Baby carriers, all the best options.
Baby carriers are seen by some as a luxury more than a necessity, and for some families that is the case. Sure was for me when I had my first, he wasn't a clingy baby nor did he feel the need to be held 24/7. The only time I wore my son was whilst feeding the horses, and that was simply because pulling the pram out was annoying as it didn't fair well with gravel, dirt and sandy terrain, like a paddock.
However, in some other cases, it is 100% need rather than a want. For example, my not-so-clingy 2 year old, did not prepare me for the (sometimes) hellish ordeal of having a clingy newborn, it is safe to say I have now officially entered both sides of the scale.
Upon the arrival of my daughter, I have entered the world of unsettled and clingy babies. With baby refusing to sleep or settle unless she is held, it is impossible to get anything done, run after my toddler and relax myself without some form of baby wearing.
Being the fussy mother I am, I went through the 3 main types of carrier before settling for my favourite.
The three main types of carrier on the market are harnesses, wraps, and slings. All of which have their strengths and weaknesses, it is just a matter of weighing up what is best for you. But here is my review on them based on the ones I tried out.
Harness: I tried a Baby Bjorn harness style and a cheaper knock off from Target.
These carriers are super versatile and can carry baby at the front of your body or the back (when they are a little older). Most of them are relatively easy to put on and set up for carrying.
My thoughts: although the carrier is well thought out, most of them require buckling up mid to lower back and between the shoulders during the first few months, so if you have limited range of motion in your arms or can't reach your mid or upper back, you will need a second person to do it up for you when you want to use it. For me this was a big disadvantage, even though I have pretty good range of motion adjusting sizes as baby got bigger or if it were set for someone else (eg my partner) to use, it would have been a drawn out hassle, and thus I wouldn't bother with it. Besides my partner works away from home, so I wouldn't be able to get any assistance adjusting or doing up the carrier. BIG NO NO for me.
The next disadvantage, when shopping around, I found most of these carrier have a weight limit of 7-12kg. Which for the average to smaller size children wouldn't be a problem, however when your kids arrive weighing 4.6kg like mine do, it's hard to justify the near $150 spend for something that will last less than 8 months in my case. Partnered with the fact that these carriers don't seem to be adjustable to cater for longer babies, it was another reason for me to steer clear.
I also disliked that baby could only be carried upright and there was no option to breastfeed baby whilst having the carrier on... Which means taking the thing off every time baby needs to feed and then readjusting it to put back on again. PAIN!!
Material wise I wasn't happy either. At this point your probably thinking that I am just finding things to disagree with, but believe me I am not, I shopped for weeks for a harness type as I originally thought it was the safest option, wrong again!
Like most things nowadays, these harnesses are made from synthetic materials, making them uncomfortable and hot to wear during the summer months. Being that I live in Australia, things that make me hot tend to sit in the back of the cupboard for 8-9 months of the year. No go 99, the thing would never get used.
Alot of mums prefer this style carrier. Don't get me wrong they are great, I love the ability to front or back carrier your kids, and provided you don't have giant spawn like I do, they can last a 2 years. As I said, I shopped for ages looking for something that would work for us, but unfortunately it wasn't going to happen. After conceding and accepting defeat I was introduced to the next option, and re-educated on carriers, harnesses are not the only safe option apparently! Who knew?
Wraps: Wraps are carriers that are a essentially a piece of stretchy fabric that assists in holding baby in a way that ensures both mum and bubs comfort.
I loved the wraps, so much so I bought one. I used this option for my son when I was feeding the horses.
My thoughts: I didn't have any problems with this style, however it was very difficult to set up and use initially. As it is a piece of fabric there is a bit of fiddling involved in it's use.
Eventually, one does get the hang of it. But patience is a virtue that most tired mummy's run out of pretty quick. So convenience and sanity wise, this would be the least favourite of most mothers. If I am honest I have forgone using this carrier because it was too hard or I was too lazy to set it up, so I opted to walk about just holding my baby instead and did most things one handed.
Despite my love for this carrier, I found my baby great out of it far too quick, like 3 months old and that was the end of it. As this carrier relies on a tight hold up against the body, if your baby is like my son was and doesn't like to be carried or held too tightly, this is not a good option. Easiest was to determine this (without spending $90 +) if your baby likes a tight swaddle or wrap, then go for it, of not, forget it.
Aside for size problems and a dislike for tight wrapping for my giangantic baby, this carrier did it's job like a boss. Versatile in that baby can face forward, or face my chest, or be carried on my back and easily washed for those refluxy days in the machine, it's a great option.
This does have the same problem as the harness in that it doesn't last long, I would say this carrier suits young babies to 9 months old. There just isn't enough fabric to hold a toddler effectively, and the need to the around tightly makes having a larger child in it difficult, as we know toddlers like the squirm and look around.
Slings: My favourite of the 3 and what I currently use for my fussy newborn.
Specifically a ring sling. You can find these slings ranging form $65 to $165 depending on where you look.
My thoughts: well just look at the picture. I use my ring sling every day. It is quick and easy to set up and it's comfortable for both me and baby to wear for long periods of time. We spent 11 hours in it on a zoo trip and didn't even break a sweat.
Depending on where you shop these slings are made from different materials. Being that I live in Australia, I wanted something light and breathable for both myself and my little ones comfort. Linen was the obvious choice. Price wise it was cheaper then most of the ones found in stores and online. I purchased mine from Sammi's Cosy Creations who can be found on Facebook. Alternatively, this style sling is included in the Nudie Baby Deluxe Gift Pack found in our store.
I have even had success carrier my huge toddler on this sling as well without any trouble. Which is great for those days when he isn't feeling 100%
Versatile in that I can breastfeed in the sling without having to take baby out, baby can be carrier front or back of my body, in cradle hold or up right and the sling doesn't obstruct my arms or shoulders like the other style carriers, meaning I can do everything and anything I need to without taking baby off. Happy baby, happy mummy.
To show you just how easy it is, check out my tutorial on YouTube.
https://youtu.be/RwDRWTFNFrI
That's all for now
Forever Yours
Anni