Carrier reviews after four years of babywearing

Try to remember back to when you were in your mother's womb. Can't remember? Me either, so let's imagine. It's dark, it's warm, your needs are always immediately met, you can hear your mother's heartbeat always. You are regularly rocked to sleep when she walks. You have never known a moment where you were not intimately connected with your mother. Nine months later, fairly abruptly you enter a bright, cold, dry, loud world. You're not only immediately separated from your home, but your food, your comfort, your bed... No wonder so many babies in America cry so much! Wouldn't you?

Women (and more recently, men) throughout human history have found any number of ways to wear their babies. It has only been in the last couple hundred years, especially among the elite, that we've gotten away from this trend. Don't get me wrong, I'm not *against* strollers or baby swings, but these devices have created a huge wedge in western societies between moms and babies. There are plenty of scientific studies showing the negative effects of not being in close contact with baby throughout the day. Babies in orphanages, for instance, who spend all day in a crib, tend to not meet developmental milestones as they should.  Studies are also showing the healing effects of skin to skin contact for premature infants. (I intended to link to an article here but there are too many to list! Google "skin to skin contact in infants" and see the plethora of information available.) Others are literally brought back from the dead! But, to be honest, I did not start my journey in babywearing because it was scientifically the best thing for my children. I did it because it makes my life easy. And I don't like listening to crying babies. Or whiny toddlers. And i can't sit in a rocking chair all day. I babywear for the same reason I do so many of the "anti mainstream" things I do in my parenting. It's easier.

My first experience with babywearing was in Tanzania in 2001. I was 18 and we visited an orphanage on my summer internship there. All of my photo albums are currently in storage, but someday I'll post a photo of my first time wearing a baby. The picture is forever ingrained in my memory. An old woman about half my height pushing on my back so I would bend over, as she quickly flung a chubby beautiful baby boy on my back. She threw the Kanga over him and tied it in a knot above my chest and told me to stand up. I was scared. I thought surely he would fall out and on to the ground. He did not. He did, however, spend the rest of that afternoon on my back and we both loved every minute of it. I never heard a peep out of him.

In the last few years, I've had numerous moms ask me about what's the "best" baby carrier. That question is nearly impossible to answer, because the "best" carrier is different for different people and different sized babies. But, I have tried numerous kinds out there so I will share what I've learned about each one.

WRAPS

The first carrier I owned was a stretchy knit wrap-style carrier. The most popular brand in the U.S. is Moby. It is a very long stretchy piece of material that is wrapped around the mother and the baby together. This is a favorite carrier with a lot of people because it is literally like "hugging" your baby. It is versatile; you can have your baby in it in any number of holds, and you can also nurse your baby in it discreetly (as you can in other carriers as well). This is also a carrier that you can have young infant twins in at the same time. I had mixed feelings about my stretchy wrap. First, when you're out and about, it can be a hassle to wrap the wrap around you to put baby in it when you're in the parking lot or in a store. But because it is stretchy, you can take baby in and out of it without having to unwrap. Theoretically you could wear it like a shirt, and take baby in and out as need be. I liked that it distributed the weight all over, since I have scoliosis and a bad back. I hardly felt like I was wearing him at all. Another downside is that at the time we lived in Las Vegas, and these carriers can really hold in the heat. If we went outside even for a moment, my newborn son and I were both drenched in sweat when using this carrier. Others in more temperate climates may not have this problem. Another downside for us, is that because they were stretchy, once he hit around 12 or 13 lbs, he began to sag and i had to keep readjusting the carrier or he'd be down at my belly button. Admittedly, I didn't have a MobyWrap brand carrier; mine was an Infantino, and I think the material may have been thinner/less sturdy than the Moby, but I have heard of similar complaints from others with the Moby.

However, if you like the idea of a wrap carrier but are worried about the weight issue or the heat issue, a woven wrap may be your answer. Wraps originated in Germany, and woven wraps are the traditional carrier from that region. Didymos is one of the more common woven wrap carriers. These do not stretch, so even 30 pound toddlers can easily be worn in them. However, they are a thick woven fabric and would probably still be hot in warmer climates. A gauze wrap then may suit you better. Gauze wraps are VERY easy to make, and fairly inexpensive to buy. Because so many layers are wrapped around, they are very safe and sturdy too, but the material is far more breathable. I have worn my 30 pound daughter on my back in a gauze wrap in Las Vegas triple digit temperatures, and it has worked well for us. Excuse the awful photo. *Note- while you can do a back carry as seen in this photo with a woven, nonstretchy wrap, most people do not recommend it with a Moby since the material is stretchy and an older child may be able to push against you and do a "back bend" right out of the carrier and onto the floor!

