• What is Babywearing?
• How Do I Choose a Baby Sling or Baby Carrier?
• One-shoulder Carriers
• Pouch
• Ring Sling
• Two-shoulder Carriers
• Mei Tai
• Wrap
• Structured Carrier
• Baby Sling & Baby Carrier Comparison Chart
• How Do I Use My Baby Sling or Carrier
  

What Is Babywearing?

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Babywearing is using a cloth baby sling or baby carrier to wear your child on your front, hip, or back. Parents have been using lengths of cloth or natural materials to tie their babies to their bodies for generations. Recently, the Internet has revolutionized babywearing. Parents now have options ranging from the ubiquitous frontpacks to less well-known, but more comfortable, functional, and attractive baby carriers designed by work-at-home mothers who are experienced babywearers and who have come up with designs that make babywearing comfortable, stylish, and fun.

Why wear your baby? The top reason for most parents is the convenience - babies want to be held, but parents need to get things done. By wearing your baby, you free your hands to accomplish your tasks. Babywearing enables you to nurse on the go, chase after your older children, work on the computer with both hands, run errands, or cook dinner - all the things that still need to get done after the new baby arrives!

But the benefits of babywearing reach far beyond parental convenience. Babies have a fundamental need for physical contact with their parents and caregivers. Babies who are worn sleep better, cry less, nurse and gain weight better, become securely attached to their caregivers, and tend to be more alert and interactive with the world around them. Kangaroo care, holding a premature baby skin-to-skin, has been proven to promote physical growth and neurological development in tiny babies. Yet even full-term babies are "premature" in the sense that human babies are born at a much earlier stage of development than other primates. By holding them close, parents bond with their babies and help them adapt to the outside world from the safety and comfort of a cozy carrier. Babies are born to be worn!

How Do I Choose a Baby Sling or Baby Carrier?

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There are five main types of baby slings and carriers that are widely available today. The descriptions and comparison chart below will help you determine which carrier will best meet your needs. If you have further questions and need help making a decision, though, please don't hesitate to contact me.

One-shoulder carriers

A pouch is a simple tube of fabric that is folded in half and placed over the wearer's shoulder. The baby then goes into the pocket made by the fold. Pouches are best used for front or hip carries. A pouch is sized to the individual wearer, and can only be minimally adjusted by folding the top layer of fabric out and down on the shoulder to tighten the fit. A pouch folds up compactly and tucks into a diaper bag with ease. Pouches are sleek and simple, and with the multitude of stylish patterns available in brands such as Hotslings and Karma Baby, make it easy to feel hip and pulled together.

A ring sling is a long piece of fabric sewn onto a pair of rings. The "tail," or end of the fabric, is then threaded through the rings. The wearer places the sling over her head with the rings on one shoulder, and baby goes into the pouch formed by the fabric. The wearer pulls on the tail to tighten or loosen the individual "rails," or top and bottom edges of the fabric. Ring slings have excellent adjustability.

Ring slings are best used for front and hip carries, and are excellent for discreet nursing. The tail also provides a useful cover for privacy or weather protection. The Maya Lightly Padded Ring Sling and the EllaRoo Organic Lightly Padded Ring Sling have cushioning in the shoulder for a more comfortable carry. Ring slings can generally be shared by wearers of different sizes, although the tail will be longer on a smaller person and shorter on a larger person.

Ring slings and pouches have relatively low learning curves, and take very little time to set up and start babywearing. When sized and adjusted properly, with the fabric well-spread over the wearer's back and the baby worn high and close to the wearer's body, ring slings and pouches are very comfortable. They are particularly useful for the newborn and baby stages, and for the toddler "up down" phase - just leave the carrier on and pop the baby in and out! For those with back and shoulder issues, or for hours-long babywearing comfort, though, many parents find a two-shouldered carrier more to their liking.

If you're looking for a dedicated hip carrier for an older baby and toddler, the Scootababy combines the quick poppability of a one-shoulder carrier with the weight-transferring comfort of a soft structured carrier.

Two-shouldered carriers

A mei tai (pronounced "may tie", not "my tie") is essentially a large rectangle of fabric with four long straps coming off the corners, made out of sturdy and supportive fabric. Modern mei tais like the Kozy and the BabyHawk are based on a traditional Chinese design. A mei tai is an extremely versatile carrier that can be used to carry a child from birth through the preschool years comfortably, on the front, back, or hip. The straps distribute the child's weight evenly on the shoulders and around the waist, making this carrier an excellent choice for those with back or shoulder problems. A mei tai has a moderate learning curve, but its adaptability makes it well worthwhile.

A wrap is the most basic of all baby carriers - it is just a long piece of cloth used to tie the baby in place on the wearer's body. This deceptively simple, unstructured carrier is perhaps the most versatile of all, enabling dozens of different wearing positions on front, hip, and side. Although it takes practice to master all of the various possible carries, it really is not difficult to master one or two basic and extremely useful holds.

