Snuggy Baby Ring Sling

in the Ergo, on our way to
the Watermelon Festival!

When my son was born two years ago, I didn't really consider myself a "baby-wearer."  I mean, I had a Moby Wrap that he was in almost every day, and we had another carrier we used when he was a little older, but we also used our stroller a lot of times.  But after being a mom for a few years, I feel like I can say, "yes, I babywear" and it's true.  I don't think you have to sell your stroller and only wear your baby to be a "baby-wearer".  I don't think you need to wear your baby every single day to babywear.  I think that if you use a carrier and enjoy wearing your baby, you can consider yourself to be a baby-wearing mama.  I will say that wearing my son has made a lot of things a lot easier!!  When he was a newborn, wearing him in our Moby was one of the easiest ways to make him happy.  And when we go to festivals or the zoo, it's often easier to wear him than take a stroller (and sometimes, its easier with the stroller, so we have somewhere to put our things, or if it's 100 degrees outside!).  Just thought I'd explain my thoughts on babywearing a little before I began :)

Myles in his Moby, at around 3 weeks old

My babywearing journey began with a Moby (which I was kind of in love with).  I also had an Infantino carrier than was similar to an Ergo, which was OK, but not my favorite.  And that was it.  But once my son outgrew the Moby, I found the other carrier to be kind of a pain to get him in and out of for quick trips into the store and things.  So, I got a sling....not a ring sling, but one that I had to measure myself and order the correct size.  I loved it.  It was so easy and quick to use!!  I had seen many of my friends with their newborns in beautiful ring slings, but didn't really understand how they worked.... the rings, adjusting them, etc.  So I never tried them.
I found Snuggy Baby on etsy and was drawn in by the beautiful prints they had for their wraps and slings.  And then I found out that it was a WAHM business, and I liked them even more.  Snuggy Baby was started by a mom with two young children.  She loved the look of ring slings, but couldn't find a place to buy them.  So, she decided to make her own.  It took a while to develop a fashionable, comfortable sling, but, in my opinion, she's done exactly that!!

Although I was excited when Snuggy Baby sent me one of their ring slings, I wasn't sure how I was going to like it--would it really be more convenient than the sling I already had?  How do you adjust it?  Isn't it a pain having to adjust the sling every time I put my son in it?  And then I got it.  First of all, it's beautiful.  They sent me their Rainbow Chevron print (I had a really hard time deciding....soooo many beautiful prints!!) and it's absolutely gorgeous!!  The colors are so vibrant and fun!

seriously....gorgeous and fun!!

They also sent along an instructional video.  Thank. Goodness.  This was exactly what I needed.  It explained everything I had been confused about!  It showed exactly how to wear your baby at different stages (newborn, hip-carry, etc.) and how to make it fit!  And guess what.... it works!!   And it's really easy!  You can actually adjust the sling while your child is in it--make them higher or lower, and move them in closer or further away.  I had no idea it was so easy (so, make sure you check out their videos, which are also online, if you have questions on how to use a ring sling!  The videos are really clear and informative).

So, on to how it works.  This sling is really great.  The fabric is quite thick and sturdy; I had no worries about it sagging or anything with my 27 lb. toddler.  And he loves it.  He's really comfortable in it.  In fact, when I first got it, he kept asking for me to take him for a "ride" in it, all over the house.
The quality of this sling is absolutely amazing.  The stitching is perfect, the fabric is lovely (and really, the prints Snuggy Baby has are amazing!!  Be sure to check them out online), the rings are so strong....everything about this sling screams quality.
The rings themselves are nice and solid.  They don't have any seams/welds, so I don't have to worry that they might bend or break.

shoulder padding; nice, strong rings

I also really like that the shoulder of this sling is padded slightly.  It makes it more comfortable for me when wearing my son around for long periods of time.
The length of the fabric is also great--long enough that it will fit many sizes of women, but not too long that it gets in the way.  I also feel like this would be great for breastfeeding, either with the baby in the sling or out of it--you could use the sling tail as a cover for while you're out and about.  It's multi-functional!

at the baseball game!  I think the
rings should be a little higher,
but Myles was comfy!

Overall, I really really love this ring sling and can't wait to use it when our new baby gets here in a few weeks!  I've found that slings are the easiest thing to use when pregnant, and we used our Snuggy Baby sling just last week when we went to a baseball game (and I was 34 weeks pregnant).  It doesn't get in the way of my belly, and unlike the Ergo, I don't need to make anything clip around it.  Now, I'm still trying to get the hang of adjusting everything--sometimes I don't get the fabric quite right through the rings and have a hard time getting everything in the right place.  But I know with more practice (and a lighter baby, not a heavy toddler) it'll get easier and easier.  And now that I've tried ring slings, I'd really like another :)  Snuggy Baby just has so many beautiful colors and fabrics (I know their linen sling would be great for the summer!).