RING SLING

When I became frustrated with the wrap carrier (heat/weight issues), I tried a ring sling. This is a photo of my son and me at a friend's wedding. I danced with my son for the first time that day, with him in the sling. He was three months old and I think around 16 lbs. This one was made by a mom in my town, and I have made my own. I have never bought one from a large manufacturer but one of the most common ones is MayaWrap slings. Ring slings when worn properly are great for many reasons. There's not a ton of fabric so they don't get too hot. They are perhaps the easiest carrier to nurse your baby in, and when they're in the cradle position, no one can even tell you're doing so. A sling is quick and easy to take on and off, and small enough to easily fit in a diaper bag. I remember pulling out the ring sling when my second was a baby and wearing her while eating at restaurants. I would very slightly rock in my seat with her in the sling, and she stayed asleep through all of dinner without a peep, and I had my hands free. Slings are cheaper than some other options, especially if you buy one from a work-at-home-mom (WAHM), and they are extremely cheap and easy to make yourself. However, if you make one, make sure to buy a sturdy, quality sling ring. I recommend buying from Slingrings.com. Here is a good tutorial on making your own sling.

The sling has some drawbacks too. For one thing, all of the weight is carried on one shoulder. When babies are small, you hardly notice this if they are worn properly. However, the heavier they get, the more strain to the back. With my scoliosis, it became uncomfortable to wear my baby in a sling for extended periods once he hit twenty pounds. For some that have smaller babies, that can mean using a ring sling for quite a while...maybe even a few years. But for us, it meant finding a new carrier when he was around six months old. Also, you are somewhat limited on what type of carries you can do in a sling. For instance, you cannot carry a child on your back in a ring sling. You can however carry baby on your front facing in, facing out, cradle, and hip carry. I am carrying my son in the sling with him facing in.

POUCH SLINGS

Pouch slings are somewhat similar to ring slings, only they are not adjustable. They are sized to the person, and usually have a wee bit of stretch (but not much). Many of the same pros and cons of ring slings apply to pouch slings. For some reason though I have found that the pouch sling is extremely comfortable for hip carrying a toddler, whereas for some reason I could never get it right in a ring sling. With a toddler who wants up/down fifty times a day, our pouch sling is my new best friend. Also easily hid away in a diaper bag, and also easily taken on and off. But because it does not need to be adjusted, it is even easier to get baby in and out of. Most pouch slings have a weight limit of forty pounds. The sling in this photo is from Seven Everyday Slings. This company regularly has coupons for a free sling plus shipping. You can usually google to find the most recent coupon codes. Two of the most common pouch style carriers are HotSlings and Peanut Shell.

MEI TAI

Mei tai, also known as an Asian Baby Carrier, originates from China. There are other types of asian carriers used in other areas of the continent, like Onbuhimo's in Japan and Podaegi's in Korea. However, among asian style carriers, mei tais have received the most popularity in the States. Mei tais, while one of the most expensive styles of carriers, is perhaps one of my favorites, for several reasons. First, you can easily use a mei tai from birth through the toddler years (and perhaps even preschool years if your child is smaller). You can wear baby on your front when they are smaller, or on your back for bigger babies or kids. It distributes the weight evenly over your entire back and hips so you can wear them for longer periods of time before it gets uncomfortable, even when they get to be heavier. It is not as hot as a woven wrap or Moby in my experience because there is less material. And unlike some other carriers that have a bit of a learning curve (more on that at the bottom), the mei tai is fairly easy to figure out for a newbie. Below are some photos of me wearing my children in a mei tai, at various ages and stages.


Babyhawk back carry



1 month old

My favorite mei tai, and also one of the more popular brands, is BabyHawk. For one, they are extremely well made. The top straps are padded at the shoulders (which is really nice, trust me). It is sturdy without being too bulky. Also you can custom design your own from hundreds of different prints. Also (and i think this is a great option) for a bit more money you can order it to be reversible with different prints on each side. I have often had people ask me about carriers that are "dad friendly" (meaning they're not covered in pink paisley and lace, and easy to figure out). But most women don't want to walk around wearing their baby in a bulky manly camo colored carrier all the time. The mei tai is not too bulky, but not too girly in its structure, and with the reversible prints you can have one side with flowers or whatever your heart fancies, and another side with "guy" print...whatever that may be. Skulls, camo, airplanes, whatever. Also the design of BabyHawk mei tais is such that it holds up the head of a newborn well because the top is so structured and extends up higher. Some mei tais this is not the case. And just because they're so dern pretty, for mei tais made by work at home moms, I really like the hand dyed and patchwork mei tais made by my friend over at Query Eve.


