Carrier Galore

So christine asked for my advice for a friend who wanted to gift a new mom with a carrier and so I kind of sent her a novel and I thought why not put it up here, just in case someone else is interested as well! I love carriers, just in case you didn't get that..lol I remember reading about moms who had carriers when I started my own search and many of them said you will definitely have a collection and I thought why would I? Why would you ever have the need to have more than one? I have 3 now by the way...=p Carriers are great tools when babies are colicky or you just need to run some errands and no need to lug out the big stroller for some quick errands in and out of the store. My carrier saved me when Gio and I had our first airplane experience. My hands were free to deal with the tickets and I didn't have to worry about a stroller at the gate. I got to go through security with Gio in the carrier, it was awesome. FYI you may not wear your child in a carrier on the flight, he/she must be in your lap (ridicuous, but ok) I miss when Gio was in that 1-5mo period where he would cacoon himself in the carrier and curl up, so cute. Now his legs are swinging out and he is all over the place but he gets to see the world from my view, as we talk about what we are seeing or buying. I of course still BF as you know and the carrier is a great way to BF while continuing with my tasks. When gio has a hard time sleeping, daddy will take over and he instantly falls asleep with daddy in the carrier. Some people do say well my baby hates carriers, but they will most def will if you hate the feeling of being constricted, babies react to everything we react to and if you are uncomfortable they will feed off of that. When looking for a carrier do not just buy it online, go to a store first, try it on, most places have weighted dolls that you can practice with and also talk to other moms as well, what their feedback is on certain carriers because there are a lot on the market. I only knew of the Bjorn carriers before I was ever pregnant, but my eyes were open to so many different products at the annual BIRTH Fair held in Houston. Talking to other moms, trying on different carriers, one of the moms let me put on a Moby, practice putting it on and off and then put her 11 mo old son in the carrier, I was like its ok, but in he went, Funny looking back at it, I was 7 mo pregnant with an 11 mo old in a carrier and felt great. I instantly fell in love with the Moby and that was my go to carrier, or so I thought.

Moby Wrap

When gio was first born he fit in there like a cacoon, it is very comfortable and great when they are small, the only problem is that it is a wrap and sometimes took longer to put on, but once it is on and with time, it gets faster, I loved it. I would put it on before we left the house, so that I did not have to mess with it when we got somewhere. Gio was born in January and everything was ok up until April, Hello we live in Houston, so I stopped using it because we would heat up alot, but you know it gets 100 degrees here at times so otherwise its nice, cant wait to use it again. It is now available at target, babies r us and online. When wearing it I would usually just wear a tanktop underneath because you are definitely covered with the wrap. This one is a one size fits all, so daddy, christine, grandma have all carried Gio with this one. Weight is evenly distributed throughout for a very comfortable fit for the user. Since it is a wrap, it will loosen up and you just have to tighten it up as you go. Can be used from newborn to 35lbs.
http://www.mobywrap.com/t-mobywrap.aspx
~$40

HAVA sling

I use this one alot! It is great for breastfeeding and just easy to put on when going to the store and running errands. It has light padding for babies legs, when baby is old enough to be with legs out, when they are infants, this is a nice sling for baby to be upright and you can move about with this one very well, it is very lightweight. Fits great in babybag and usually always in my car. I was hesitant about the sling because it sits on one shoulder and as a Chiro, I thought this can cause some back/hip pain. I kept seeing slings everywhere I went and I def needed an alternative to the Moby because it was heating up in Houston, I was buying cloth diapers at Nurtured Family (awesome online website as well) and came upon all the slings. They are the official owners of the SlingEzee, Hava and Zolowear. I tried them all on, but I specifically liked the Hava because it had light padding on the rails and a nice hefty pad for the shoulder. When I tried it on at the store with their awesome staff, it was very comfortable and amazingly enough the weight felt evenly distributed throughout. I hesitated on price, especially with hubby, but I ended up buying in on Amazon for $30, which was a great steal. The HAVA sling is sized for the person, so always try it on for your specific sizing. Can be used from newborn to 35lbs.
http://www.nurturedfamily.com/hava-baby-sling.aspx
~$69