Wraps are classified into different categories, depending on the type of fabric. Stretchy wraps such as the Moby Wrap are made of soft cotton and feel like your favorite t-shirt. Stretchy wraps are one of the best options for comfortably wearing a newborn for long stretches, and for discreet nursing. Because they can be used to hold baby snugly in an upright position, stretchy wraps are invaluable for babies with reflux and colic. Of the various types of wraps, stretchy wraps are the easiest to learn to use. Stretchy wraps are one size fits all, so parents can share the carrier.

Woven wraps and gauze wraps are less stretchy and more supportive, and provide comfortable wearing for toddlers and small children. These come in different lengths, with the length chosen based on body size and the types of carries desired. The learning curve is higher with these non-stretchy wraps. QuirkyBaby does not currently stock woven and gauze wraps, but if you are interested in trying one, please contact me for referrals to vendors who can help you choose a suitable wrap.

A soft structured carrier, such as the Ergo Baby Carrier or the Beco 4th Generation Baby Carrier, is the most modern of the available options. It is structured like a backpack, with a wide padded waist belt that distributes the baby's weight to the wearer's lower body, and two well-padded shoulder straps. It fastens with a waist buckle and a chest clip, and has adjustable webbing just like a backpack on the waist and on the shoulder straps to accommodate a wide range of body sizes. Baby can be worn on the front or on the back, although small babies will need an infant insert to cradle them safely and securely. Hip carries are also possible. This type of carrier is easy to learn to use and offers excellent long-term comfort for wearing babies, toddlers, and even preschoolers.

Baby Sling & Baby Carrier Comparison Chart

1. Although hip carries in the mei tai, stretchy wrap, and Ergo are possible, these carriers are more cumbersome to set up and use in the hip position.
2. For safety reasons, never attempt a back carry with a little baby in the pouch or ring sling. Toddlers who can sit up may be worn in a back carry in these carriers, but please use caution and follow the instructions on the Tummy 2 Tummy DVD.
3. Although the Moby Wrap has instructions for a back carry, in my opinion, this wrap is not suited for a back carry because the stretchiness makes it more difficult to get a secure, wiggle-proof hold.
4. Nursing in a pouch is often easier for women with smaller to medium-sized breasts, but may not be easy for large-breasted women.
5. With one-shoulder carriers, proper fit and adjustment are critical for wearing comfort for heavier/older babies.
   
6. Pouches and ring slings can be very comfortable for wearing newborns and smaller babies for longer periods of time. However, heavier babies and toddlers should be worn in a two-shoulder carrier for long-term wearing comfort.

How Do I Use My Baby Sling or Carrier?

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So you've bought a baby sling or carrier - now what?

The best way to learn to babywear is to get hands-on demonstrations and first-hand experience. If you are in central New Jersey, I offer individual or group babywearing instruction in the Princeton area. I will introduce you to the major types of baby slings and carriers currently available and give you an idea of the advantages and limitations of each. I will demonstrate their uses, and help you determine which carriers are right for you. Please contact me for details.

You are also invited to join the Central New Jersey Babywearers Group, a non-profit, non-commercial group that brings experienced and new babywearers together at monthly meetings and occasional playdates to share information, tips, and tricks on getting the most out of baby slings and carriers. We meet on the first Monday of the month from 10 am to 12 pm in Community Room 3 of the Lawrence HQ Branch of the Mercer County library system, 2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrenceville, NJ.

Another excellent resource is the Tummy 2 Tummy babywearing DVD. This DVD, put together by some of the leaders in babywearing innovation in the US, will help you learn to use your ring sling, pouch, wrap, and mei tai. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but this well-organized and easy-to-navigate DVD with step-by-step instructions is worth its weight in gold! Importantly, it shows what NOT to do as well as what to do to ensure your baby's safety and your comfort.

NEW! Now you can preview the Tummy 2 Tummy DVD on YouTube! These are just four out of the more than fifty different ways to carry your baby demonstrated on the DVD.

There are also babywearing groups that help parents choose and learn to use their baby slings and carriers. Nine In Nine Out (NINO), the babywearing advocacy organization, promotes babywearing through in-person, parent-to-parent support and learning groups. Babywearing groups are a great way to meet other babywearers and learn the art of babywearing from experienced parents. Check to see if there is a group near you!

The Internet is also a great resource for learning about babywearing. Here are some highly recommended sites:

Wear Your Baby (the MamaToto Project) This site has plenty of helpful instructional step-by-step pictures and videos for all types of baby carriers, and instructions on how to make your own simple carriers.

The BabyWearer This website has product reviews, informative articles, and a discussion forum (free registration required) for sharing information on how to choose and use baby slings and carriers. With thousands of actively posting members, this forum is the best place on the Web for learning and chatting about babywearing.

Mothering.com's Babywearing Forum This forum is one of many at Mothering Magazine's excellent website.

Yahoo Babywearing Group This active group has several thousand members.