How to choose the right baby carrier for you
With SO many options out there, it can be a bit overwhelming when you’re looking at baby carriers and slings (plus what if baby doesn’t even like it?!)
Roamy Hunt is one of the UK’s most experienced Babywearing Consultants and has come along to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about using baby carriers, wraps and slings:
1. How do I choose which carrier is likely to be right for me?
There’s lots of ways to find out information!
If you have a local sling library, you can go along and try out some different options there. Most allow you to try a few on and then hire your preferred carrier for a few weeks, to see how you get on with it.
If you don’t have a Sling Library locally, I have over 50 instructional videos on the South East Slings YouTube Channel. These cover all the main types and brands of baby carrier, with playlists for things like ‘newborn carriers’, ‘buckle carriers’ and all the different carrying positions. These videos can be really helpful in seeing how a carrier does up and tightens. Things to think about while watching them:
Are you someone who has good mobility or are your arm movements more restricted?
Do you love gadgets and the more settings and options the carrier has, the better?
Are you looking for something lightweight that will take you off on holiday to sunnier climes?
Think about all the things that matter to you in a carrier – how you’re hoping to use it, who else will be using it – and think about these while watching the videos. This will really help to narrow it down.
South East Slings then offers its awesome try-before-you-buy scheme where you get 2 weeks to use the carrier you’ve bought as much as you like, to ensure it’s right for you. If you like it, you keep it. If for any reason it’s not for you, you can return it within the first 2 weeks for a refund of the purchase price, minus the 2-week hire fee of £15.
2. Should I get a carrier before baby arrives or wait until they’re here?
It really depends what sort of carrier you’re looking to get. With a stretchy wrap, many people like to purchase this while pregnant. This means they can practice putting it on before baby arrives, so – once baby is here – they’re confident in how to use it. Then it’s just a case of popping baby in. Stretchy wraps fit all shapes and sizes of wearer and work from newborn – including if Mum has had a C-Section – so they can be a fantastic choice to have ready for once baby is here.
If you’re looking at buckles and would like to get one before baby arrives, look for ones that are relatively unstructured; that do up around the waist rather than sitting on the hips. The less structured a carrier is, the more it will mould to the wearer – regardless of their body shape or size. Look out for how it can be made smaller to fit from newborn, if it’s important to you that it fits from day one.
If you’re looking at a more structured buckle carrier – especially if it has a padded waist – it can be useful to wait until baby is here. Firstly, so you can try it on properly (carriers with structured waists can’t easily be tried on over a bump). Secondly, not all buckle carriers will work from day one. It will depend on baby’s weight (and how long their torso is) as to whether the carrier will fit safely from newborn. You want to ensure that baby has clear airways and is held as tightly as holding them in your arms, to ensure they can’t slump.
If you have a C-section, this will also affect which carriers are likely to work well from newborn, as you don’t want pressure on the scar area until it’s fully healed.
3. My best friend has a <insert brand of carrier>. She loves it so that must be the right one for me too, right?
Not necessarily. Choosing a baby carrier is like choosing jeans or shoes. The more structured and shaped the carrier is, the more the fit will depend on your own body shape.
Trying a selection at a local Sling Library can be a great way to find out if a carrier is right for you.
If you don’t have a Sling Library nearby, South East Slings’ try-before-you-buy scheme means you get 2 weeks to use the carrier you’ve bought as much as you like, to ensure it’s right for you. If you like it, you keep it. If for any reason it’s not for you, you can return it within the first 2 weeks for a refund of the purchase price, minus the 2-week hire fee of £15.
4. What if my baby doesn’t like the carrier?
It’s very, very unusual for a baby not to ‘like’ being in a carrier. A well fitting sling or baby carrier mimics in-arms carrying. On the whole, babies want to be held close and cuddled. If a baby seems unsettled in their carrier, first of all check they’ve not just filled their nappy, they’re not hungry and they’re not in that ‘I really need to sleep but I can’t figure out how’ unsettled stage just before they fall asleep.
If you can rule those out have a look at how tight the carrier is:
Is baby held as tightly as if you were holding them in your arms?
An easy way to check this is to put your arms around them as if you were carrying them.
Do you feel you need to lift them up/pull them in closer?
If you do, it’s likely your carrier needs to be tighter. If baby is held too loosely they won’t feel secure and are therefore likely to protest.
Also check baby’s positioning. Are they curled up in the position they naturally adopt when carried in arms or are they straightened out? Giving a gentle tuck to their pelvis, to bringtheir knees above their bottom – with a gentle curve to their spine, so they’re in more of seated position – can really help to reduce any pressure on a full tummy, and so baby is supported in a comfortable, ergonomic position.
5. What if I’d like more help?
If you’re at all unsure about using your baby carrier, or would like more in depth help with choosing the right one for you, there are Babywearing Consultants around the UK. If you don’t have one locally, I offer Consultations online – via Skype or Facetime – so feel free to get in touch if you’d like some in-person assistance.
Roamy Hunt – Babywearing Consultant
Empowering people to carry their babies safely, comfortably and confidently since 2011
www.roamyhuntconsultancy.co.uk – Consultations, Workshops and Training
www.southeastslings.co.uk – Retail, Hires and Try-Before-You-Buy
Facebook: @southeastslings @roamyhuntconsultancy
Instagram: @roamyhuntconsultancy @seastslings
YouTube: @southeastslings
