Front Pack/Baby Carrier

There are HEAPS of options out there, a good place to check out things is slingbabies. If you're in Auckland they have a meeting this Friday so you could go along and have a look/try out a bunch of different options. What's best for you may not be what's best for someone else as it depends on your height and size and what features are important to you - and also what your budget is!

Arguably, it's not a good idea to use a traditional front pack (where baby hangs by their crotch) for newborns, it's bad for their spine. A sling or wrap is best for newborns, but there is a little bit of a learning curve. They're easy once you've done it half a dozen times though!

Some sort of asian style carrier or SSC (soft structured carrier) is ideal if you're concerned with ease of use - like a mei tai, a kozy carrier (aquabubs have them on sale this month), an ergo, a patapum etc. (The difference between those and a front pack is that baby is in a sitting position rather than being hung from the crotch.) Or I know you can get an insert for an ergo so you can carry newborns but I haven't tried it personally.

In terms of the SSC I know lots of people have been raving about the Manduca which you can get on TradeMe or from FancyPantz, but I've also heard that they don't adjust small enough for a size 8 waist, if that affects you.

Personally I adore my Moby wrap but I know that 5.5m of fabric is a bit daunting and having to tie it on isn't as easy as clipping some buckles together

Let me know if what I've said has gone over your head and I'll translate, or link to appropriate sites!

Edited by weegee

Can I just put in my vote for the Ergo baby carrier - I LOVE it.

We'd been given a Baby Bjorn which was quite good for when she was very small, but it very quickly became hard on the back. Where as the Ergo transfers the weight off the back and on to the hips.

She is nearly 10kgs now and I am still 'wearing' her in the front, but we have started occasionally using the carrier as a backpack, or on the hips. It was a little pricier than some, but well worth it as I've got so much use out of it and have even sold the buggy because I never used it.

We have a Baby Bjorn carrier and love it!!   Means I have 2 hands/arms free to actually be able to do things around the house

Hi I did heaps of research on this and have brought a moby wrap there is a really great vid on you tube if you search for moby wrap its an american woman with a brown wrap and she explains how to use it really really well. (because it does just look like a big strip of fabric!)