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Wondering if any of those baby carrier options are really necessary? Today Alison Neumer Lara, Ideal Bite's Mama Bite Editor joins us to share what she knows (and loves) about infant carriers and baby slings.
Carrying On: How a Good Infant Carrier or Sling Can Make a Day Great
By Ideal Bite's Mama Bite Editor Alison Neumer Lara
In places other than Chicago, where I live with my family, there are seasons called spring and fall. Here, not so much — freezing winters stop on a dime followed by blasts of heat. But as it's basically summer now, we recently woke up to comfy temps and a sunny sky, so I decided to take a brisk morning walk for exercise with my best accessory strapped to my chest — Roxane, my 10-month-old daughter.
I'm a big fan of both our Belle infant carrier and Moby sling. They're lightweight, and it makes me feel good to know that they involve minimal to no plastic. (Plastic is made from petroleum, and its manufacturing can pollute air and water.) Also these carriers are simply designed for intuitive use. One giant piece of fabric or just a few snaps? I can handle that. Even my husband at 6-feet-tall will sport one of our baby wraps (even though he says they make him look like a hippie Earth-Mother-type).
I also love that my hands are free. I'll sometimes take a water bottle, but otherwise I'm ready to scoop up whatever Roxie throws down — hat, pacifier, those pesky shoes...
And, of course, it's a blast. Roxane loves taking in the neighborhood this way. She's an active kid already, and in the carrier, she faces out, legs a-kicking with a big ol' grin on her face. There's nothing like babies (or dogs, I guess) to radically change the social tenor of street life. Everyone smiles or nods, and I'll swear — yes, as a totally biased parent — that drivers have slowed down to wave. Hey, it's actually nice outside...for a day, anyway.
Do you use a sling or infant carrier?
Comments (8)
I loved having a sling with my LO. I was able to BF in public with an added amount of privacy, and it was a great place for LO to sleep where I could have him close but have my hands free.
Next time around...we will def. be going the sling route again!
I LOVE my moby.. I used it constantly.. I would wear it to the store and then carry my baby girl in it, wear it to the zoo... I adored it! I think what made it most handy for us was that I could put her in SO many positions.. she could be facing in, or facing out.. I could have her on my hip, my back... when she was an infant, I could have her bundled and completely hidden from the world.. I just loved it. ALMOST makes me want another baby.. but I cant have more kids so... I would carry someone elses baby in that all day, hehe.
One major benefit to it that we discovered when my DD was born is that its perfect for "kangaroo care" my DD was a preemie and so we decided to practice kangaroo care so she got the most skin-skin contact as possible, so I could wear the moby with just a nursing bra or regular bra on, and slip her in in just a diaper, and we were skin to skin. It didnt get too hot because of the cotton, and I had enough coverage to be able to answer the door or go in the yard, it honestly covered me up quite a bit so it wasnt even an issue that I was really topless, lol. I just adored it. Now its all washed and rolled up and waiting for a friend to have a baby so I can hand it over and teach her how to tie it, thats the only hard part.. learning how to tie it. By try 3 you usually have it down!
Infant carriers are often bad for the baby's joints because of the position the baby is held in, and frequently cause back and shoulder pain in the parent using them.
Wraps and slings are a lot more natural for the baby, more cradling and comforting, and they're actually designed so the specific parent can adjust it to themselves in a way that is comfortable, to reduce or eliminate any back or shoulder pain.
Our nice commercialized society has found a way to make an inferior product and sell it for tons of money... when all women need is a simple piece of cloth.
The sling was great when DS was a new born, but it lost its appeal for a while as he was only happy in the bjorn. The sling is getting a 2nd life though since he is going through the separation anxiety and wants to be with me constantly. For some reason the kid changed his mind and has decided that the sling rocks:) Tried the Moby wrap and DS never liked being that restricted and I never got the hang of it, but the Hotsling has been great for us.
I love my Moby wrap! Its great!!! My daughter loves it and so do I!
I can NOT live without a baby carrier! I say I need only 3 things to raise a baby: my boobs, moby wrap or mei tai and cloth diapers.
I used a moby wrap with my first son until he was 20mos. I never left the house without it! My second son I've used it since birth until recently, now I'm using a Baby Hawk mei tai.
I did not have my sling until my second son.....and really wish that I had it with the first. I can go shopping and nurse him at the same time. The coverage is great, I am very shy about showing stuff off in public, my husband loves it too. There is so many ways to carry our son in it. The sling has a long history and it is amazing to see something so simple be used over and over through different times.
I have one of those front carriers, and I can turn him forward or backward. HE has held his head up since day one and I hadn't gotten it until he was two months and I LOVE IT! He cries when i leave him alone to much and I try to keep my house as organized as possible so I put it on and walk around [DO THE DISHES!!] and he either falls asleep or just looks up at me and smiles. I love it alot and I feel like he is safe and comfortable in it. Also, he loves being turned outward when we go shopping, he gets so excited when peope look at him, but it's kind of annoying bc the front peice sometimes pops up and I have to fix it by puting it back down again.
This one is similar but the one I have is not as nice as this one, I must have an older version bc I bought it at target and it is no longer on the website. But I still love the one I have.
http://www.target.com/Evenflo-Snugli-Hug-Baby-Carrier/dp/B001H0GGSW/ref=sc_qi_detaillink?ie=UTF8&pf_rd_r=03M6X5D6FM3M9K1E39VF&pf_rd_p=436115101&pf_rd_i=B001H0GGSW&pf_rd_s=right-1&pf_rd_m=A1VC38T7YXB528&pf_rd_t=5101