I currently have a ring sling but I dont really like it and its difficult to carry my babies in it once they hit 3mths because they get so big weight wise - I feel like they will fall out. It also reeks havoc on my shoulder/back. I had a Baby Bjorn stile one but it only goes up to 9kgs and my babies are that weight at 6mths!
Ive heard about the HUB and Mei teis but Im not sure if theyre what Im looking for.
I want something that doesnt have buckles and bells and whistles that need to be adjusted. I was something lightweight because we live in Nth Qld so it is always hot. I want to be able to carry bub asleep or awake, front or back, kangaroo or nursing hold.
Hey Anna! I'll tell you what I like, I think the lovely Suse (SUSE!! Come on in honey!) will be a great help to you though, because she's a Qlander too, and will be able to help with the temperature issues.
A pouch doesn't need to be adjusted, but if your newborn doesn't like lying down, they might not be too handy. I like my pouch now Si can support his upper body a bit, cos he can go on my hip.
I really love my Pikkolo (same kind of thing as an Ergo, but can use it from newborn without an insert, and bub can forward face out). BUT, now I've lost my baby weight and Si's still quite little, the buckles are in a funny place at the moment, under my arms and hard to adjust. They'll sit forward on bigger people (did for the first couple months when I still had baby fat), and they'll sit forward when Si gets a bit bigger. I really like it, the buckles are my only complaint, and as Si grows it won't be a problem. It used to be my favourite carrier.
My favourite carrier now is my BabyHawk. It's a Mei Tai, and once you get the hang of it, it's really easy to use, looks good, and is reeeally adjustible. Suse has a CatBirdBaby Mei Tai, which lets babies sit forward facing out. (I think BH's are prettier though. :P)
Ummm what else. Wraps are cool (like HAB, which is a soft stretchy one), you can get woven ones which are more supportive too.
And heaps of people love Ring Slings, once you get the hang of them.
Anna, what kind of ring sling do you have? It could be that the shoulder style is not suited to your body or that it's not adjusted the best way (or that the body is not wide enough) - bubs should still be able to sit comfortably in the hip position at an age much older than three months. So it might be worth persevering with. There are heaps of great videos on Youtube that show the best adjustment. That said, some ring slings are more supportive for larger babies than others, and most people find two shouldered carriers more comfortable for long carries. From what you have said that you want from a carrier, you might be best off with both a ring sling or pouch and a two shouldered carrier like a mei tai or SSC (soft structured carrier), as no one carrier will meet all of your needs exactly.
Any carrier is going to be hot up here in summer. So I wouldn't recommend buying a carrier simply because it uses a cooler material, most meshes for example are not very supportive. I had a baby rock carrier and these are designed for hot climates, but I personally found it quite unsupportive.
Currently I have a Connecta (which is a mei tai style SSC) made from solarweave. This is a lightweight fabric that provides 90% UV protection and is very quick to dry - perfect for up here if you get caught in the rain (or want to wear your carrier in the pool/shower). I would recommend it highly. They are only available by order from the UK.
An SSC is preferable to a mei tai if you don't want straps dragging in the wet ground, although if you are thinking of a mei tai I would second Nelle's recommendation that a babyhawk is prettier. ( Nelle). They have a better headrest to a catbirdbaby too. Catbirdbabies have a narrower strap angle (good for narrow shoulders) and are a little cooler than a BH, but TBH I think that the difference is going to be negligible in this climate.
Have a look at the Baby K'Tan. I have pre ordered one online from Soul Mothers. They are new to Australia I believe - I asked for feedback in this forum but no one seems to know about it here - the US reviews I've read are good though. You can wear it in pretty much any position and looks very easy to use. I can't wait to try it after using a one shoulder pouch sling and finding it horrible!
I have the Ergo, HAB and peanut sling. The peanut I use for hip carry with my 10kg boy because the ERGO doesn't fit so well with my belly at the moment. I love all of them for different reasons. HAB for newborn - 6months (although I still use it now, just haven't mastered the back carry ties), ERGO after 6 months (and particularly the back carry) and peanut anytime (although I haven't tried it newborn I LOVE it now with the hip carry). HTH
I need sling suggestions!
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Nelle). They have a better headrest to a catbirdbaby too. Catbirdbabies have a narrower strap angle (good for narrow shoulders) and are a little cooler than a BH, but TBH I think that the difference is going to be negligible in this climate.
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