About a year ago I was sent a carrier to try and review. I never published a review, because I didn’t want to bring it to the attention of my audience. I tried it out, I took a few pics (with my petite 20mo), and then it was forgotten about. It would have stayed that way, except that I fell across a write up on Babyology which praised it to the high heavens, and I thought “Uhhhh, that’s not ok. Some impressionable new parent who wants a really easy carrier is going to buy one of those and… It’s not good.”

Because honestly, I can tell you how to carry your kid around (in a khanga, a selendang, a TABLECLOTH or an infantino mei tai) just fine for a lot less dosh. Or I can hook you up with a carrier (try a little frog, Yaro or Lenny lamb woven) for the SAME price which will get you from newborn to ow ow ow get off me you’re too heavy to go on my back now.

I am the first to admit Babywearing is a skill, but I think it’s a tool for the parenting kit that is worth acquiring- whether that’s how to adjust your ergo, tie your Mei tai, learn the art of a ring sling or dive into the frequently fiddly art of wrapping. With some time, effort and know how, there is a carrier for every budget, skill base, and body type. However…

When you put a OSFM (wearer and child) UNadjustable and very difficult-to-make-ergonomic carrier which doesn’t meet TICKS guidelines in my hands and tell me “That’ll be $79,” I’m going to laugh at you.

Yes, this is a very compact carrier (so is a ring sling, or a short piece of woven fabric like linen that can be tied with a slip knot in a rebozo) Yes, there’s a version that can be worn in the water (oh, hey, you can buy water ring slings for $50, or sport mesh for $10, or a hybrid water wrap for the SAME price). Yes, you “can” use it from 5-15 kgs. My child is currently 14kgs. I could get her (a compliant and happy wearee) IN but not out (I resorted to laying her down in the bed and wiggling out backwards. I tried it with an 8 kg demo doll and there was no way we met safe wearing guidelines (snug, close enough to kiss, etc). If you really know what you’re doing, you “can” get an “M” position and nice seat. It’s not easy. Apparently it can also be used for front-facing carries. Based on the position of the leg in the hip socket in an INWARD facing carry, I didn’t go there.

Here are the stats: I’m an Australian size 10. 5″6, 36-29-38 or thereabouts depending on the day of the month. Pictured is my 8kg doll, my then 20mo and then the same child a year later, nearly three and 14 kgs. The carrier states its suitability from 5-15kgs. The piece that supports the child’s back is sewn in one side and velcroed in on the other and has limited adjustability (especially if you and your child are on the petite end of the spectrum).

What’s the verdict? Don’t buy this. I found it basically useless. There are better options at this pricepoint which easily meet TICKS (see below!) Happy shopping

A hugely popular question across all parenting forums is “What’s the best carrier for me and my child?” The honest answer is: It depends.

The BEST carrier suits your needs; is ergonomic (for you and baby); and meets TICKS safe wearing guidelines.

What’s TICKS? Good question. Here you go.

Tight (not sagging or slumping, but mimicking a close, in-arms UPRIGHT position)

In view at all times (you can always see baby’s face)

Close enough to kiss (dip your head and you should be able to kiss the crown of baby’s)

Keep chin off chest (clear airways are SO important. Upright, not cradled or flat)

Supported back. (spine is gently c-curved, with no space  for baby to slump)

(Check out the free printable HERE)

So, now that we know what a ‘good carrier’ looks like, let’s assume you’re bringing home a healthy full-term newborn. (If you have other challenges, please seek the advice of a trained baby wearing consultant who can best advise you on additional needs.)

Lots of parents like…

Stretchy Wraps, (like moby or Hugabub). These are cozy, support baby high and tight, mimicking an in-arms position, and will be comfortable until about  7-8kgs. If you’re in a warm climate or expecting a summer baby, you might like to consider a cooler option, such as a…

Ring Sling tummy-to- tummy

2.5yo in a hip carry with a ring sling.

Ring Sling, which is literally about two metres of woven fabric with two rings attached at one end.

(These put baby’s weight on one shoulder, so may not be suitable if you suffer from back problems.)

These are suitable to use from newborn and are useful carriers right through to toddlerhood, especially if you take the trouble to buy a wrap conversion from one of the many vendors of woven wrap conversion ring slings. Tinoki, Woven Wraps Australia, Carry My Baby, Nurture Nest, Mochamama, AngelRock Baby, Frangipani Baby… the list is long and all of these people (many of them trained baby wearing consultants and experienced mums) will go above and beyond to help you find and troubleshoot the ‘best’ carrier for your situation.  (They’re also an easy first carrier to DIY, so very budget-friendly)

FWCC with a woven wrap

Wrappy snuggles with Daddy

If you only want to buy one carrier, or you’re not afraid of investing a little time into acquiring a new skill, a woven wrap is ideal from newborn to childhood and will give you a lot of flexibility in carrying your child as they grow and develop. From the basic FWCC (front wrap cross carry) for your new baby right through to preschoolers (and sometimes beyond!), wraps are versatile, strong, and come in a million colours, blends and designs for every climate and every personality.

