carriers

I love my carriers for nursing in, too.

We used our Sleepywrap tons during the first year of our baby's life. I recently tried a Moby Wrap, and really loved it too. The Moby is wider and not as stretchy, which means it'd be easier to carry a bigger kid in it. The Sleepywrap is a little stretchier, although not as stretchy as the Ultimate Baby Wrap. The stretch of the sleepywrap is great for people who haven't used a wrap before since it gives more leeway for putting the wrap on with enough room to fit the baby in comfortably. The Sleepywrap is also a little longer than the Moby, so it might be more comfortable for a bigger or taller person to tie. The Sleepywrap is $43.94 at http://www.sleepywrap.com/ (I think I got it for $30 two years ago). (11/5/10 update: sleepywrap 10% off code Unique). The Moby wrap is about $40 at http://www.mobywrap.com/. Or you could try other sites or try them used. I also have several friends who have made their own wraps with great success and not much money at all. They just bought the fabric they wanted and cut it down to the width they wanted, without any sewing. When my baby was very little, I was able to pull the wrap up behind her head while she was nursing, and I could stay covered. When she was bigger, I just tied her on a little lower, and she was able to nurse while I moved around.

I love my ring sling. When not on sale, it's $125 at http://babysosmart.com/collections/1/. If you get a ring sling, the wider the better. I first bought one that was too narrow (less then 2 feet) to use all the ways I wanted to. I still use mine to carry my 35-pound daughter on my hip while currently pregnant. And you can use the tail to throw back over as a nursing cover if you want to discretely nurse while carrying in the sling.

I have a toddler mei tai, but I'd love to have a regular infant one as well. They're $80 at http://babysosmart.com/collections/3/. There are many other places you can buy a mei tai, too. I definitely prefer this to the soft structured carriers, although I know other people who love their Ergo carriers. My mei tai has a nursing cover attached to it, so I can just lower her down a little, throw the cover over the side she's on, and she can happily nurse while we walk. I think the last time we did this was when she was around 33 pounds and 20 months, when I was just newly pregnant. I was still able to carry her on my back in the mei tai while pregnant (until carrying the extra 35 baby pounds and the 36-pound girl was just too heavy for me), although I'm thankful to have a husband who is also very happy to carry her in his blue camo mei tai.

carriers

Happy baby wearing week!
We love our carriers, and people are constantly commenting on them, so I thought I’d share a little.
Our favorite is our Sleepy Wrap. We love it. I recommend them to every parent of a baby (fit under 1ish-year-old best).
I also love our ring sling. It’s not quite as comfortable as the wrap, but it’s faster to get her in and out of. I keep it in the car for quick run-in errands. It’s also really pretty! Two places around here that I think have good slings are http://babysosmart.com/ (through 9/28 use coupon code “celebrate” for 25% off non-sale items) and http://www.teenygreenykc.com/HandmadeProducts.php (the one i have but it's not quite as wide as the BSS ones).
And the carrier I don’t have but would love to have is http://www.ergobabycarrier.com/.
These carriers are so much more comfortable than just holding her in my arms! And they're super healthy for baby, too!

Oh, i also have to say that i tried a pouch sling, and none of us liked it. I also have a Bolivian wrap for a high back carry, although i've only used it for a blanket so far (I got it in Bolivia many years ago. You should see how they swing their babies up there!). And in South Africa they use a simple towel to carry babies on their back. So you really don't need special equipment to wear your baby. Here's a slideshow of some beautiful babywearing around the world http://www.flickr.com/groups/ethnicbabycarriers/pool/show/.

11/30/09 update: My wonderful husband gave me the pictured sling for an anniversary gift. We've been using it so much. The extra width makes it easy to nurse my big one-year-old in (she's in a sitting position, with the tail of the sling draped back over the top if we need some privacy). Both my daughter and I love this sling. I tried on a couple of Ergos and was surprised at how unimpressed I was. They just were not comfortable to me. I tried on a Baby So Smart Mei Tai, and I really liked it, so we're planning to get a toddler-size BSS Mei Tai. I'm so excited to be able to use that--mostly to carry her on my back around the house. Yea for great baby carriers! By the way, my husband wore my "girlie" sling when he took our daughter for a walk over the weekend, and he also said it was a very comfortable way to carry her, and it helped to keep her nice and warm. Here are a couple of November coupon codes for you. Sleepwrap: HOLIDAY15 (for 15% off http://www.sleepywrap.com/). BSS: cybersale (for 25% off http://babysosmart.com/).

the wrap

Joshua and I think this might be our favorite and most used baby item--our Sleepy Wrap. I use it for her naptime during the day, when I take her to work with me, when we go to the dog park, and when we go to the grocery store. And Joshua and I both use it. It's not girly-looking, and it's one size. When she was little, I was easily able to breastfeed her in it and keep myself covered, but I haven't quite figured out how to do it now. I also love my ring sling, but we use the sleepy wrap more.
http://www.sleepywrap.com/
11/5/10 update: here's a coupon code for 10% off: Unique