Slings

Tara and I have carried around Theory in a Moby since shortly after her birth.

The Moby Wrap has been our favorite sling for newborns and small infants for a number of reasons.  A single swatch of cloth, the Moby is both very flexible and very simple in it’s design.  You can wear your baby in the front either facing forward or against your chest.  Or you can wear your baby on your back.  And there are a number of different carries you can do.

Moby’s are sold in a wide variety of fabrics, including organic jersey, which has a good degree of stretch.  Personally, we have the basic black but there are some fashionable prints to choose from if you are so inclined, including some with gorgeous silk panels that are modern and sophisticated sewn into the fronts.

I  like the Moby more than other slings that are simpler to use because it holds the baby so securely.  Personally, I never felt comfortable using a hammock style sling, even though they are super-straight-forward.  We have heard other parents who love them so I think this is just a matter of personal preference.  Once Theory is in the sling with me, I like to be able to be very physical without having to thnk a lot about where she is positioned.  Rather, I like the sense that she is integrated with my own body and my own movement.

While the Moby is also quite simple in the sense of being a single swath of cloth, tying it can be a little intimidating if you do not have someone to show you in person.  In fact, it looks harder then it really is and after you have done it 2 or 3 times, it becomes second nature.  Indeed, after having tried a number of other carriers, I would say that the Moby is one of the easiest to get your baby into and out of, as you put it on and tie it before you put your baby into it.  Other carriers sometimes require you hold the baby while you are tying the wrap tight.

Perhaps the one drawback of the Moby is that it can get quite warm.  During the winter, this was a real plus.  Theory was always warm and toasty, even without wearing a bulky jacket.  I could walk out of the house with her in the bitter cold of New York and feel her heat against my chest.  Folks who have never worn their baby do not undrstand this, and there were ocassions on chili days where I would get stars of death from women on the street if they could make out that there was a baby on my chest - this despite the fact that both Theory and I would be sweating.  But I think this just goes along with being a parent.  Everyone wants to give their two-cents and the normal social barriers seem to dissipate when the well-being of an infant is at stake.  So this never bothered me too much.

But New York is a schizophrenic city when it comes to the weather.  One day you wake up to find the snow has been replaced with sweltering heat.  Today it is going to be in the 80s and raining.  Yuck.

So this weekend Tara and I went to Metro Minis to find another carrier to use during the heat of summer.  Something lighter.  Our first inclination was to buy the Ergo.  We know many couples who swear by the Ergo and it’s structure and engineering allows for the reduction of material.

The great thing about Metro Minis is that it is the only place we know locally that carries so many different sling manufacturers and models.  It is worth the trip because once there, you can quickly test-drive a number of sling types and quickly suss out which really work for you and your baby.

For us, the Ergo felt great to wear, distributing Theory’s weight really well.  But Theory is still only just over 12 lbs and her legs seemed uncomfortably splayed out in the Ergo.  It does have an infant insert but this makes the Ergo more bulky and warm, exactly what we were trying to solve for the summer.

Maybe in a few months she will be big enough for the Ergo but it seemed a little premature.  We needed something now.

Instead we tried a Mei Tai.  The design is grounded in a traditional Asian carrier.  It is light, quite secure, and provides a number of different carries.  Theory can sit forward in the sling for periods of time, and a snap allows for some adjustability in sizing.  This was essential as Theory likes to have her head mostly clear of the top of the sling so that she can engage with what is going on around her.

It is not as easy to get the baby in and out of the Mei Tai compared to the Moby.  Theory also seems still just a smudge too small for it still.  So it works well when she is tired and wants to go to sleep, and less well when she is in the mood to be looking out and smiling at passers-by.

So none of them are totally perfect.  But the Moby, the Mei Tai, and the Ergo seem like the top picks for us.  Despite their individual draw-backs, we much prefer wearing Theory than having her in the stroller unless we are planning to carry a lot of items or we have a sore back.  Theory enjoys the experience much more and it is certainly more intimate.