Best sling / baby carrier. Thinking of the Ergo?

[Madonnaquintessential]

Hi guys
I really want to get back into my babywearing. Unfortunately the Bjorn is just not substansial enough for my my big DD - she is 9months but tall. I have heard Ergo is fab. I like the look of woven wraps too though. As i am planning on another baby, I am trying to think which would be best to use for dd now and then again when i have a newborn? Is rhe Ergo suitable for newborn? Can you breastfeed easily whilst baby in Ergo? Or is it better to bf in a woven wrap? All answers greatly appreciated thanks! Ps i am going to a sling library in coupla weeks, but want a rough idea before i go!

sling library Defo.

look at tula and manduca

Manduca was great for us and suitable from newborn. Still using for 15mo dd2.

You should get lots of good advice at the sling library - always best to try a few and see which works best for you.

I have a Manduca which I love, and find it very similar to the ergo (which is also fab).

I don't know the ergo but used the manduca from birth and love it. I have a tall baby too.

I have a Beco Gemini (bought it from SlumberRoo - sorry,can't link at moment.) have used it from birth and dd is now 2.3 and I'm still using it!

It can be used for front, back and side/hip carry, and can also be used with the child facing forward whilst on the front (which cannot be done with the ergo iirc). I have breastfed loads in it. I find it very easy to put on and use, even with my bad back!

Definitely worth a try at the sling meet if they have access to one!

Sorry, sling library, not sling meet!

Another manduca vote. I had a moby and beco with DS.still used the beck with dd but got a manduca too.

The ability to cross the straps at the back makes it hugely more comfortable. And the newborn insert is already attached and ready to use rather than having to buy as an extra as you do with the ergo.

I have a Mobywrap, Baby Bjorn and an Ergo.

Wrap was only good when DD was very small, found it stretched too much and there wasn't enough visibility for her once she got older. Baby Bjorn killed my shoulders by the time she was that age, ended up selling it. The Ergo was great, the structure of it really helps once they get much bigger but I can barely see over her head now if I wear her on the front (she's 18mo now), plus she is too heavy to wear for any reasonable length of time. It might be better if I could wear her on my back but it's not really practical if I'm on my own. I should add, my DD is relatively small / light for her size.

I'd be looking for something that you can wear on your back easily because once they get to a certain size, it is the only way really.

My DSis gave me an ergo for my newborn. She demonstrated how it worked by putting her lanky 3 yo in it! So it is suitable for a huge range of sizes. My baby only weighs 9lbs so I'm not that worried yet but apparently the ergo is brilliant for weight distribution & not causing back ache. There is an insert for newborn although I've not been using it & DS seems to like the ergo just fine.

This being said I am envious of the wraps & wish I had one of those but can't justify the expense of that when I have the ergo.

Not tried breast feeding in the ergo but I can't really imagine how it would work. I'd guess a wrap is much easier for that.

Googling manduca now!! Seems V popular! Thanks so, so much for replies thus far..

Is it easy to breastfeed in? (The manduca?) or can you only really do so in a sling?

Yes you can bf in the manduca, but they have to have a decent latch IME. You just lengthen the straps so baby drops lower and let them latch in a sitting position. Or at least that's what I did. Pretty discreet too.

It doesn't have the variation of holds you get with a stretchy wrap like the moby.

If you baby is smaller then tbh the best thing is to start with a moby (or second hand moby) and then move onto a structured carrier from about 3m.

Beware fake manduca/Beco/ergos. There are lots about.

Ty barberry... Will get manduca or similar for my DD who is currenty 9mo. When next baby comes along I shall think about mob wrap etc x

I got my manduca from kiddicare. Best price by decent amount but they only have the plain ones.

another similar one is the boba 3g which I've got - really comfy

If she's 9 months now I'd definitely recommend the Boba especially if you want to use it long term.

The moby wrap is a stretchy wrap which means it's suitable to about 9 months where the baby will become too heavy for the stretch in the material and it will be uncomfortable. But, they're great for newborns and sling beginners because they're so easy to use - you get the tying part right before you get the baby anywhere near it!

For the most versatile sling you can use from birth to toddler it's got to be a woven wrap but they do have a much steeper learning curve. I was gutted because I loved the look and idea of them but never got the hang of using one. Maybe next time :)

I had a Moby but now DD is 5 mo she's too big and she's now in a Lenny Lamb woven wrap which is wonderful.

Thanks all. Think im gonna get the moby for my current dd. Then wrap for next one... But will check out lenny lamb wraps... If they are good until toddler age? Which wraps are best from newborn to toddler?

Stretchy wraps are good until about 6mo. They can be used after that but you can't back carry in one. Lenny lambs are about the cheapest woven wraps you can get and to be honest I don't see much difference between them and the more expensive ones. If you're under about a size 18 the 4.6m wrap will be long enough.

Woven wraps work newborn up to toddlerhood. O haven't had 2.9yo DS in our woven but I could if necessary.

I have an ergo and it's been fab. I wore it with the baby insert initially and he now goes on my back (he is 15 months), was wearing him today when went for a walk down to the river.

I am newly pregnant and plan on joining my local sling meet as I think I'm going to be very dependant on slings when the new baby arrives and I imagine I may want a selection.

I started off with a moby wrap and now mostly use a woven, although I do have a boba 3g, a moby go buckled carrier and a Fraulein Hubsch half buckle meitai too (my daughter had chronic reflux and needed to be held upright all the time, hence the collection!) It might be worth looking at Fraulein hubsch if you want acarrier wwith the convenience of buckles but the comfort and softness of a woven wrap.

IME nothing beats the comfort and fit of a good woven wrap, although it does take longer to get the technique right. Once you've cracked it you'll never look back. I like Ellevill wraps, they're affordable, soft and incredibly beautiful.