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Types of Carriers
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| A wrap is a piece of fabric that is tied around your body, holding your child close to you. There are basically two types of wraps: woven wraps and stretchy wraps. |
- Stretchy
- Stretchy wraps are wonderful for smaller, lighter babies and children as they have some stretchy to them, are clingy and may remind baby of being in the womb. Stretchy Wraps can tend to sag with heavier children. Most Stretchy Wraps (including Moby) can be worn with children up to 35 lbs, but many people find that they will sag after 20-25 lbs. The benefits to stretchy wraps are that they can be tied on without baby in them and then you can position child in them. They have a higher "popability" factor that woven wraps (the ease in which you can "pop" baby in and out). Stretchy Wraps also tend to be lighter weight when wearing in warm weather and less bulky to carry around.
- Woven
- Woven wraps like Storchenweige are terrific for heavier children, but that is not to say that they are not wonderful for babies as well. I carried my daughter in a woven wrap from the day she was born. Woven wraps are good for doing back carries because they offer great strength and stability. In a woven, my daughter will sleep for hours snug against my body, while I can bend over and take wash from the drier. Many say that their woven wrap is the "work horse" of all the carriers they own.
You may see the term Rebozo used when describing some wraps. This term is used for wraps that are short in length (usually 2.7 meters in length). You can use this length wrap for hip and cradle carries, but it may not be long enough for other types of carries.
You can nurse hands free in both types of wraps. Wraps are the most versatile of all carriers, as they have so many different types of possible carries. Many woven wraps come in different lengths, and your choice will depend on your body size, and the types of carries you will want to perform. Wraps may have the highest learning curve of the different types of carriers, but I think that you will find that taking the time to master a few simple wrap carries will be well worth it!! If you have never tried a wrap, don't be afraid - see our Links page for websites that have good instructions, consider purchasing a teaching video (Tummy2Tummy is Excellent), or find an experienced babywearer near you (many areas have a NINO group) to help you out.
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A Mei Tai (pronounced May Tie and abbreviated MT) is an Asian-style Baby Carriers (ABC). A MT consists of a rectangular piece of fabric with 4 straps. The two shoulder straps are usually padded for comfort, and are attached to the top of the carrier, either straight out, or at an angle. The shoulder straps can be worn in an X across the back (in a front carry), or worn rucksack style. The two waist straps are attached to the bottom of the carrier, and are the shorter of the two pairs of straps. MT's utilize both shoulders, and distribute weight between your shoulders and your waist, making them very comfortable for long carries. These types of carriers can be used for both front and back carries from newborn through toddlers, and for hip carries when you baby is old enough (generally when they can sit up). MT’s are a great carrier to use to nurse hand free, though some women with larger breasts may find it slightly difficult.
Mei Tais come in a wide variety of beautiful fabrics. From all cotton, to beautiful silk panels, there is definitely a style MT out their for everyone. Most MT's have a pattern on one side, and can be worn as a solid color on the other. A MT is a wonderful choice for a husband and wife who will both use the carrier; you can wear the pretty side, while he wears the solid one (the only carriers my husband will wear!).
Similar to MT's are Podaegi's and Onbuhimo's. A Podaegi has a longer body and no bottom straps. The tops straps cross over the bottom portion of the body to hold the child in. Podaegi's come in narrow and blanket bodies. The blanket body actually wraps around both the person carrying and the child. The Onbuhimo has two rings in place of bottom straps. After being tied across your back, the top straps thread through the rings, and tie at the waist. |
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A ring slings is made from a long piece of fabric that is attached at one end to two rings. The fabric is pulled through the rings to adjust the size of the pouch. The adjustability of a ring sling makes it a great carrier for use by more that one person and can be worn for any size baby. Ring Slings are wonderful for newborns that like the cradle carry (lying down on their backs) through toddlers who want to sit on your hip and see the world. Ring slings are an especially good option for hands free nursing. The tail (the piece of fabric that hangs down from the rings) is great to use for a cover up when nursing. Many makers add a pocket of some sort to the tail, and small toys or a pacifier can be clipped to the rings. The biggest difference from a wrap or MT is that both a ring sling and a pouch are one-shoulder carriers. Although they can be switched from side to side, I find that ring slings may become uncomfortable when worn for long periods of time. As well, they somewhat limit the mobility of the arm of the side you are carrying on. That said, they are great for the popability factor and ease of use.
Factors that distinguish one ring sling from another:
- Ring slings come with unpadded, lightly padded, or with heavily padded edges. An unpadded sling is wonderful for nursing, and is less bulky that the ones with padding. A padded sling provides padding for the baby's leg when used in a hip carry and for your child's head when sitting facing you. Padding is a personal preference. All of the ring slings we carry on this sight happen to be unpadded, as they are the most popular.
- Each maker creates the shoulder (where the fabric attached to the ring) a little differently. Some are gathered, some pleated, others folded. Each type of shoulder distributes the weight of the carrier a little differently, and again this is a personal preference.
- You can get ring slings in any fabric from light cotton, woven cotton, silk, denim and even water slings for in the pool. The fabric you choose may depend on the weather you will be using it in, the look you want, or the type of fabric your child likes the feel of.
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A Pouch is the simplest carrier, and is made with a piece of fabric sewn into a circular shape. A pouch is great for it's simplicity: it is very compact to carry when not using, has great popability, and is very easy to learn how to use. There are two types of pouches: adjustable and non-adjustable. We carry both an adjustable and non-adjustable brand of pouch.
With non-adjustable pouches sizing is VERY important. You need to be sure to choose the correct size for your body size (not the child's size). They use the least amount of fabric which makes them compact, but also limits sharing with others unless they are similar in size. You adjust this type of pouch by flipping the shoulder after the child is in, which essentially brings the baby in closer to your body. See each manufacturers specific sizing chart to get a good fit.
Adjustable pouches can be adjusted with a row of snaps, buttons, or a zipper. Adjustable pouches still come in sizes, so they still may not be able to be shared if there is a big size difference between wearers. You can use a pouch for newborn through toddler; they are good for hands-free nursing of infants in the cradle position. Again, pouches only use one shoulder; so sometimes can be less comfortable than a two-shoulder carrier. They are excellent for short carries and for children that want to get in and out of the carrier frequently. |
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Structured carriers are the type of carrier most people are used to seeing, as they are sold in every "brick and mortar" store that sells baby items. The issue with most structured carriers is that they are uncomfortable for the adult, and not the correct position for the child. When a child is carried upright in a carrier, their knees should be above their bottoms, thus curving the spine in the correct position (look at pictures on the site to see this position). Standard structured carriers hang the child down by the crotch, which is uncomfortable and not good for the back. There are a few structured carriers that you will find will carry the child correctly and are very comfortable for the wearer. The most popular ones in the US and Canada are Ergo and Baby Trekker. If you are going to buy a structured baby carrier; whether for the "mainstream" looks, the choice of buckles over ties, or any other reason, PLEASE make sure you purchase one that is good for wearer and baby. If it is not comfortable, it will not be worn, thus baby will not be worn!! |
Please feel free to contact us should you have any questions about the different types of baby carriers. We are more than willing to answer any questions and help you choose the types of carriers, which are right for you and your child. As well, there is a wealth of information available at the sites is our Links section. |
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