The Ergo Ventus mesh SSC

Back carry with a SSC (Tula in this picture). Please wait for baby to be sitting independently before back carrying in an SSC.

Rose and Rebellion Soft Structured Carrier (SSC)

Of course, you can go straight for a soft structured carrier (SSC) if you like too – Ergo, Tula, Beco and Boba all make wide-based carriers that can be used with an infant insert right from birth. Manduca offer a cooler option, as the infant harness is built into the body of the carrier. These are brilliant options for people who want the reassurance of a buckle or a more structured carrier. Because they are only *so* adjustable, it’s a great idea to try a variety in person before buying just to make sure that particular carrier suits your build and can be tightened to support your body as well as baby’s. Please note that back carries need to wait until baby is sitting independently.

Other options suitable from birth are the Close Caboo, K’tan, and  Mei Tai.

Mei Tai

Steer clear of:

• Carriers that don’t meet TICKS.
• Close-tailed slings, bag slings, pouch slings… these are all difficult to adjust and even harder to wear safely. (Some have been recalled, some are still commercially available.)
• Narrow-based carriers that leave baby’s legs ‘dangling’ or unsupported above the knee. We always want baby’s legs in an “M” position, with the knees as high OR higher than the hips, please.

Why wear your baby at all?

The first three months in the world, baby is really in their “fourth trimester”. Adjusting to life on the outside can be tough for everyone. Skin to skin contact promotes bonding, development, respiration and helps boost oxytocin in mums – especially important in our high-pressure and often isolating days of new parenthood. Worn babies are often calmer and less stressed – and that means everyone is calmer and less stressed!

While babywearing can help a breastfeeding relationship, it’s a wonderful bonding tool in situations where that’s not possible. I’ll honestly say that with a baby who vomited every feed and cried incessantly unless upright, wearing saved me from depression.

It got me out of the house when I felt like my tiny five-pounder was still way too small for her pram. It gave me a hobby and a new language to learn, a new network of friends that extends worldwide (thanks Facebook!) and now it’s a way I can help other new mums who come in to our baby wearing group meets clutching their baby in one arm and their last remaining shred of sanity in the other.

I returned to 30hrs/week work when our little one was six weeks old, and suddenly Daddy was left holding the baby. Suddenly he learned to wrap too, and “wrap cuddles” and “wrap walks” are just what we do because that works for us.

Giving everyone – partners, grandparents, EVERYONE – a carrier they can use competently gives them another avenue of “I CAN!”, and strengthens the village of support around a new mum. 

If I could give every new family a new carrier, I would. I would give the new mums hands to eat a sandwich and play with their older child; a way to keep the little one happy for an hour and give a post-partum mama a precious hour of sleep; a way for (much) older siblings to feel proud and responsible.

Don’t believe me? See what Dr. Sears says.  Then read Laura Simeon’s Ten Reasons to Wear your Baby.  Chiropractor Dr. Andrew Dodge also has some compelling developmental arguments for babywearing.

Babywearing takes you everywhere.

First thing: buy suitable fabric and suitable rings. You need industry standard rings, which can be obtained straight from slingrings.com or your baby carrier vendor of choice. (Nurture Nest, Karrie Tree Lane, Tinoki, Pixiemama) I prefer large rings for ease of threading and adjusting, but you might want to purchase a trial pack or a couple  pairs in a variety of sizes.

Fabric: Osnaberg, bottomweight linen, or a woven cotton (preferably 100% cotton) is great. Your fabric should have a diagonal “give” without actually stretching. Mahogany tablecloths are fantastic, as are the beachy tablecloths I found on the clearance table at my local spotlight.

Wash, dry, measure and chop.  I prefer to wash before I sew just in case of shrinkage. For a ring sling, you want about 2 metres long by 65-80cms wide. Lucky for me, my tablecloth was 230cms by 150, so I just hacked down the middle (following a stripe for a nice straight edge) and DONE.

This is my tablecloth… transformed to a ring sling!

Because this is woven, it WILL fray, so I highly recommend running a quick zigzag stitch over the edge or buzzing it through an overlocker if you have access to one. It’s a few extra minutes for a really secure and safe edge.

Fold, press, fold, press, straight-stitch SEW! This is a nice flat rolled hem. You don’t need to be picky about width; again, I cheated by using my stripes to keep everything straight.  If you like to live dangerously you can just fold and stick in the machine, if you want to take your time a bit, (especially on a non-stripy fabric!) then bust out the iron. Having grown up sewing my own ballet leotards, I’m all about the wild crazy stiff like sewing without pins (GASP!).

