Next wrap step
Since Livi was born, I have loved being able to wear her in the Moby and Baby K’tan. In the beginning, that’s the only place she would nap, and I loved feeling her soft baby snores on my chest.
(she was only 3 weeks old in that picture!)
There are so many benefits of babywearing: the baby feels secure and safe, it helps promote healthy breastfeeding and bonding between the baby and the carrier. While baby wraps and carriers are expensive, I feel like they pay for themselves with repeated use –I’ve used at least one every day for the past 4 months- and the resale value is very close to what you pay for them. We’ll keep our wraps and carriers for baby #2 and can easily trade or sell them when we’ll no longer use them.
Now, she naps like a champion in her crib, but I still love to put her in the wrap for walks with Bell, grocery shopping and around the house during that time before bed when she just wants to be held.
The Moby and Baby K’tan have been incredible, but it’s to the point where Livi is too big for them. Lately, I’ve felt like she’s getting too heavy to be well-supported and after Googling, found out that after the baby gets to 15-18 lbs, stretchy wraps (like the Moby and K’tan) are no longer recommended. Also, Livi is to the point where she wants to be able to look out and see the world, and the forward-facing carry in the Moby and K’tan aren’t the best choice for baby’s hips, since they’re being pushed out unnaturally and could be painful for them. I’d love to be able to wear her on my hip or back.
The next step:
(most of these carriers are for older babies who have full control of their head and neck; check with your doc if you’re unsure)
-a woven wrap, which I think is the most baller of babywearing. There are so many ways you can tie them, including back carries, and since they’re not stretchy, they’re very supportive for the baby and comfortable for the mama
-a mei tai carrier. These are like smaller versions of the Ergo, can be worn on front, back or hip, but aren’t the most supportive for very heavy toddlers.
-a ring sling. The baby is worn on one shoulder, sitting in a pocket. Ring slings are awesome for breastfeeding on-the-go, too.
or
-a soft-structured carrier, like the Ergo. The Ergo can also be worn on the front, back or hip and is very supportive for heavy toddlers. It’s a versatile carrier because it can be used from the time the baby is a newborn until they’re a couple of years old.
(a babywearing man is a handsome thing indeed)
Here’s the thing: we have an Ergo (in the pic above), and I’m not the biggest fan of it. It’s adjustable but feels like it’s too much for me- it’s extremely bulky. I have a short torso and don’t feel the most comfortable carrying Livi around in it. I’ve tried a few times, but I don’t love it nearly as much as I’ve enjoyed the Moby and K’tan. Tom, on the other hand, loves the Ergo and loves carrying Livi in it. I also think it may be too hot in the summer months.
For now, I’d like to get another carrier that Livi will be comfortable in and that I’ll be able to wear her on my back. I have a feeling that when she’s bigger, I’ll like the Ergo more, but for now am trying to decide between a mei tai or a woven wrap.
There is an amazing babywearing group on Babycenter, but it’s intimidating to sift through the multiple pages of forums, so I thought I’d ask for some advice 🙂
-I know I’d love the woven wrap, but is there a version that won’t be so hot in the summer? It gets crazy hot here, and I don’t want Livi to be too warm wrapped up in heavy fabric. There are literally hundreds of types of woven wraps and I’m a little intimidated to pick one (especially when they’re very expensive) and have it be too heavy.
-Is there a mei tai version that you recommend? I’m looking mostly at the Babyhawk (in the pic above)
I’m excited to hear what you think! <3
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I love my Ergo now that my daughter can go on my back. She likes it better now too. The Moby was great when she was younger. We hike and everything with the Ergo.
I think you will like the baby hawk mei tai! It is a good cross between the moly and ergo. I tried one out and it definitely reminded me of the moby. I chose a Beco Gemini for my carrier since I do like the extra support. You might want to try that one out as it is smaller than the ergo,
I do find that I sweat up a storm wearing a carrier and I live in Ottawa! I had Max in the Beco in the store and I could feel the sweat rolling down (tmi I know) not sure how you are doing it in Arizona 🙂
I love my beco butterfly. I use it everyday.
