Babywearing: What Carrier is Right For You?
Babywearing is a fun and safe way to carry your baby hands-free. But picking out the best carrier for you and your baby can be a challenge when you don’t know what to look for. With a little help, it can be super easy to choose the best carrier possible!
Where do I start?
Are you overwhelmed by all the babywearing options out there? Don’t worry you are not alone. There are so many things to consider when you want to start. Babywearing is a great way to have a hands-free carrying experience with your baby. There are so many benefits to this awesome parenting tool. That said, it can be a little overwhelming to choose the best carrier for you and your baby if you do not know what to look for.
What types of carrying devices are available?
Stretchy wraps
Woven wraps
Soft-structured carriers
Ring slings
Pouch slings
Mei tais
Baby carrier backpacks
Babywearing Clothes
Stretchy Wraps
Description: A stretchy wrap (such as a Moby or Solly wrap) is a long piece of fabric that you tie around yourself first, and then position your baby in it. With this type of carrier, you will need to learn how to wrap it in order to ensure the safety of both you and your baby. These wraps can be made out of a variety of stretchy fabrics such as cotton jersey, knit jersey, and knitted cotton. They come in all kinds of different colors, patterns, and styles. These wraps are generally one-size-fits-all and are perfect for newborns all the way up to 20lbs. Once your baby grows past 20lbs, the wrap will start to sag and not provide as much support for you or baby, but there are plenty of other carriers that are suitable for bigger babies.
Age/weight range: birth-20lbs
Pros:
Great for newborns
Versatile
Comfortable
Grows with baby (up to 20lbs)
Many styles
Cons:
Can get warm
Will have to learn proper assembly
Can no longer use after 20lbs
Woven Wraps
Description: Woven wraps are very similar to stretchy wraps, except they are made out of different materials. They are made out of materials like wool, cotton, and linen which are a bit thicker and not stretchy like the stretchy wraps are. These wraps are the longest-lasting and most versatile of all of the carriers. Like stretchy wraps, a woven wrap is a long piece of fabric that you can tie around you in multiple ways in order to best secure your baby to you. They also come in a variety of styles, so you can be comfortable and cute at the same time.
Age/weight range: birth- toddler age
Pros:
Great for newborns
Versatile
Comfortable
Grows with baby into toddlerhood
Many styles
Sturdy
Cons:
Can get warm
Will have to learn proper assembly
May have to wrap up extra long fabric
Soft-structured Carriers
Description: Soft-structured carriers (AKA buckle carriers or SSCs) are soft fabrics that are sewn together to make a structured seat with straps and buckles to safely secure baby. These popular carriers are pretty easy to figure out and require little to no assembly. You just put them on and then put your baby in and adjust the straps. They are not as newborn-friendly as the wraps are. Most SSCs do not provide the proper neck support that newborns need, so they need an additional insert to be used for newborns.
Age/weight range: 7-50lbs
Pros:
Grows with baby into toddlerhood
Sturdy
Easy to use
Comfortable
Versatile
Cons:
Can be pricey
Need an additional insert for newborns
Ring Slings
Description: Like woven wraps, ring slings are also long pieces of thick, non-stretchy fabric. Ring slings differ from wraps in that they stretch from one shoulder to the opposite hip. This allows for your baby to be carried on your hip or in front of you. These slings have either 1 or 2 layers. If the sling has 2 layers it will be stronger and more suitable to carry toddlers up to 35lbs, whereas a 1-layered sling can typically carry up to 25lbs. All ring slings have 2 rings, one of which you will need to thread the long loose end through, and then tuck it under the other ring. Baby’s weight will keep the rings from slipping, so there is no need to tie this type of carrier. Like most wraps, ring slings are safe for newborns and come in a variety of colors and patterns.
Age/weight range: birth-35lbs
Pros:
Great for newborns
Adjustable
Easy to use
Grows with baby (up to 35lbs)
Many styles
Can be used with breastfeeding
Cons:
Can cause shoulder pain
May have to wrap up extra long fabric
Pouch Slings
Description: Pouch slings are circles of thick, non-stretchy fabric that go around your body from one shoulder to the opposite hip. Babies sit in the deep pouch on either your hip or in front of you. These slings come in a variety of sizes as they are not adjustable. The sling must not only fit baby but also the caregiver using it, this means it is not shareable between caregivers unless they are similar sizes.
Age/weight range: depends on the size
Pros:
Great for newborns
Easy to use
Many styles
Cons:
Not adjustable
Can cause shoulder pain
Mei Tais
Description: Mei Tais (AKA Meh Dais) are a hybrid of a wrap and a soft structured carrier. Like SSCs, they have a structured seat for the baby to sit in, but instead of having buckles and straps, they have long strands of fabric that you have to tie (like a wrap). These types of carriers can be newborn-friendly depending on the model and can be used into toddlerhood up to about 44lbs.
Age/weight range: Birth-44lbs
Pros:
Many styles
Adjustable
Comfortable
Grows with baby (up to 44lbs)
Cons:
Will have to learn proper assembly
Baby Carrier Backpacks
Description: Baby carrier backpacks are large, sturdy, and very structured. They are great for walks, hikes, and other outdoor activities but are not the most practical for everyday life. The backpacks are only suitable for babies who already have good neck control and are able to sit up on their own. These carriers are worn on your back with the baby in the seated position the entire time. They are easily adjustable and can be really comfortable because of the great weight distribution they provide.