Snuggy Baby also makes some other carriers y'all should check out!  They have some beautiful, knit wraps that are similar to something like the Moby, but not as stretchy, so you can use it longer without it sagging from the weight of a heavier child.  They also make Mei Teis.  The other thing that I really love, is they make child's doll slings!!  They're absolutely adorable, and how fun for a little one to get to have their own sling to wear their dolls or stuffed animals in!!  I'm thinking about getting one for my son and all his stuffed animals!
The other thing they make is wet bags.  Now, I didn't get a chance to try one out, but based on the quality of this ring sling, I'm going to assume that the wet bags are great.  The prints they have are just so cute!  And they have sooo many to choose from--various sizes, prints, etc.  Next time we're on the market for a new wet bag, I'm definitely going to check here first!

And lucky for all of you, Snuggy Baby has offered a giveaway of a $75 e-gift-certificate to one of our readers!  So you'll get to choose what product you want to try--wrap, ring sling, doll carrier, etc.  Be sure to enter below!!
Snuggy Baby has also offered a 10% off coupon code for their website, until Sept. 23rd:  use code ADDICTION at checkout.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Lil Peeper Keepers

I am thrilled to be able to introduce you to a lovely WAHM today! Rebecca Lang is the mama behind Lil Peeper Keepers baby carriers. She sent me a woven wrap to review and Ava and I have been loving it! I asked Rebecca to share a little about herself, how her shop got started, what types of carriers she makes, and what her personal favorite carrier is.


I am wife to the most wonderful Preacher husband in the world and a SAH homeschooling mama to a son (10), daughter (8), daughter (6), baby girl in Heaven, daughter (3), daughter (1. 5) and a growing baby (which we assume is a girl!) due the end of July! We're happily busy, in case you had not gathered that yet!

Babywearing just makes sense . . . for you and your baby. They need security, you need your hands, and you both enjoy the time to cuddle. The security of a child held close is a reminder to me of my salvation in Jesus Christ. I asked Him to forgive me of my sins and save me when I was just a child, and He did. That look of complete peace on my little one's face as I hold them close in a sling or wrap, reminds me of the perfect trust I need to place in God for today and for eternity.

I first started selling in local shops in 2007, but soon opened a shop on Etsy, and then eventually was selling only online. I love the flexibility of online sales. I can sew during my free time (mostly at night), and can be making sales while teaching math to my first grader or peeling potatoes for dinner =)! Now that would be difficult to achieve with a brick and mortar shop! The business keeps my days very full to overflowing, but I love being able to help moms keep their babies safe and close while still being a help to my own family! It's also been exciting to see my own family be involved in the shop. Not only do the pictures show me with my own babies (I can think of only one exception there), but my husband is the photographer. My oldest daughter can also now iron the doll slings and has begun to package them up for me! My husband and I both look forward to the children becoming more an more a part of the family business.

I do offer ring slings, wraps, and pouches (limited number) on my site. I see each of them as having their particular niche of usefulness.
The pouch - extremely simple. Good in a supported (more like seated position) for newborns and for hip carry on toddlers. Very quick to pop on. Harder to be comfortable for long trips with heavier children.
Ring sling - very versatile. Quick to use. Does not take up much room. Good for shorter times and still comfortable (when worn properly) for even extended use.
Wrap - bit longer learning curve. My carrier of choice most times for a hiking excursion or very extended use as the weight distribution is incredible! Not as convenient to put on in a hurry (at least the long versions!)

Because I tend to babywear for shorter periods of time, the ring sling has won out for me overall over the years of babywearing that I have had. The type carrier that is best for you is largely determined by what you will be using it for. I tend to recommend that if customers can, they purchase a basic ring sling and a wrap. 

One thing that is very unique about Rebecca's shop is that all of the carriers that she makes come to you with a very helpful DVD that shows you exactly how to use your new carrier. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the DVD and learning some new carries for the woven wrap she sent me. I got the opportunity to review one of Rebecca's pure Tencel gauze woven wraps. Tencel is a natural fiber that is made from the cellulose of trees, and the tencel gauze that the wrap is made of is so lovely and soft!

The wrap was so beautifully packaged when I got it!