Ive been wearing our 7 week old mostly in a woven since week 3. I bought a Griasol. But for summer I just got a Wrapsody Bali Breeze and it is super light and airy! Wrapping has a learning curve but is super versatile and the best thing about the Bali Breeze is how small is packs up!
My sister used the Bjorn and loved it. When my niece was itty bitty she wanted to be held all the time, and when she was alittle older this was an awesome way for my sister to get things done and my niece could check out the world around her. My sister even sewed a cloth cover for the top so she could easily wash it (when facing out the baby would chew on it) and it was cute 🙂 http://www.babybjorn.com/us/products/baby-carriers/baby-carrier-air/air/
I have a Baby Hawk, love it! Works for my 18lb baby and 27lb toddler.
I have the Cat Bird Baby Piccolo!
After a bunch of research, we decided on the Beco Gemini because the baby can be worn in the front facing in OR out, which was a plus for me. It can also be worn like the Ergo as a backpack and on the side, sort of sling style, as well. Its got all the “ergo” support which was important for us too. Overall, it was about the same price as the Ergo, but I liked having the option of the baby facing out while being worn in front. It says it has a max weight of 35 pounds, but I’m not sure how comfortable it would be at that point! Good luck!
I love the Baby Hawk but would also recommend the Wrapsody Bali Breeze for the heat – it is great for warm weather, vacations, etc. I used it for my twins on multiple trips to warm weather locations. I think they recommend birth-35 lbs too, so you will get quite a bit of use out of it. It isn’t too pricey so you could always pick it up as an added option for extra hot days, which I’m sure you get a lot of!
awesome, i’l check that out!
I got a ring sling from sleeping baby productions and I love it. My little guy is 5.5 months and we have used it since he was 3 or so months. It is super quick to put on and great for errands. I really like it for a hip carry because it allows him to look out but also face in when he feels overwhelmed or sleepy. I think it is a great addition to a mei tai carrier which is probably better for longer wearing. I returned my ergo, it felt way too bulky for me too. I only use the ring sling for errands so it is my only carrier right now. He rides in his stroller for longer walks and will soon sit in a cart in stores!
It’s been awhile since I’ve babyworn but the best thing, as you know, is to just try different wraps and carriers b/c just about the time you think you’ve found “the perfect wrap”….that darn baby has a growth spurt and grows right out of it 🙂 Good luck and so happy you’re babywearing!
Check out the Sakura bloom linen ring slings. I just got mine last week and I LOVE it! It doesn’t seem like it will be too hot either… And looks like you can wear the baby for a LONG to
E 🙂
Jodi from Che and Fidel uses the Sakura Bloom Linen Sling, and her baby is nine months old. There are a bunch of bloggers in Australia participating in a blogging competition of sorts, so you can check out other opinions (although I would imagine they are mostly positive since it’s a competition). http://cheandfidel.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/sling-diaries-sakura-bloom-photo.html
amazing, thank you for sending this along!
We live in El Paso, which has similar climate and I and the BB were very happy with the Pure Linen collection. These slings are really secure and so easy to take on and off.
We were given the bjorn, so I didn’t look into many options, but it works really well for us! H loves being about to look around and see what we see 🙂
I used the moby until head control was down and then I loved my baby hawk until my son was able to walk.
If you are looking for something forward facing, skip the Bjorn–they are bad for baby’s back. I bought a long strip of fabric at the store, sliced it down the middle and had to wraps–one for the car and one for the house. Love them!
Check the website http://www.theportablebaby.com. It reviews lots different carriers, and she sells a wrap that feels sort of like sheets; light and non stretchy. There are lots of other fun products reviewed too!
amazing- thank you!
I dont have any children (I’m 17 so thank god I dont have kids!) but I have my share of cousins/nieces and nephews (seven to be exact. technically cousins but they call me auntie) My cousin uses an ergo and she absolutely LOVES it. She defiantly recommends it
I would go with the baby hawk. Like others have said, it reminds me of the moby and the ergo.
How have you gotten Liv to nap in the crib? My 4 month old will nap on me and in her bouncy seat, but every time I put her down in the crib she wakes up. She sleeps all night in it, so I can’t understand why she refuses to do it during the day.
yes, she’s been napping in the crib for a little over a month
try putting her head down first (a tip that a reader gave me)- that kept livi from startling awake
our first child did this-we let her nap in the swing until she outgrew it around 6 mths old. she would sleep for 12 hours at night in her crib but not nap in it. once she outgrew the swing i had just to let her cry/fuss for about a week at nap times until she got it. she eventually did and has been a great napper ever since.
