Baby Slings/carriers

Love the Moby. It takes a little getting used to and takes a minute to put on (which is at times a bit inconvenient) but is comfortable and my baby loved it. I borrowed a peanut from a friend and although it was really convenient, I found I couldn't use it nearly as long as the Moby. I used the Moby until my son was about 16 lbs. then switched to an Ergo which really is hard to beat. I never tried the Ergo when my baby was an infant, so I can't speak to that, but he's now pushing 23 lbs. and it's still really comfortable and works great. Congrats on #7! I come from a large family and hope to have several as well!

Hi C.,
I love my Balboa sling. It is similar to the peanut shell but is padded better and is much more comfortable. It is the only sling that both my husband and I can use because it is adjustable. I bought it at Goores in Sacramento. It runs about $65 but well worth it. I have the Moby sling also but I haven't used it yet this summer. I think it will be too warm for the summer months but may be OK when it gets cooler.
C. N.

I have a wrap that is similar to the Moby and I love it! I wear my 2-month-old whenever taking a stroller would be too cumbersome or when he is fussy and needs a cuddle. I have back and neck problems but I can wear him without pain since the weight is spread throughout the torso and hips.

I have a SnuggleWrap which is made by a Bay Area mom--
thesnugglewrap.com
The videos on the website are helpful.

I also have an Ergo carrier that I look forward to using when he is a little older.

I LOOOOOOVE my hotsling! You can find the info on hotslings.com, although used ones are available on e-bay, as well. I didn't have it with my oldest, but got it as a gift for my middle and he LIVED in it for months on end (it was the only thing that quieted his colicky little self). Now, our youngest is in it a lot, as well. I can nurse, cook, play, etc. with him in it. In fact, I did one of his favorite activities and mowed the lawn with him in it today (the vibration gets him straight to sleep!). A few days ago I was nursing him at Costco, loading up the cart and watching my two older ones at the same time, easy-peasy! What I also love about it is that you can change positions as they grow and they are good for toddlers until 35 lbs.! Good luck!

Hi,
I have a vendor in my Shop Till You Drop group that makes these. Her name is Heather, and here is her email address: ____@____.com Luck,
Cynthia
www.thebodyshopathome.com/web/cflesher

C.,

I have used several. I personally liked the moby- it just took a while to get it down on how to put it on correctly. I was able to nurse in the moby-very comfortable. Its a wonderful way to carry your baby. I also used the baby bjorn and that was great. Then I graduated to the hip hammock which was nice so that I didn't have any pressure on my back. I haven't tried the peanut shell- I have friends that have though and their only complaint was that its hard to find the right fit--. So, I hope this helps you.

Molly

I have the moby wrap and I love it. I haven't been able to use the slings (peanut or hotsling or new native) really well yet - my daughter seems really uncomfortable in them. My daughter is 2 months old. I just got the ergo carrier this weekend because I have heard so many good things about it. Good luck with #7.

I just bought a peanut shell a couple of weeks ago, my boys are 12 weeks old. Seems like it's not going to last too long, the fit is tight. It's kind of akward feeling and it can cause shoulder problems. I also used my friend's baby hawk, which is pretty cool - that carrier will last a lot longer than the peanut shell because it definitely can be used for a very small baby as well as a much bigger one.

Hi C.,

I used the Moby Wrap with my last child and LOVED it. It does take a little longer to put on but worth it. Good luck with #7.

I used the Moby wrap and thought it was great when my twins were infants. It's sort of hard to get used to putting on at first because it is a really long piece of fabric. After 4 months or so I started using a baby biorn. I also just got a Ergo carrier which can be worn on front, hip, or back. Good luck! Congratulations!!

My daughter never cared for any of the slings other than a ring sling (I have the Maya Wrap lightly padded) when she was a little older. But she spent many, many hours in the Moby wrap, especially in the first six months.

I can't recommend it enough - truly a lifesaver! It's also a lot easier to be hands free in the Moby so that you can still get stuff done.

My other favorite carrier is a mei tai, but I think a Moby wrap and a ring sling are the best combination, or just a Moby wrap if you only want one.