Age/weight range: 16-40lbs
Pros:
Sturdy
Adjustable
Great for outdoor activities
Comfortable
Extra storage
Cons:
Bulky
Heavy
Not newborn friendly
Babywearing Clothes
Description: Babywearing clothes can be anything from shirts to overalls that are specifically designed for babywearing. They have extra space in them that is large enough to fit your baby. These allow for skin-to-skin contact and are great for breastfeeding. Babywearing clothes are available in a variety of sizes but they are not adjustable, so they are not sharable between caregivers. There are different types that are just made for lounging or others that are made for walking around and doing chores.
Age/weight range: birth- 45lbs
Pros:
Great for newborns
Allow for skin-to-skin contact
Comfortable
Easy to use
Cons:
Not adjustable
While there are general guidelines for each type of carrier, remember to always check the instructions on whichever one you choose for the best, safest fit for you and your baby.
Resources:
If you’re looking for a great local resource, try visiting Bluebird Exchange in Boone. They have all sorts of carriers and other super cute things for your baby. If you want to learn more about the safety precautions and benefits of this wonderful parenting technique, check out our other blog post on babywearing. There are also Facebook groups with tips and tricks in both the High Country - Boone and the Tri-Cities TN.
Sources
Reflections for Mother's Day
Being a mother is both challenging and rewarding at the same time. It's full of excitement, struggle, joy, exhaustion, and everything in between. This Mother's Day the owners of High Country Doulas and a team member reflect on the good, the bad, and the ugly of their own parenting experiences.
Being a mother is both challenging and rewarding at the same time. It's full of excitement, struggle, joy, exhaustion, and everything in between. This Mother's Day the owners of High Country Doulas and a team member reflect on the good, the bad, and the ugly of their own parenting experiences.
Samantha Lee Wright shares her highest and lowest parenting moments:
“I can remember my lowest moments in parenthood being the early months being home full-time with my son. While I loved him dearly, it was just so much! So much change so fast. The loss of independence and autonomy for me as a person hit me hard. I typically spent those early months finding things to do in town so that I could be around other moms whenever possible, like The Playhouse, the Tot Lot, or connecting with other moms through walking groups. That helped a lot! But being home all day just the two of us was sometimes a huge struggle for the extroverted me. That’s one of the reasons I love being a postpartum doula so much. I love being a companion for new moms during that first year transition into parenthood that, for many, can be an emotional and psychological roller-coaster.
My best highlights by far are those endless snuggles and intimate moments I have with my kids. My daughter, Layla, is turning three soon, yet she still wants to just sit in my lap and snuggle all day. I can NEVER have enough snuggles! Those moments of such joy and love make me so happy that I could just burst! I hope they never stop wanting hugs....although I know one day they’ll be fewer and farther between.”
Owner Samantha Lee Wright with children August and Layla
Allison Rollans shares her insights of raising her three children:
“On this Mother’s Day, as my oldest enters her third decade, I look back at the days when my three young children clamored into the van to their prospective car seats and I safely buckled them in. Addie, my oldest would always assist with her siblings if needed or tell them how to do it. She felt secure in her role as leader of the pack and often tried to take a role in ‘directing the show’. She also loved to enroll her siblings and cousins in theater or make believe. She still loves children and taking a leadership role.
When I think back to that Mother’s Day when she was born and I became a mother I often think that it was she who taught me as much as I her. If we as mothers know anything, it is that we learn a lot about ourselves through parenting. These sweet beautiful babies demand so much of us that it’s not hard to be stretched to our fullest and thus our “not-so-nice” side. When we get to the other side of those times we can be sure that we are changed. And if we are open to it, each day as a parent we blossom. I know for better or worse, that I would not be the same person without my children.”
Owner Allison Rollans' family: Lemuel, Addie, Greg, and Alden
Addie playing with her cousins
“When I think about my hard times of mothering I always come back to some wisdom shared with me by a friend when my first son was 7 months old and we were still working hard to figure out what it meant to be a family. She said “It doesn’t get easier, it just gets different”. I find this to be so true, as my children grow out of one challenge and into another. But there is ease in hitting the same challenges again and again with consecutive children: I can handle tantrums more easily with my second child. I know how to ask for what I need more easily with my third.
The most challenging time of my parenting journey was when my oldest son was nearly 3 and my daughter was born. The leap from 1 to 2 children felt huge for me, and I’d never had a 3 year old before so I didn’t know that his testing limits and tantrums were normal 3 year old behavior. I felt guilty for being frustrated with my son and guilty because I couldn’t give my newborn daughter my full attention.
My favorite mothering phase is between 1 and 2 years old, when my babies are still babies, but are also learning to talk and needing me a little less. I can more easily step away to work or take care of myself as they gain independence. We can explore the world together with their wide fascination and awareness, and we are more solid in routines at this time. But at the end of the day, a 1 year old is still a snuggly, sweet baby in my arms with a head that has traces of those newborn pheremones if I sniff hard enough.
Right now I have a 6 year old, a 3 year old and a 4 mos old and each one has it’s own challenges and charms. My 6 year old keeps me on my toes, as he is always in the newest, wildest territory. When my first was an infant it felt confusing and restrictive but now I find ease in parenting an infant the 3rd time around: he naps frequently, I can produce all he eats, and he doesn’t talk back yet!”
Lis with her children - Malcom, Eve, Theo
What are your greatest and toughest mom moments? Share in the comments below!
Happy Mother's Day!