Ugh, I think that’s what I’m going to have to do. I really need some time to get things done around the house. I’m going to try putting her down head first tomorrow though and see if that helps.
i hear ya! you like holding them because cuddling is so sweet, but there are some times when naptime is the only time you have to do other things you need to do
I was trying to figure out our k’tan today….with my 37 week belly. Haha awkward. I guess I’ll wait a few more weeks.
hahah might have to have the hub model it for you 😉
now that he’s back!!!!!! 🙂
Exactly! :)!
I used the bjorn and moby for the first few months and have used the ergo ever since. I took my 2 year old on a pretty tough 4 mile hike and the ergo was amazing. We have a hiking pack too but the ergo is much better for shorter distances. http://ultralaurenruns.blogspot.com/2012/05/active-carrier.html?m=1
I had a babywearing “class” here at one of the local shops, and the leader strapped my son on my back with a piece of fabric I already had (a very long wrap-type skirt), and while I loved the idea of that, it weighed pretty heavily on my chest and since I was nursing a ton until he was two, it was pretty uncomfortable for me.
I’m interested to see how the mei tai would be, though!
Unfortunately, my baby was not a big fan of being in a carrier after those first few months, so our carriers weren’t used very often after that! But for other moms out there, I did really love the Moby, but we’re in Hawaii, so it’s nice and warm year-round here, and we both got pretty funky pretty fast. 🙂
Have you tried the ergo on your hip? Even though I am tall, I too have a short torso. I started using the ergo on my hip on our recent trip to LA (Manus is now 14 months). It was like carrying him on my hip with my hands free. Just a suggestion. Also you might find the hip style complicated to donat first but like anything, the more you do it the easier it gets.
i’ll try that because i carry her on my hip all the time 🙂
Google it on YouTube so yOu can get it down 🙂
Hi!
I’m working overseas in Africa for few years and I ONLY see women using what you referred to as “woven wrap”. Most summer days are 90*F with humidity of 75-95%.
For this method of carrying – they use ANY peice of fabric that they have – anything works as long as it’s about the same size as one of those $5 (or $10) long wraps skirts you can buy on most beaches. They manage to tie the cloth so that they can carry their babies up front, in the back, you name it. But the different tying techniques – I’m not sure how they do it! I’ve always said that I’m going to ask someone to teach me how to do it before I leave! Something I’m sure could be found on youtube, I’m sure!
Good luck on your researching!
I was going to write exactly what Nicole already said. I’m working in West Africa with the same temps as she’s describing and all the women here use the woven style wraps. Not only are they carrying the baby in wraps on their backs but then they’ve probably got 20lbs of water/fruit/anything else balanced on their heads!
and now i just feel like a slacker. haha
Hi. A Mei tai made from a woven wrap is my fave. Hop tye or didy tai are a few. Obimama are amazing with difficult to find. Check out pax baby for all things baby wearing.
checking out now! thank you 🙂
I love all of these baby wraps, especially the Moby! Btw…we found out yesterday that we are going to have a little girl too!!! Im over the moon and look forward to have all of these special moments with my daughter as you do with Livi! I still can’t believe Im going to have a daughter!
awww that’s so exciting! sending lots of love to you!
Thanks hun!
Vatanai is well known for being a great warm weather wrap. Gypsy Mama Bali Breeze are also very cool (they are gauze), but I don’t recommend it as a first woven wrap as it can be diggy if you don’t wrap it quite well. Good luck!
I used a Moby, then switched to the Babyhawk Oh Snap. I LOVE it, partly because it is so simple to just snap on to the perfect fit 🙂
There are some AWESOME babywearing groups on Facebook 🙂 I am a part of several, one for support and questions and a few for buy/swap/trade. These ladies are great. Let me know if your interested and I’ll see if I can get you in them!
yes, please!
