We're expecting our first child in the New Year and are looking for recommendations on wraps and carriers for bub. My wife is thinking of a Storchenwiege, which has fantastic reviews. Any suggestions on alternatives, including different brands? Where did you buy yours?
Many thanks.
I like the Ergobaby Carriers - they are designed to reduce the risk of hip dysplasia.
I also like the swaddles with Velcro, though some brands may not have Velcro stickers that are strong enough. But they are easy to swaddle the babies.
Good luck and Congratulations.
To start we had a sling-style (Hug-a-bub) since newborns are pretty floppy. These don’t work so well when they’re heavy, but you’re supposed to be able to sit them on your hip when they can sit up. Starts hurting your shoulder though.
We loved using the Baby Bjorn because it sits them facing outward, but these aren’t supposed to be great for their hips. We didn’t experience any problems with that though.
Next we moved onto the Boba carrier. This was chosen for the high weight rating since we were hiking around with a toddler. It has great features like hip straps to distribute the weight off of your shoulders, a sleeping hood to keep their head from lolling about, bag clips so the straps don’t fall off your shoulder, and feet straps so they’re not kicking you all the time and they can adjust themselves for their own comfort. You can front of back carry with this one. We bought this while in Canada because it was significantly cheaper.
I agree with other posters advice to try different styles before you buy.
Good luck!
We've also had hug-a-bub (which looks similar type of sling to the Storchenwiege), Baby Bjorn and for when a bit older the 'Hippie chick' hip seat which is really good for saving backache with older/heavier toddlers.
Hug-a-bub - can be used with really small babies (our first was early and a bit small so technically wasn't the minimum weight for Baby Bjorn until he was about 4 months old). But hug-a-bub is a nightmare to put on in a wet and windy carpark (several metres of fabric you have to wrap around yourself). I found it got really loose throughout the day getting baby in and out and in again. There were several different ways of wrapping the sling but I only ever found it easy with the baby at the front.
The Baby Bjorn was really easy to put on and get the baby in and out of but does have a minimum weight requirement.
Hippie chick is great when the kids are a bit older i.e. walking but constantly wanting to be picked up and carried on longer outings. It keeps your spine straight so prevents sore backs and other back problems.
Our second child was born end of December and I just found it way to hot for baby wearing so didn't use a sling so much with him.
You need to use the sling regularly for your muscles to develop as the baby puts on weight. As I found with 'number 2 son' starting baby wearing when he was several months old, rather than from the start, puts a real strain on the torso.
wtf!!
my only tip is, go to a store and try it out. I've used about 4-5 different carriers (one of the perks of having a large extended family) as well as the wraps and each has their pros and cons.