Hem hem hem….

So now you have a piece of fabric that’s hemmed on all four sides (if using a tablecloth like me. If not, keep hemming). I want to do a simple gathered shoulder, so I lay my fabric flat and eyeball about a 15cm fold so the fabric can move freely around the ring and it’s not hideously difficult to sew. (If you want a more complex pleated shoulder style, check THIS out.)

Fold, (lining up stripes carefully)  iron if you want to, and mark where the edge is going to lie. Since you have to pull it through the ring and then sew in place, you can pin your fabric along this marked line or line it up as you sew. (I like to put my first line of straight stitching in about an inch back from the edge, so my subsequent lines are along fabric that’s already held in place, reinforcing the existing seam.)

Every few centimetres I readjust my edge and realign with my marked line so I know I’m sewing the shoulder in straight. Once this line is complete, I just start again. Three rows of stitching is standard; I like to do four for safety’s sake.

Once your rows of stitching are complete, you’re ready to go. If you need to skill up, watch a tutorial video first… Refresh your understanding of TICKS…

otherwise enjoy being hands free in a front or hip carry! Ring slings are amazingly useful carriers – appropriate for tummy-to-tummy use with newborns, easy to breastfeed in, handy for toddlers and even a great alternative to ‘hipping’ a child around. They’re relatively cool for summer use and don’t take up much space in a nappy bag or car boot. Enjoy!

Lyn is an authorised retailer for popular brands, including AngelPack, Ergobaby, Hug-a-Bub, Didymos, Girasol and Ellevill, and is generous with her baby wearing expertise in finding each family the carrier(s) that best meet their individual needs. If you just need to freshen up an existing stash for a new family member, you can do that too, with BabyLegs and wrap scrap accessories.

If you aren’t lucky enough to live locally, never fear – everything is shippable within Australia and you can even use her LAYBY service! Hoorah!

Now, because it’s lovely to know such clever and talented people, we have a very, very sweet give-away for you lot: a ring sling converted from Kokadi’s 100% cotton woven wrap Polar Stern (Polar Stars) by clever seamstress and converter Shishkebab, a lush rainbow crochet/oak teething necklace by KangarooCare, and just as an awesome bonus for summer, a little pot of divinely vanilla-scented Mozi Balm!

As you can see, I’ve had a bit of a play with the ring sling and it’s fantastic; impeccable work on the conversion (thanks Shishkebab!) and a fully reversible gathered shoulder, so you can wear it green side out or purple, whatever takes your fancy. Of course it’s been manufactured using industry-tested sling rings (no, you can’t just grab any old rings from the hardware aisle…) and boasts triple-stitched seams at the shoulder for safety.  Kokadi cotton wraps get delightfully soft and squishy with a little washing and wearing, and while this sling stood up to my 12kg 2.5 yo nicely, it would be utterly divine with a new baby.

I’ll stop waffling and let you enter, shall I? Good luck!

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When you click through to Nurture Nest’s website you might be a tad overwhelmed. They seem to stock everything – Tulas, Manducas, Wompats, Becos, Kokadi flips, woven wraps, mei tais, stretchy wraps, ring slings, babywearing bags and carrier accessories.

But this week you’ve doubtless been exposed to a HEAP of new carriers and found something you REALLY want to try, so here’s our last giveaway: $150 to send on whatever you want from Nurture Nest. It’s the gift of babywearing – add a few bucks and buy a Tula, splurge on some accessories and a new ring sling, or buy an expectant mama a stretchy for her new squish and some gorgeous toys for an older sibling.

We wanted a giveaway that worked for EVERYONE, no matter whether you’re just starting out on your babywearing journey, beginning it for the third time, or winding up your carrying days. Thank you so much for participating in International Babywearing Week with Mamasphere; we hope that you’ve been lucky with us, or that you’ve scored something lovely in one of the many generous giveaways we’ve seen this week. We hope we’ve enabled some wearing, or maybe inspired some – and we’re sure you’re feeling newly inspired to share your skills and your carriers with friends so they too can embark upon the great adventure that is babywearing.  Much love and GOOD LUCK!

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Sunday: The lovely Ari & Me gave away a crochet necklace and textured teether to Kathryn Phillips;

Monday: Our local Bulk Whole Foods hooked a mama up with $100 to spend on tasty treats and goodies to help healthy eating habits; Andrea Dunkley was pretty thrilled with her prize!

