perfect while lo is tiny and has no head control. It takes a few tries to get used to tying it, but now I can put in on in a few minutes and there are so many ways of wearing it. When my lo gets bigger and heavier I will be badgering OH to buy me one of Bedhead's slings as I have heard only great reviews about them!

Cat xxx

Watch this space Mummy Cat, I am part way through a prototype for a carrier with a longer body, designed specifically for older toddlers, although it will work for teenys too!.
xx

Hi,
Just wanted to say that I suffer with lower back problems and bought a BabyBjorn Synergy carrier, 2nd hand from ebay and I love it! Baby is too big for me to carry him in it any longer (nearly 7 months and 19lb but it does state that it takes up to 26lb) so he now goes in the Bushbaby back carrier for long walks, I thoroughly enjoyed carrying him on my front though and had plenty of support from the structure of it - I often used it for doing the food shopping as well as going on walks across the hills; it is really simple to use too. I personally don't have a problem with baby being "carried" on their crotch, I often hold lo on my hip around the house which is basically the same thing. A friend had a front sling thing which she loved (and baby!) and another friend actually made her own version of it!!

I know a lot of ppl buy carriers and rarely use them so its good to try them out first if you can.

Good luck with finding a suitable one for your needs!

x

[Modified by: MrsS1258 on November 05, 2009 08:44 AM]

Just to add cos I forgot before!! Most of the carriers like the Baby Bjorn will only take a baby up to about 20lb. The less structured carriers (ring sling, wrap, mei tai) will all take a baby up to 35lb+ so are a better investment if you think you will use them long term.
xx

I've got a sleepywrap and I have to say, I LOVE it!! it's from an american website (but I think you can buy it here) and believe me, I properly researched slings before buying this one because I bought my sister the babasling and it has never been used!

The sleepywrap is a wrap type sling (basically just a long piece of stretchy material!) but I use it near enough every day because you can put your baby in it in any position, ie, if he's lying down asleep and I have to go out then he goes in it lying down! if he's curled up on my chest then yep- that's how he goes in it!!

hey, ive got a close baby carrier - no buckles at all, at firrst it was a bit confusing but i love it now! weve got a dog so its so much easier going for walks without the pram. i tried the babsling but my back ached!! looked at the bjorn active but it seemed too fidly. x