Messaged your page on FB 🙂
It’s funny. I LOVED baby wearing, and had my daughter in a wrap or a carrier constantly for the first few months, then we just stopped. I never made a conscious decision to put them away, it just seemed to become unnecessary – almost overnight – for our lifestyle.
Once my daughter hit the 5-6 month mark, all of the reasons that we’d previously baby-worn just became obsolete. For naps, we were using the crib. For walks, we used the stroller. For errands, she sat in the shopping cart. She just got to the point where she wanted more physical freedom than the carrier offered, so we got a Balboa Baby shopping cart cover to hook her toys onto, and a toy bar and snack tray for her stroller.
My daughter was a winter baby, like yours, and I have to say that even though I missed wearing her sometimes, it was a lot more physically comfortable to head into summer NOT wearing a baby that was only getting heavier by the day. Florida (or Arizona in your case) in July with an 16lb baby strapped to you is no joke!
I had some but didn’t use any. It was summer in Phx and my baby was ginormous. She was 20 lbs. at 4 months! She was happy in those bouncey seats around the house, I recall. Walks were in a stroller, shopping was in the carseat in the cart.
I have a BabyHawk I have no plans on using again (I love my Beco — so when we have another I’ll just use that). Do you want it? It’s just taking up space in my daughter’s closet. I’d just ask that you pay for shipping. Let me know (and I can take a picture of it if you’d like :)).
I’m late on commenting on this and maybe it was already suggested–but check out the Beco Butterfly carrier. It’s similar to the Ergo, but more streamline. There is less fabric than the Ergo which worked well for me and my baby. She didn’t like a ton of fabric covering her–she never liked the Moby much b/c it was so much fabric. I’m 5’4″ and the Beco fit my frame well.
Just wondering if you ever did a post on what you registered for/ your favorite things so far for Liv? I’m going to register soon & it is so overwhelming…and I always love reading about your favorite products- like the BabyHawk 🙂 Looking at the website right now!
here’s what we registered for:
http://fitnessista.com/2011/09/what-we-picked/
xoxo
THANK YOU!! 😀
The details on our babywearing journey:
Infant stage: Ring Sling – I had a couple made by SweetPea Ring Slings which I loved! I have also heard great things about Kalea Baby RS as well. I used the Moby and it was fantastic until Rae got around 18 lbs. I just wasn’t as comfortable with the stretchy fabric.
4-6 Months: I switched to a woven Mei Tai which I absolutely love and distributed the weight better.
My daughter is now 10 months and I really wanted to add a soft structured carrier to our collection and am having a local mama (Mother and Bebe http://www.motherandbebe.com/Content/17.htm) custom make me one. I picked out the fabric and she is sewing it together (She has the most adorable SSC and Mei Tais). She is also the local leader of our Atlanta Babywearing Chapter (which is great for trying on SSC and wovens to get the true fit and feel). As far as the wovens – I have heard great things about Girasol, Ellevil, and Colimacon & Cie. The C&C Spring Wraps are in and I have heard they are a great one all as well as decently priced. (http://theblueberrytree.com/index.php?option=com_ixxocart&Itemid=2&p=product&id=518&parent=1) Good luck with your search!
The details on our babywearing journey:
Infant stage: Ring Sling – I had a couple made by SweetPea Ring Slings which I loved! I have also heard great things about Kalea Baby RS as well. I used the Moby and it was fantastic until Rae got around 18 lbs. I just wasn’t as comfortable with the stretchy fabric.
4-6 Months: I switched to a woven Mei Tai which I absolutely love and distributed the weight better.
My daughter is now 10 months and I really wanted to add a soft structured carrier to our collection and am having a local mama (Mother and Bebe http://www.motherandbebe.com/Content/17.htm) custom make me one. I picked out the fabric and she is sewing it together (She has the most adorable SSC and Mei Tais). She is also the local leader of our Atlanta Babywearing Chapter (which is great for trying on SSC and wovens to get the true fit and feel). As far as the wovens – I have heard great things about Girasol, Ellevil, and Colimacon & Cie. The C&C Spring Wraps are in and I have heard they are a great one all as well as decently priced. (http://theblueberrytree.com/index.php?option=com_ixxocart&Itemid=2&p=product&id=518&parent=1) Good luck with your search!