Hug a bub carrier

[peekay]

Hi

I've always loved the idea of the Hug a bub sling, but have a few queries I'm hoping someone can help me with.

Firstly, are they worth it? I mean this in terms of money, comfort, ease of use etc.

Secondly, do they come in different sizes? If so, could my husband get away with using one that is 'my size' for the times he uses the sling? He has indicated he'd prefer the pram and baby bjorn (which I told him is fine after a few months) but when Ookie is newborn he'd have to use the HAB (or just carry Ookie I suppose).

Lastly, I've read that you can breastfeed a baby in the HAB and carry him/her in a horizontal position. I haven't seen a photo of a baby in this position and am wondering if it really is possible, or is it too uncomfortable, fiddly etc. Do you tie it differently to carry a baby in this position?

Thanks in advance for anyone who can help!

[dee73]

I love my hug a bub, but I didn't have to pay for it (gift from my mum). We had a baby bjorn with ds1 and I hated it, it just hurt my back too much. The hab though I can use all day without it hurting.

I haven't tried the feeding position personally, but have seen pics of it - have you looked at the hug-a-bub website? It has a photo gallery on it.

As for sizes, it's pretty much one size fits all as you adjust it's tightness as you put it on. There is a larger size but I think they say that's for size 18+.

The only thing I don't like about it is that it does take a while to get used to tying it. I tried 3 times at home before being brave enough to put ds2 in it. Now I'm really good at it and can tie it quite quickly, so it just takes practice.

[meow]

It is very, very worth it. It's such a snug hold that our baby always snoozes in it so it makes life very easy! And it's very comfy- we have a big baby and he feels weightless in it.
I haven't tried feeding in it as you would have to retie it so I find it easier to take it off to feed then put it back on.

[diva-n-dan]

Alrighty ... here comes Diva's blunt-no holds bar-brutal-honesty.

Are they worth it? ... In all honesty? Not by a longshot. Wander down to any fabric store, grab 4.5m of cotton knit fabric, cut a third of it lengthwise so you've got a 4.5m strip approx 50cm wide and that's your hug-a-bub. Don't even need to sew the edges. Sure there's a cutie pocket on the front that let's you know where the middle is, but in all essence that's your hug-a-bub. Google mamatoto and there will be a heap of instructions including videos about how to tie it.

How comfortable are they? Heavenly. Supreme support, even the most nervous nellies will feel confident carrying their bub's in this. You can bend, crawl, pick things up, wander around and bub is staying put. Great for them sleeping too, tuck their little head in and it will even shield them from the sun/wind as well.

Ease of use? Middle of the range. It IS a little fiddly ... and if bub is having a tanty you'll have to put up with them screaming for a bit whilst you get yourself "strapped in". But the beauty of it is you can pull them in and out of it as many times as you like once you've strapped them in once.

Multisized? The 4.5m of fabric does me (size 18) and my hubby who's carrying more of a carton than a six pack :P . If you're worried about it not being enough, buy 5m and just chop off the rest.

Breastfeeding in a HAB? I personally haven't done it ...but once again google mamatoto and there's videos on how to do that too.

I don't mind the HAB ... but personally I find it too fiddly (I'm a wham, bam, thank you mam kinda gal ) I'm hoping the ergo is a little quicker to put on and off ... but if it doesn't offer the support of the HAB, I'll be back to it in a heartbeat.

Hope that helps.

[dust]

diva that was a great help! awesome thread btw.
i looked up the hug a bub and found it was out of my price range and i did see someone mention they were making a hug a bub sling but that was it..

[mgm]

I second diva'n dan's comments. I bought 4m of cotton jersey, cut it down the middle and voila - two 'hug a bubs' for just $12. i used the instructions on the hug a bub website to learn how to tie it, and it's fantastically comfortable (especially compared to the baby bjorn, which i'm convinced those scandinavians designed to torture us!). my ds won't use it though - he uses the bjorn, and then complains about his sore back .

go buy yourself some fabric and try it out - well worth the $12 and chances are your baby will love it. If you have a sewing machine you could even sew a pocket on the front - this would be useful to help you find the middle without folding the length in half each time.

[Ginger]

i could not have survived without my hab for the first 3 months of ds's life. since then it's been sitting in a cupboard.
it is fantastic, comfy and great for getting your bubs to sleep in.
i have never breastfed in it, i have, however, breastfed in my ergo.
if i were you, i would check on ebay for a second hand hab.

[HOPRAH]

We used an Ergo Baby Carrier and I thought it was well worth every cent. I borrowed a friends Bjorn once and it nearly broke my back. Do you have friends you can try theirs first?