Sling/wrap Recommendations - Pittsburgh,PA

I used the nojo sling by dr. sears. I believe his website www.askdrsears.com has other ones available now. They look very much the same. You can also look on craigslist for the nojo. It was incredibly comfortable for all the wearers - me, my husband, the babysitter, and my in-laws who have back problems. My son loved it. It was the only way we could get him to sleep. It was also very easy to transfer him from one person to another while he was sleeping in it. I highly recommend it and it is washable. I tried the ultimate baby wrap before but it fell down all the time and tried a pouch sling from target that basically suffocated my child. It took 3 tries to find the best one. I don't know what I would have done without it. it was a bit costly but it was definately worth every penny! feel free to contact me with any questions.

I have a Baby K'Tan, which I absolutely love. http://www.babyktan.com/

I think it's easier than some of the other wraps because it has two permanent loops so you don't have to tie them. You can configure it in the same ways as you can with the Sleepy Wrap or the Moby. I haven't figured out how to breastfeed with the wrap, however, so I can't comment on that.

The only potential negative with the Baby K'Tan is that you have to buy a particular size, so if you wanted to share the wrap with your dh, for example, you might not be able to do so, depending on whether or not you and dh are similar sizes.

I bought mine from Target online and I think it was around $40. I am still using it at 8 months, and my daughter loves it. If we are in a public place or out with friends, she takes a nap in it while I wear her. It also felt more secure than the usual slings because of how you configure it. The website can provide information on the ways you can use it.

Good luck!

I have to place my vote for the moby wrap!

It's incredibly versatile- you can do a shoulder wrap(like the maya), a front wrap, a back wrap, and a BF wrap! It works from newborn to over 12 months: you just choose the wrap style that's appropriate for your baby's developmental level.
The criticism for this wrap is that it is hard to do. But play with it for about 10 mins and you'll have all the styles down.

My favorite thing about the moby wrap is that I made it myself, saved some cash, and there's no sewing involved! Just buy 5 1/2 to 6 yards of fabric with a little give in it (knits are nice), in whatever pattern/color you like (I like the sale rack). Split it down the middle long ways- and you have two wraps! One for the car, one for the house; one for you, one for a friend... You can have a wrap wardrobe (or one that dad will wear, at least!).

Things to check out:

"BabyGami" - A very cute book that illustrates both swaddling and wrapping techniques (except that the yardage in the do-it yourself instructions is way too short. They say 4 yds, I think). Makes an awesome gift- I often give this book with a length of fabric for a shower gift.

YouTube - there are TONS of video instructions for every type of fabric baby carrier on youtube. You can check out all the wrap styles and then decide what is best for you.

Have fun! Wraps are awesome!

I am LOVING my "Sling Ezee" sling. (www.slingezee.com). I started using it after i had my second son in July, and wish i had had it with my first! It keeps my hands free to deal with my toddler. I haven't tried to BF in it yet, but I know that would be super convenient and it is made to be able to do that. Enjoy!

I LOVED my maya wrap. I used it with my daughter from about 3 months old til 13 months old. I never quite got the hang of "hands-free" breastfeeding with it. But I used it as a cover quite often. She loved cuddling in it. And I could get her in and out of the maya wrap even while she was asleep.

I also really like my Becco Carrier. It can be used on front or back and I've used it a lot when hiking and now that she's gotten bigger.

Lastly, I have a Kelty Kids back pack that I use when I'm traveling (certainly now way you can breastfeed using this, but its great for a plane and around the airport).

Good luck!

I have a few I like.
My all time favorite is the kiddie cradle ring sling, I also like that this was made by a Mom also in Pa :) (www.kiddiecradles.com)
Then the My Baby Nest
(www.mybabynest.com)
Then the Moby which is just basically a really long piece of fabric you wrap around you to tuck your LO into.

Also, check out thebabywearer.com for some great info on different wraps and slings and you may even find a baby wearing group in your area that will give you a chance to try out the different styles and see what fits your lifestyle the best

I have a Maya wrap and LOVE it! http://www.mayawrap.com/
It's super easy to use and VERY comfortable for both of us. My daughter is 16 months old and we still use it!

i also love my maya wrap! it's a bit pricy, but worth it in my opinion. and it is pretty easy to BF in it...the "tail" as i like to call it is pretty long so you can put it over the baby as they are nursing and no one would ever know! just make sure you get the right size!

Out of the 7 that I owned, the mei tei was my absolute fave. Its the only one that didn't wreck my back/hips and both my husband and I could wear without adjustments. It worked great for BF'ing, simply loosen one of the ties under my son's bum to get more give/movement. Then tighten back up once done. It also holds him vertically after meals, which helps whether they have reflux or not.

Pardon me for "spamming" myself, but I actually have a very small baby sling company called THING-A-MA-SLING Custom-Created Baby Slings.
I make unpadded ring slings (padded ones tend to be very bulky & hot). They hold children from birth to 35 lbs. I have nursed hands-free in it & still carry my 2 year old son in it almost daily. Some of the main advantages to this type of carrier compared to wraps & pouches is that it's very easy to use, is fully adjustable (which allows it to grow with your child and often times, allows your parter to use it as well), it takes up very little room in a diaper bag & is very, very versatile (you can use it for more than just a carrier).
If you live in the Lehigh Valley area, I offer free delivery. No matter where you live, I also offer a MamaSource member discount. You should be able to find my info in the "local business" area, but just in case, IF you'd like to check out my site, it's www.ThingaMaSling.com
Each sling comes with a full-color instruction booklet with lots of pictures. It even fits right in one of the 3 attached pockets on the sling for quick-reference while you're out.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email or call 1-877-SLING-99
Either way, I hope you find something that you really enjoy using!!!!
A.

There are tons of different styles out there. The thing I would suggest is googling a few different names
moby wrap
mei tai
pouch sling
maya wrap
These are some of the best ones and they have tons of different names and styles. If you are handy with a sewing machine you can easily make your own.
It will save you a ton of money.
With that being said you have to look at what age you are starting with. If you are starting with a new born, then I would suggest starting out with a wrap.

If the child is 6 mos and older I would look into a meitai.
The pouch sling is also great for baby to toddler size
hth
V.

I have The Ultimate Baby Wrap, which I purchased at Babies R Us. My little one loves being in this wrap. It can be wrapped 5 different ways, and is pretty easy to use. I used to use it to nurse when I needed to be hands free and it worked pretty well. Sometimes I had a hard time positioning baby quite right. I used to get compliments on it whenever I wore it. The only thing I found to be off with it was that the fabric was a t shirt like material, and though comfortable and cool (My baby was little in the summer) it did tend to "grow" a bit with the baby's weight. If I was using it to nurse and has to switch sides I would have to adjust the whole thing, but other then that it worked great! Good luck and enjoy your new little one!

I have tried several sling/wraps. With my daughter I had the hotsling and used it until she was 15 months old. I found it worked best as a hip carrier but then got too uncomfortable on my shoulder. I have put my almost 3 month old in it laying down but always feel like he's too squished. I think he may like it facing out when he's a bit better with head control.

I also have a Moby which I like but it's very long and sometimes hard to get him into it in a hurry. It's very comfortable and distributes the weight the most easily of all carriers I have used.

I carried my 1year old in a Bjorn a few times and found that was very comfortable too.

Lastly I bought a $20 front carrier from Target and have found that to be the cheapest/easiest to get on and off.

This is my fifth baby and I finally have a moby. I love love love it. All the instructions are inside and you can practice different ones. I highly recommend it. I got mine from www.nickisdiapers.com It is free shipping. I just got the regular one.