I used the peanut shell for only a couple months with my baby and it worked wonderfully until she got to be about 12lbs or so. By that time, it started to aggrivate my shoulder pretty badly. I do have a previous back/neck injury which may have effected my experience with the peanut shell, so if you don't have any troubles in that area, you may do fine with it.
I've heard that the wrap is very convenient and distributes the baby's weight more evenly accross the entire back rather than at just one point on the shoulder.
On another note: expecting #7??? WOW! How wonderful. I hope we can have a big family too. We just had our second, but I've always dreamed of having a large family. Best wishes to you and your family. :)

Wow - what a nice big family. I wish I met my husband earlier so we could have more! :-) So, I wasn't crazy about the peanut shell or hotslings because they are not adjustable and shrank a lot when washed. The only non adjustable one I liked was the New Native Carrier. It was longer and I could carry the baby lower which was more comfortable for me. I also loved teh front carrier by Baby Hawk (www.babyhawk.com) and the mayawrap. The maya wrap has a ring and is adjustable. The fabric choices weren't as soft as the New Native though. Now that my baby is 11 months old I use the Ergo Carrier. I LOVE it! Maybe there is a store that sells a variety you can try out. When I lived in Los Angeles there was a store called The Pump Station and I was able to try several with a doll to see what was right for me.
Good Luck and Congratulations!

I love the moby wrap. I used it all the time with my first daughter and don't use it so much with the second. We use the Ergo Carrier much more with the second.

I think it depends on you and the baby so you'll have to try several out.
Good luck!

I have 3 different slings. The Moby is a lot of fabric, but it distributes the babies weight evenly across your back. I have a purple one I can sell you for $10 if you want it.

J.

I personally really like the Ergo carrier. I walk around all over the place while nursing. I can't tell you how many people would stop me at the store and ask to see the baby...I had to tell them no because I was nursing at the time, which they didn't notice. I carry my now 1 year old on my back and she seems to like it ok. The only thing I don't like about it is the fact that you can't turn them forward-facing. When she was little I didn't mind since I really only wanted her to face me, but now that she is older, I would like to have her look outward. I have even used it with my 3 year old son (who is about 36 pounds). good luck.

We bought a beco butterfly carrier through www.tendercargo.com. It's great for newborns (even has a hood for discreet breastfeeding) all the way till your baby is 45-55 lbs! It's a little more expensive, but will last you at least 4-5 years and you won't have to buy another carrier. It comes with a DVD for instructions. It's quite simple to use and you can check it out on youtube on how to use it before purchasing. Do a search on beco butterfly and you get a bunch of vids to watch. You can carry your baby/toddler in front or back.

I have:
the Moby Wrap
the Peanut Shell
the Dr. Sears Ring Sling
the Baby Bjorn (Sport)
the BabyHawk.

I have used them all - which one do I use EVERY SINGLE DAY with my 7 month old? The BabyHawk all the way. Easy to put on and off, you can discreetly nurse with it on, you can carry your baby on the front, back or side and it doesn't kill your back or shoulders. If I had to buy just one - that is easily the way to go.

Good luck!
K..

The Moby wrap is great for newborns up to about 5 months depending on how big your kid is. I loved mine! I also recommend the Ergo. They have an insert that is great to use w/ newborns and it can be used up to toddler-hood. My son is 2.5 yrs old and I can still use it w/ him on my back. If you are looking to get just one carrier, this is the most versatile. I also have 2 Mei Tais, a peanut shell (which didn't work for us until my son was able to sit up in it on my hip), a framed backpack, the Ergo, and the Moby wrap. Of them all, the Ergo is the best for us. If you can find a baby shop that carries them you can go and try them out to see what works best for you. Good luck to you w/ # 7!!!

Congrats on your upcoming arrival!

I liked a fleece pouch with my dd til she was about 13lb, then we moved up to a woven wrap. I started with a Girasol, which was super easy to learn with. Then I got a couple more wraps and like each of them. I have a heavy one for cool days & great support (Storchenweige), a light one for hot summer days (Gypsy Mama), and still have our original which is a happy medium weight.

