A Parent's Guide to Baby Carriers and Slings

I'm a big fan of baby carriers. Yes, our daughter had colic after 3 weeks in this world, so I did what most sleep-deprived parents do – I desperately searched the web for answers. I got two: one was for my wife (who was breastfeeding at the time) to begin eliminating certain foods from her diet, such as dairy. The second was to place her in a sling.

The diary cut her colicky period down to four hours in the evening. Awesome! The sling she didn't like. Fortunately, a friend had sold me his Baby Bjorn baby carrier, which I tried. BOOM! The first time placing her in it and she immediately calmed down and fell asleep on my chest. Aaawwww. I was hooked. From that day, even after her colic left (and it does!), I walked with her everywhere I went. When she was awake, I introduced her to trees, grass, birds, and the sky. I introduced her to colours, and told her stories about Mommy and Daddy. People walking by looked curious at a dad wearing his baby, but most smiled, probably thinking, “Well, finally, a man doing the work!”

I love wearing my baby. I never knew how much joy there is to it. With my wife recovering from surgery, I mainly walked outside alone with my daughter to give her much-needed rest. It'll likely be the best memories of those first few months, easily overshadowing the five hours a night of wearing ear plugs and holding my screaming daughter (thankfully, I think that only lasted two weeks until the dairy products in the breastmilk were eliminated and replaced by soy.)

My wife and I have worn a couple different brands of baby carriers, so here's my personal guide for both moms and dads:

Slings have been used all over the world for thousands of years. Babies love slings because, in the hammock or cradle position, they lay similar to how they were in the womb. They can also hear your heartbeat, your breathing, and feel the rocking rhythms while you move. This all makes them feel warm and secure.

Slings are also the best for nursing babies because it’s easy to hold them in just the right position. Also, with ring slings, a large portion of the fabric drapes down past the rings. This fabric is used to adjust the size of the pouch, and it also allows you privacy while nursing.

Slings can be very simple or beautifully ornate, adjustable or sewn together, and commercially or home-made, and they come in padded, unpadded, and pouch varieties. You may have to experiment to find the one that suits you and your baby best. Slings have been made to carry babies into water to go swimming, with UV-protective fabric for sunny outings, and from very warm fabrics, so you can find a sling for your climate and activity level.

They can be a little hard on the back because they put most of the baby’s weight on one shoulder, so it’s important to switch shoulders every day or so if you use a sling often. You’ll also reduce the lower back strain of any baby carrier by positioning your infant as high up on your body as you can and as close to your chest as comfortable possible.

Fabric wraps like the Moby Wrap are a great alternative to slings because they distribute the weight of the baby on both shoulders and the hips of the wearer. They can be wrapped in many different ways to accommodate babies as they grow, and you can carry them on your front, side, or back.

The only downside is having to learn the proper wrapping techniques, though there's a few easy and basic holding positions that my wife comfortably learned.

My own first babywearing experience was with the classic Baby Bjorn front pack. It was easy to use, as I just had to place the straps over my shoulder and buckle in the stiff fabric shell where my daughter would be placed. Most of the men I've seen around town who carry their babies do so in a BabyBjorn.

As infants, you would place baby facing you, where they can easily sleep on your chest. When they're older, you can fold down the head-support and they can face outwards, which my daughter hugely enjoyed. However, for you guys, once they get to be certain size, their legs will be long enough to kick backwards in an area that will make you say “Okay, enough of this punishment!”

That's when I bought an Ergo carrier. Though I found it a little more difficult to learn, it's a great and versatile carrier as you can wear baby on your front, your hip or your back. I now carry her on my back, and I can barely feel her weight, because everything is concentrated on the hips.

In going through the various babywearing forums, I've found there to be two camps of baby wearers: those who traditionally use slings and scoff at the mention of the word Baby Bjorn, and those who swear by them. For those who hate them, it's because baby simply dangles in the carrier, which places all the weight on their still developing lower back and hips. Some practitioners warn this may hurt their spine, though I haven't found much more evidence on this other than a few academic papers. I personally feel it's okay to carry them for an hour or two a day, and there's been no ill effects with my daughter.

If you're concerned, but don't want to use a more traditional sling, try the Ergo baby carrier, which has baby in a sitting position rather than simply hanging. You'll have to buy a special infant insert if your baby is less than four months old.

Though I haven't tried one yet, they look very easy and comfortable to use. Based on the traditional Chinese carrier, mei tais are very simple in design. It's a piece of square or rectangular fabric, with four straps at each corner, two long ones for the shoulder and two shorter ones for the hips. You tie the hip straps, place your baby on your front or back, then pull the two long straps over your shoulder, effectively covering your infant in a nice, comfortable pouch where they sit. Then wrap the straps to where baby is sitting and tie them.