Ergo Baby

I was fine and dandy and then I met my lovely friend Mary who was carrying her cute daughter Emma in a cute Ergo. I was very interested in the Beco carriers but Mary had both and recommended the Ergo because of the padding for the person carrying. Once again, she instantly strapped her carrier on me and in Gio went. Hmm I wasn't in the lookout for another carrier, well I was, but hubby was like why we have two already? I argued that now he could use it as well, since he couldn't use the HAVA and you could put Gio on your back, etc, etc. Regardless he wasn't sold, but I saved for it and we went to Whole Earth provisions and tried them on again. They now have a sport performance which is lighter than the one we got, but at the time they only had black and no way was I going to wear black in Houston, especially when I would be using this outdoors. Let me tell you this carrier is used all the time, great construction, adjustable straps, great fit, goes in the washer all the time and still in great condition. The website states that the ERGObaby’s baby carrier design supports a natural sitting position for babies, eliminating compression of the spine and hips that can be caused by unsupported suspension. The baby carrier also balances the baby's weight to parents' hips and shoulders, and alleviates physical stress for the parent. Honestly speaking this is our go to carrier, Gio loves it and when he sees it, he stretches his hand out for it and in he goes. Ergo carrier is awesome and very comfortable, they also have an infant attachment if you need one. We got this when Gio was older so we did not use it. We do not overheat in it and of course I BF all the time, I just coverup, he BF and we go on about our business, hands free. I like it because Gio is bigger now and it is easier to put on when on the go. This one is good because its comfy, breathale and we dont overheat in it. Now remember you have a baby on your chest you will sweat, they are little heaters, but we do not get overly heated, just in case you are wondering. This is a one size fits all and it def has been used by all, especially BaNoi who loves to carry Gio all the time, she is 5'1 or 5'2, Gio is roughly ~28 lbs, no complaints there, she loves it. Can be used from newborn to 90lbs.
http://www.ergobabycarrier.com/
~$90-130

There has been alot of debate of carrier safety in the news because of the Infantino Sling that was recalled in 2010. With everything that you use with a baby, you should always read the directions and safety precautions. The problem with the InfantinoSling was that the babies were in a "C" position and held low across the parents hip, kind of like a messenger bag. When a baby is in "C" position, their airway can be constricted with their chin being pressed against their chest.

Nurtured Family recommends:
Whether in your arms, a baby swing, a car seat or baby carrier, it is important to be aware of your baby and their position. Follow common sense guidelines. For example, you should always be able to fit two fingers between your baby's chin and chest. Your baby's face should be visible and kissable, certainly not shoved against your clothing. After all, you wouldn't carry your baby that way in your arms. Bag style carriers, in general, should be avoided in order to stay safe and comfortable. A high quality sling or carrier places baby above the waist, with their body and head supported securely, avoiding the "C position."

Another risk avoided by properly wearing a baby sling is that of falling. Once again, a high quality sling places baby high in the sling zone, and is highly adjustable, allowing baby to be securely supported against you. If you are wearing an infant so that their feet are contained inside of the sling, then the sling fabric should wrap around their body, with the lower rail of the sling between you and your baby. Most find that they wear their baby this way only for the first month or so. Once your baby starts pushing against the sling with their feet, they're ready for their feet to hang out. When they reach that point, it's time to check for “froggy position.” This means that the sling fabric wraps around your baby's bottom and goes all the way up to behind their knees. Check to make sure that their knees are up higher than their bottom.

Other tips for Safe Babywearing provided by Dr. Sears:
While you are getting used to wearing your baby, support him with your hands. As you go through the learning phase of moving and reacting, the urge to support your baby with your hands is instinctive. After you become a babywearing veteran, you can safely carry your baby in the sling with one or both hands free.
Wear baby cautiously in the kitchen. Do not wear baby while cooking or working with sharp or hot objects.
Do not drink hot beverages when wearing baby, although wearing baby while eating is safe.
When wearing your baby and stooping over, bend at the knees, not at the waist, and hold baby in the sling with one hand.
Toddlers, if worn are at your reaching level, can grab dangerous or breakable objects off shelves. Keep an arm's distance away from potential hazards.
When going through doorways or around corners, be careful that baby's body does not stick out past your arm and strike the wall or doorjamb.
Do not ride a bicycle or other moving vehicle while wearing your baby. Baby carriers are not substitutes for an approved carseat.

Lots of these are common sense but you would be surprised. Try it out, hope this helps someone if they were thinking about it, either way babywearing isn't forever, enjoy your time with your little ones, because it goes by so fast....2 weeks till the big 1!

For more information regarding Babywearing:
http://babywearinginternational.org/
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/5/t051100.asp
http://www.houbirth.org/