Help please . . overwhelmed by info

Hi,

I have been googling baby slings and am totally boggled by all the info/brands which has just confused me even more!

So my bub is 7kgs+ and 6months - I have a second hand cheapo baby bjorn type front carrier clippy thing but it KILLS my back, and facing my chest is not my curious bub's cup of tea.

So here's what I'm after . . if any of you ladies can tell me which brands might suit I might be able to narrow down my googling. Much appreciated.

* Newborn - Toddler
* Breastfeed possible BUT with opportunity for legs to be not be all confined, hates them being cooped up in cradle positions.
* Able to wear on hip (this is how I usually carry her around).
* Not going to murder my poor neck muscles.

I'm hoping what I want is possible. Any suggestions??? Am hoping you seasoned pro's will be in the know.

I have one that does all of that - called a Kari-Me (google it!). It's fantastic! I still wear my two-and-a-half year old in it. Facing me, facing out, front, back and side. And can BF in it, but only while the baby is quite small I found. Not past about 9-10m. You carry the weight in your lower back: I had really bad whiplash and this was relatively comfortable for me. I found the Baby Bjorn bad for my neck too.

I think the Hug-a-Bub is similar if you can't get the Kari-Me in Australia.

Good luck!

The Ergo also fits that criteria.

And any mei-tai-style carrier. I still carry DS in the mei-tai and he's over 2 years. Remember though that anything that carries on the front will put strain on the back - back carriers will protect your spine a fair bit if you take care on your posture (as in every-day posture).

There's a group called ozbabycarriers (PM me if you'd like the link) that have a lot of information and even a lending service so you can try before you buy.

good luck!

I got the hug a bub for those reasons. Also because I have such a bad back, HaB is great for your back. can be used in all different positions, and we are still easily carrying Ds who is 7.7kilos.
You can get them thru belly belly website I believe xo

I got a Mei Tai and DD and I love it!!!! It fits all of your criteria although my DD is only 6 months old so don't know about carrying a toddler in it as yet. Good luck with your search, I spent ages trying to find the right carrier for me and now have another two I don't use. It really does come down to personal preference so maybe you can try some on in shops before you buy? Also have a look at babywearer dot com I found it really helpful for weighing the pros and cons of each carrier/sling.