Recommend your baby carrier

[aaemommy]

I have a Baby Bjorn that I liked using with A and will use that again as well. But with this one, I think I need to try to find something that I can breastfeed in. I have a feeling that I'll need as much hands-free time as possible, especially since we can't afford to send A to daycare while I'm on maternity leave. I don't want to just start buying because they're so expensive- I'm going to need to just buy one and have that be it. So my questions are:

What carriers did you use and love that you could nurse in?

Would you recommend buying a used one? Different carriers wear differently- some stretch out with use over time.

[peachesncream]

I found it really hard to BF in a carrier until LO was 4-5 months old but I usually BFed in my Tula. I came close to being able to BF in a ring sling when DD was younger but my boobs weren't big enough haha. Either one of those would be fine to buy used or if you have a Babywearing International chapter near you then you can pay a minimal fee to join (I think it's usually only $10-20) and you can borrow a different carrier each month. If you don't pay the fee you can go to meetings and get help with carriers you own or try on different carriers.

[weeklyplanner]

Love my ergo! The k'tan is a close second, especially for the first 3 months. I never got the hang of nursing in them. My SIL would just loosen the straps of her ergo so her baby was positioned a bit lower and then nurse. She often needed one hand for support, but at least she was mobile.

I've heard good things about the wrap/ring sling styles and nursing. Lots of other cultures do it this way. In fact, I just saw a Guatemalan mama at the mall the other day with a homemade carrier. She wrapped her baby up so fast and he was nursing while she chased her toddler around the play area. I wanted lessons! Maybe you know someone who could teach you some tricks?

[aaemommy]

weeklyplanner I thought about getting an ergo but it's the same style as the one I already have. I'm leaning toward a ring sling but there are so many different brands I don't know what's the "best" to get!

[sosayweall]

I am looking at getting a Nesting Days carrier for the first few months and then I love the Ergo. I don't like the newborn insert because it's hot and I sweat enough postpartum. I can't nurse all these fancy ways that others seem to be able to, so I can't speak to that.

www.nestingdays.com

[redhorizon343]

I have an ergo and it's ok, but I think I'd really like a Tula.

There is a baby wearing club in our area that owns a "library" of carries. If you pay $30 you can borrow any carrier for a week at a time. It's a nice way to "try before you buy"

Is there anything like that where you live?

[amadine23]

Used a Bjorn until DS was 6 months, but after that I loved our ergo. We breastfed in it all the time (still do actually)!

[puffandstuff]

I had great success nursing in the ring sling. It took some practice, but I was able to nurse and tend to DD#1. I couldn't nurse in the structured carrier till about 4 months.

[briarrose]

I love my Ergo, but didn't get it until DS was quite big. For LO2, I am looking at getting either a ring sling or a k'tan.

[bkroxfan003]

Lillebaby! It comes with a lumbar support and is really comfortable! You can use it from birth too. I have both the airflow and the embossed and I find the embossed to be the comfiest although they're both pretty great. I had an ergo at first and both LO and I hated it until we tried our Lille. I've personally never nursed in it but I know many people who have and it seems pretty simple. I just had a kid who was super picky about what position she was in to nurse.

[gahorseygal]

Ring sling was really the only one I had success in. My SSC I had to sit too low to get her to latch well and that was uncomfortable. I liked that I could get her more at an angle in the ring sling. I never tried in my Moby Wrap.

[aaemommy]

For those of you using ring slings, what brand did you use? Or did it make a difference? I know nothing about them- never researched them for A because I knew I wanted a structured carrier with him.

[peachesncream]

Feb 22, 2016 10:05:04 GMT -5 aaemommy said:

For those of you using ring slings, what brand did you use? Or did it make a difference? I know nothing about them- never researched them for A because I knew I wanted a structured carrier with him.

I had a Maya and loved it, it had a padded shoulder and a nice zipper pocket that was handy.  I think Sakura is another popular brand.  The Sakuras are linen and are supposed to be a little bit lighter/more breathable but just remember that babywearing is kind of always hot, those little buggers are like mini furnaces.

[puffandstuff]

I got my ring sling from this shop.

www.etsy.com/shop/Bibetts

[kimberlyb]

I loved the K'Tan when they were tiny. I had a Bjorn with DD but it really hurt my back. I bought an ergo with DS and thought that was a lot more comfortable.

[shevacc]

We have a Beco Gemini, an Ergo, and an Onya. And a maya wrap and a woven wrap. The Beco and wraps were great when DS was tiny. I could only nurse in the wraps when he was small. Once he was 4 months, though, the Ergo was and still is the most comfortable for me. The Onya isn't bad, but I prefer the Ergo.

[gahorseygal]

I had a borrowed Maya. I just had to give it back, so I'm shopping for one! They shoulder on the maya was nice and comfy but it was just plain black, I would love something colorful.

[silvermelody]

Soul Slings out of India have a 2-layer linen ring sling that is great for new babywearers.

Maya slings are also good but some people really hate the padded shoulders.

Sakura Bloom are also popular and a good choice

And basically every brand that makes woven wraps will also release a few ring slings in each design. Didymos, Natibaby and Girasol are generally all good starter brands. Here are two online shops with some in stock:

www.purpleelmbaby.com/collections/ring-sling-baby-carriers

5mr.com/collections/ringslings?page=3