Check out thebabywearer.com for tons of great info, a fun forum where you can get advice from other babywearing moms, and there's a trading/selling forum there where you can get carriers gently used - some, like the wraps, are actually better used, and it's less expensive when you want to try something but aren't sure.

Hi C.,
I went to Goore's after I had my little guy and tried out ALL of the different slings. For me the Moby Wrap was too difficult to put on. I am sure once you get the hang of it it's easy, but I wasn't willing to deal with it. I ended up with the Peanut Shell and absolutly love it. My little guy is a snuggler and loved how he fit into this sling. He is bigger now and there are many different ways that you can use the sling to accomodate a larger baby (check out the Peanut Shell website). At this point though the Baby Bjorn is getting more use than the Peanut Shell. One thing with the Peanut Shell is that you carry most of the weight on one shoulder or the other, I think the Moby distributes the weight more evenly, I just rotate which shoulder I wear the sling on to keep from straining one more than the other. Hope that helps!

I have nothing to offer for wraps/slings, but just a word of hooorrraaahhhh to you as you prepare for your 7th child. You are amazing and your kids are so lucky to have such a selfless mom.

I'm the youngest of 8 and my siblings are such a blessing to me. I have 4 of my own but just don't think I have it in me to keep going. I'm always delighted to hear of big families like yours!

All the best to you and your family.

Congrats on #7! If I hadn't had the opportunity to try on all the different types of carriers, I almost would have found myself wasting money on something I wouldn't use. Search around for places that you can try on all the different types with your little one. The one I used and loved was Carry Me Away. Laurel is located in Napa and covers most of the north bay and is a great resource! Her website is carrymeaway.com. I hope you find something you love!

I bought the Moby Wrap for my son last month when he was about 2 mos old. I love it. Slings like the peanut shell just did not work for him since he has an extremely long torso and prefers having his arms/hands free. The Moby wrap is quite versatile - you can hold the baby "cradle" style, or hugged up against you. My son falls asleep often in the wrap. Also, I have neck tendonitis, and other carriers (bjorn, sling, etc.) bother my neck much more than the Moby wrap does (though an hour is still about my max for even the wrap). Hard to know what to buy ahead of time. If I had to do it over, I would have waited to buy anything, taken him to a store like Day One or Natural Resources, and tried out a few things with him.

I bought the peanut shell for my second baby...I ordered it too small, so it was kind of tricky. Some positions still worked, but not all because it didn't fit right. I think I would have really loved it if I'd ordered it in the right size. I believe they are sold at Nordstrom, so if you can go in and try them on, that might be a good thing to do before buying. Good luck!

I used the moby while my baby was an infant and then graduated to the ergo carrier which I highly reccomend. I know that they have an infant insert which I will try with my second. I did love the moby because it really held the baby close and secure and I could discretly nurse. But, it is a little time consuming getting it on, other than that, I would recommend both of these carriers highly.

I love the Moby. I like it because it is versatile, works for people of different heights and weights (me and my husband) It also grow with the child. My baby is 18 months and I still use it in the hip hold position and backpack. The sown side is it is alot of material and when putting it on in a parkinglot or park or someplace it can hit the ground and get dirty. with practice this can be avoided though.

C.,

With my first baby I used the Bjorn. It was not good for nursing and once my baby was 14lbs it killed my back. So, with my 2nd baby (now 5 months) I bought the Ergo Carrier. It is great. You can nurse while the baby is in it and it will grow with your baby. Take a look at it. Here is the website...

www.ergobabycarrier.com

The Moby Wrap is fabulous! My son and I love ours and use it a ton. I also have a Maya Wrap which is great now that my son is 6 months old and BIG!!! He can nurse in the Maya Wrap and it has a special part that you can put over yourself for a bit more privacy. I have slings, a bjorn, an ergo carrier... the only ones I use are the Moby and Maya. My only issue with the Moby Wrap is that on a really hot day it's kind of uncomfortable because you have to wrap yourself and the baby, but it really is pretty great. Awesome for when they are very young and the Maya is great as well, can be used as a sling when they are small and as they grow they can be carried facing out or in on your chest or in a hip carry position or even on your back. Good luck with your big family!!!

