Baby sling or carrier?

[chocolate8ball]

Hello! First time mum-to-be here. I'm wondering if we will need a baby sling AND a baby carrier (with buckles etc.) or just one of them? Would you recommend any particular brand or type, as I'm honestly bamboozled by the choice out there! Thank you

The ergo 360 is brilliant. We also had a Hana wrap for the early weeks but mine was prem and tiny so went too low in normal carriers, even with the newborn insert. It didn't get used for long though - the ergo was much easier to manage.

Different ones are good for different ages and scenarios. A soft fabric carrier is the ideal thing for a newborn but by the time baby is 4 months most people want something with more structure. So you don't really need both at the same time. Slings and carriers can also be easily bought and sold secondhand and reputable brands hold value well so you can trade as your needs change.

If you're feeling a bit bamboozled, why not try renting when baby is born and see how you get on? Then if you like what you're using you can buy. Google local sling libraries or rent online from itsaslingthing.co.uk.

Ps you'll get lots of specific recommendations but a lot will depend on you. Lots of people love the Ergo but I needed something with straps that shortened more because I is tiny. After trial and error I favour an AmaWrap or Caboo for the first few months and a Tula thereafter. Ideal scenario is to try out a few at the sling library.

As a start point, I'd suggest Caboo for a soft newborn carrier, and Tula, Ergo or Connecta for more structured carriers.

You could start off with a lovely soft stretchy wrap like a boba, Hana or lillebaby tie the knot (loads more brands but these come to mind straight away). So nice for early days, all day long cuddles, easy to tie and you can leave them tied on you so you can pop baby in and out. These often can be found second hand fairly cheaply. I actually had two (one in use, one in the wash!) and both cost under £20 each.

I changed to a more structured sling at around 5 months when ds was too heavy for the stretchy to be supportive. Tried an ergo, tula and boba but settled on lillebaby original and when my son was too big for that, switched to lillebaby carry on! (Lillebaby for toddlers).

Really the best advice though is to try and find a local sling library or even a baby group where lots of people use decent, ergonomically designed slings. Everyone has different shaped bodies and prefers different styles, you might love wrapping and stick with wrapping for all of your carrying days!

Carrying made my life with a newborn a billion times easier, so wish I had had a decent sling with my first baby. Life would have been very different, with a lot less tears and I suspect a lot more sleeping!

I personally don't like the look of buckle carriers, so I've never bought one. I have a stretchy wrap (brand I have is Hana) for the first few months, and then a woven wrap (which does not stretch so can be used for older babies and back carrying), and a Fidella Fly Tai, which is a mai tai sort of thing (which is also for older babies but I find it easier to use than the woven wrap. Its also totally beautiful).

Thank you everyone!