On Tuesday it was time for a bit of distraction; a Bubba Chew teething/fiddle necklace came to the rescue of Britney Ann Fedor;

Wednesday was a day to consider balance – and how sometimes we need to stop and enjoy the moment. Always easier with a baby (especially a sleeping one) snuggled close.  We hope Ashley Barrett enjoys her beautiful piece of Flensted art as much as we do

It wouldn’t be a real celebration of Babywearing week unless we helped some more people WEAR ALL THE BABIES! Frangipani Baby helped us with just that – Rachael Bull, we LOVE that you made your first carrier – and we hope you enjoy this lovely Sakura Bloom ring sling just as much!

Nibbly Bits helped us add a functional and very sweet accessory to the mama wardrobe of Charlotte Bridgeman, and we thank you all for your sage advice.

We have a Colimacon et Cie ring sling floating around in our local group and it’s a great enabler for parents looking to try a simple, sturdy and utilitarian carrier  –  and we hope Julia Vergho will love her new blue one!

Thank you so much to everyone who commented, shared, tagged a friend and participated in all our babywearing week shenanigans – we had SO much fun giving away so many different types of carriers and fun accessories along the way. Watch out for our next week… we want to stay focused on what’s GOOD for you, and we’re pretty sure a lot of that starts with how we fuel our bodies, so we’re starting our research and hope to share the benefits with YOU!

Melbourne.  This is my city.  Opera.  Noodles and dumplings.  Beautiful theatres ablaze with lights and glamour.  Tiny lane ways, the circulatory system of my city, never intended for prams and barely wide enough for pedestrians.  Hidden treasure.  Street art, gallery art.  Smell, sound, sight, taste.  Jazz.  Fashion.

Oscha Alto Eventide

Baw Baw.  This is my mountain.  Toboggan spills over with gear, baby snug and warm.  Gorgeous little village, beautiful slopes and the pomas.  Oh the pomas.  Family weekend of adventure only possibly because we carry.  Snow play.  Kids learn to ski and we all rediscover the thrill of hurtling down the mountain.  Keeping baby close is heavenly.  And so is 45 minutes of solitude boarding down the runs.

Oscha Starry nights, Cloth of Kin

Mornington Peninsula.  This is my playground.  We walk through creeks and through gullies.  We scamper over rocky coastline and through rugged bush.  Sand castles, rock pools and sticky ice-cream walks along piers.  We play.  We breathe.  Little fingers collect coastal ornaments, parents walk hand in hand.  The beauty is not restricted to summer; we are blessed with adventure during hot summer days and bitter, gale-force winters.

My city is beautiful and the adventure starts as soon as we open the front door.  The most difficult decision is this:  who will be lucky enough to wrap?!

This wrap is 75%cotton, 25%linen, making it a perfect wrap for summer adventures and amazingly sturdy and supportive with heavier babies and toddlers, while not requiring special care – just throw in the machine on a cold cycle and you’re good to go!

Joy and Joe have created a luxurious sateen jacquard on the right side with a more textured weave on the other side, a generous 26 inches wide for comfortable wrapping and a cushy weight of 280 gsm. Want to win one? Just click and the very best of luck to you!

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Of course, knowing that not every carrier is right for every family, Tamzin stocks a wide range of options for birth-big kid wearing – you’ll not only find woven wraps at Tinoki, but also ring slings, mei tais, soft structured carriers, stretchy wraps and hybrids.

If your small person is looking to do a bit of babywearing (much like my own) you can even splurge on a doll carrier and Peppa doll for them, and if nothing takes your fancy, you can grab a Hipababy custom slot and have the wrap of your choice converted into the carrier of your dreams.

Making babywearing quick, accessible and convenient is Tamzin’s focus, so she wants us to give away a Wearababy Wompat SSC - all the beauty of a woven wrap (in this case, Girasol Gleam of the Sun) with the simplicity and ease of a buckle carrier. This is a medium carrier, with a body panel measuring 41cms by 41 cms, suitable for approx 1-3year-olds. Want to score for yourself, a friend or your babywearing group? Click!

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If you’re already a babywearing aficionado, you can see what I had to say about Fidella Shiva and Fidella Happy  – or if this is all new to you, sit back and relax. They’re light and easy to tighten, beginner friendly and easy on the eye.

What’s lovely about Fidella is that you can purchase matching doll wraps and slings perfect for your small baby wearer who wants their hands free – and, this might be the icing on the cake, but their instruction booklet features a DAD! Hoorah!

Rock and Rolla is an awesome unisex wrap so dad/uncle/brother/grandpa won’t be self-conscious about scoring some newborn snuggles or throwing a toddler on his back as he hangs out the washing (pinch me if you think I’m dreaming)!

Luckily, wraps don’t have gender, and I think this would look just as good with some docs and denim. Even more luckily?  Fidella have sent us a green Rock and Rolla to give away – just hit the widget and clock up your entries!a Rafflecopter giveaway