I have both the Moby and the Peanut Shell. My daughter loved the Moby as an infant -- she often fell asleep within minutes in it. I also liked that it covered her which stopped well-meaning strangers from approaching us to touch her hands or something. I had 2 issues with the Moby 1) it's a pain to put on -- you have to remember to put it on before you leave the house or you risk getting dirt on it if you're trying to put it on in a parking lot 2) it takes up a lot of space in a diaper bag unless you manage to roll tightly. We stopped using the Moby at about 4 months --

I also picked up the Peanut Shell a few months ago. It's easy to put on, but you have to make sure you're wearing it correctly otherwise, you will definitely end up hurting yourself. I also find the instructions on the web and that come with the product slightly contradictory -- like it says "center the pocket" but it doesn't really state exactly where to center it. On your side, on your belly button???

Wow! amazing, thanks for setting the example of raising your own kids (maybe it's a secret desire to have a sports team)
I did not use a wrap, I was not really aware of them yet, I used a bjorn. Nice and sturdy and good back support. However, when he was tiny, I used an infantino carrier that was one of the only ones that really held him good! It sasy 8-25 pounds but it is really around 8-15. It saved my life though!

I also used the moby and loved it until my son was about 7 months old. It was extremely comfortable and versaitile. After that, I switched to a pouch carrier (like the peanut shell) that I made myself. At that point it was easiest to just used the pouch carrier for a hip carry and go. If you are in the least bit crafty you can easily make your own customized pouch carrier in less than an hour. I just did a google search for free pattern for pouch carrier and found a wonderful and easy pattern from reverend Jan. It cost me about $12 total to make and it was in a fabric that I loved and nobody else had. It sure beats spending $45-50 on a peanut shell! Once my son got tired of riding in the pouch I got an Ergo to carry him back-pack style because I never felt safe doing a back carry with the pouch and you need two people to tie on the Moby for a back carry. Good luck to you.

With my first I tried several carriers but liked the "Over the Shoulder Baby Holder." It is a sling with a ring. I could have my son in multiple positions (examples shown on an insert that it comes with) and could be pretty much hands free. It helps to have someone show you how to get them in there at first. I am using it with my 6 1/2 week old daughter as well. She loves it too.

A lady that was at our preschool loved the Moby wrap, I have never tried it.

Hi C.- You already have many responses, but I thought I would give you my input anyway. I have had back problems due to car accidents and have had a hard time finding a carrier that doesn't hurt my back. It doesn't help that my 9 month old is 21 lbs! I recently bought the moby wrap, and I LOVE it!! I can have her in it for over an hour without my back hurting. She loves being in it, and I love the versatility: she can face me, forward, or go on my back, in several different ways. I tried my friend's newborn twins in it and it was great! I have used the new native carrier (similar to the peanut) and both my baby and I loved it, until she got too heavy to carry. The moby is a must-have!!!! There are some great videos on youtube that show you how to wrap it. After the third try, it's a piece of cake!!

Hi C. - I ahven't read the other posts but I will tell you that I found the Moby to be way to much fabric and hot, hot, hot, for me and for baby - and going into summer, well I just can't imagine wearing that and baby on a hot, or even warm day.

There is a new sling or pounch made by serena & Lily that is beautiful and funtional! Check it out!

http://www.serenaandlily.com/Baby/Market-Sling-Cloud-Peta...

I love my Moby wrap. It is intimidating at first with all of the fabric but once you learn how to wrap it, which is pretty easy it is very comfortable and great for baby to sleep in and walk in. I called it magic moby b/c my son always fell asleep in it. I went on hikes in it, or just wore it around the house doing chores. You can also wrap it many ways so the baby can face out or be in a nursing hold or upright against your chest. One negative is it can get really warm if it is hot out, but any carrier is really like that
good luck