SOFT STRUCTURED CARRIER

A soft structured carrier is much like a mei tai, but with buckles on the straps instead having to tie them. These are probably the most expensive carriers, but because of how user friendly they are for newbies, they have really taken off in popularity. Some common brands are Beco, BabyHawk Oh Snap!, and ERGObaby. Personally I can only speak about the ERGO as it is the only one of this style that I have tried. With any of these carriers, if you are able to try them on in person in the store, I highly recommend it. I got the ERGO when my son was about six months old...when the sling was beginning to hurt my shoulder from the weight.



Being worn by grandma!



 I loved how well it distributed the weight. Again, in many ways much like the mei tai. A few things I liked about my ERGO, in addition to all the things it shares in common with the mei tai: there is a pocket in the front, which was a nice place to put my wallet or keys or other small items (or my hands when it was really cold out). There is a hood that folds away, and the hood snaps onto the shoulder straps when it is being used. This was invaluable to me on multiple occasions, once baby fell asleep to keep his head from flopping. It also kept the sun out of his eyes. As for the head flopping, this would not happen in a BabyHawk Oh Snap! because of the extended top portion of the carrier, same as in their mei tai. 

The negatives, in my opinion, of the ERGO or SSC's in general: A downside of both mei tais and SSC's is that they are not as easy to fit in a diaper bag. This is even more the case with an SSC than with a mei tai because there is more padding around the waist/more bulk. Secondly, at least with the ERGO, the bottom strap is such that is creates a "muffin top" on me when i do a back carry...and I'm not even overweight. Definitely my least favorite thing about the ERGO. I suppose if you're extremely thin and have no hips whatsoever, this may not be an issue, but for me it was. I'm 5'6" and 140 lbs, so pretty average I think. One more downside is that while you can technically use an SSC from birth, they tend to need an extra insert (which you have to buy separately) to make it work for a child under 13 lbs.

One slight difference between mei tais and SSC's that I have noticed-- not really a positive or negative necessarily, just different: Both distribute the weight over the entire back, however I have noticed that mei tais tend to put more of the weight on the shoulders, while SSC's tend to put slightly more weight on the hips. This is a VERY slight difference though, but if you have bad hips, or bad shoulders, that might make the difference for you.

SAFETY FIRST

And lastly, a few comments about safe babywearing technique. Recently there have been stories in the news about babies suffocating when being worn in slings. This should not deter you from babywearing. There is a right and wrong way to do most things. One of the unfortunate downsides to babywearing starting to regain in popularity in the west, is that there are a plethora of baby carrier options in the marketplace but few people who can teach new mothers how to properly wear their babies. Some carriers, for instance, are not designed for newborns. Without the infant insert, a newborn could slip out the side of an ERGO carrier. In a sling if a child is not positioned properly, they could in essence be bent in half in a cradle position and not be able to breathe well. Also, numerous companies have hopped on the babywearing bandwagon. Some do so without understanding what is safe and best for your child. Some designs are not ergonomically designed for a baby's wellbeing. Babywearing experts and chiropractors alike, for instance, do not recommend "crotch danglers" like the Baby Bjorn. They are bad on the baby's back. Try to buy carriers from companies that SPECIALIZE in baby carriers. If you buy from a work at home mom, check out the quality, look for customer feedback, and see if she uses the carriers with her own kids. Work at home moms tend to put a lot of effort into making high quality carriers because they use the same thing with their own children. And if possible, take a babywearing class. Most natural parenting stores offer them for free, as do many birth centers and midwives' offices. Also many work at home moms who make carriers will teach you in person how to properly wear their carriers if you live nearby. If you don't have any of these options near you, the maker of your particular carrier will usually have photo and video instructions on their website. The Babywearer.com is another excellent website/forum with everything you'd ever want to know about carriers, babywearing safety, tutorials on different types of carriers (front, back, hip, etc)

There is far more I could say about babywearing, but hopefully this will give you a starting place. Feel free to continue the conversation in the comments below, or head on over to The Babywearer.com for more reviews, tutorials, patterns, etc.