I received an indigo wrap and the color is just beautiful. Rebecca has the cute tag positioned in the middle of the wrap so that it is easy to locate the center for wrapping. The tencel fabric has a gorgeous crinkly look to it that I just love. It's very lightweight and breathable, but still very strong! 

The woven wrap gave me the opportunity to try a wrapped back carry. This carry is called a Double Hammock Carry, and I just love this carry! It's so comfortable with this tencel wrap, and Ava loved it!

Ava is just snuggled in there. Note how her knees are higher than her bum, so she has the correct seated ergonomic position here.

Here is another view of this carry. Ava's weight is distributed really well, and because the fabric is so soft it doesn't rub on her skin or leave red marks.

Here is a front carry with the woven wrap. Ava has had a rough couple weeks with teething, so getting a chance to snuggle with Mama in a lovely wrap is wonderful.

You always want your baby high enough that you can easily kiss them!

Overall, this wrap has become one of my favorite carriers and I just love the color and the softness of the fabric. Rebecca has generously offered to give a tencel wrap to one of YOU in the color of your choice! You can choose from black, indigo, chocolate, rust, jade, or sapphire.  She is also offering a 3 day discount code starting Feb 20th and ending Feb 23rd, so those of you who didn't win can still get a great deal on one of Rebecca's gorgeous carriers! The code is SPRING2013 and will give you 15% off before shipping and handling!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Balboa Baby sling carrier!

I was very fortunate to be able to review a Balboa Baby sling carrier. I was really impressed with it when I pulled it out of the box. I am currently 5 months pregnant and they never reccomend using a sling while pregnant, so I used my sister for the review.

Balboa Baby sling carrier is made of a super soft material and is breathable for your baby. It is so easy to wear and comfy on your shoulders. Unlike most sling carriers there is not padding on the shoulder area so they are pretty uncomfortable after an hour of wearing. This carrier is all padded and very nice.

This carrier is very easy to adjust. It has two heavy duty rings that you just pull the material through for easy adjusting. You can even do it while baby is inside the sling! GREAT for nursing baby's too! Your baby can lay right inside and no one will know your doing it. It also has a pocket located right in the front of the pack for a pacifier or something small like that.

Overall I was impressed with the carrier. I am not a huge sling person but this sling was a very nice one! I would recommend it to friends and family. I have tired many slings and this is by far the best one that I have tried. You can go to Balboa Baby and see much much more information if needed! My sister loved it and said it was comfy with her baby in it too!

Sleepy Wrap review!

I got the honor of reviewing a sleepy wrap this week. I do not have any little babies at home but my sister just had a baby so I used Audrey (her baby) as my model. My new little one is not due until August and let me tell you this will come in very handy!!

There are many benefits of using a wrap. The best is that baby is always close and warm and not laying in a stroller on its back and being cold. Another one is while your out and you wanna breastfeed and you are kinda Leary of doing it in public, this wrap allows an awesome breastfeeding options. It allows you to do a newborn hold, classic love your baby hold, upright hold for a bit older then a newborn. There are many different carriers out there but me personally I seem to like the wrap type and the Sleepy wrap is awesome!You can go to SleepyWrap and there is so much information on their site. There are 2 different kinds of wraps. The Classic sleepy wrap which retails for $39.95 and comes in MANY colors. There is also the sleepy wrap organic which retails for $59.95 and come in only 3 colors black, natural or khaki.If you look here these are the directions on how to tie your wrap on. I did it my self and then just slid Audrey right in there and she seemed to enjoy it very much!!

Hope this review was helpful in helping you make your wrap decisions. I did not use any pictures of myself just because I am pregnant and it did not look very attractive nor very comfy while being pregnant. My sister uses it at home right now and LOVES it. Audrey is a huge cuddle bug and she love be nested right up to mommy!!! My opinion overall, AWESOME product and I would recommend it to anyone! Very comfy for my sister and me if i was not pregnant I am sure!

Why Babywearing?

There are many benefits to wearing your baby or child (heck, I just sold a sling to a lady who wanted to carry her dog around...whatever floats your boat!) For me personally, it has helped to calm a (very) colicky first child, nurse a 'round-the-clock eating machine second child, and protect a third child from his crazy big brothers! Over the past nearly four years, many dinners (at home and out) have been saved thanks to a carrier, virtually every Sunday at church has been spent singing and swaying a baby to sleep in a sling or carrier and more days than I can count, I've spent kissing the head of a baby wrapped closely to my chest.

There are many things that have been proven about wearing your baby (thanks to The Babywearer for providing this info!):

• Babies that are worn cry less (I love the bit about babies in cultures where they are worn all the time have been found to rarely cry at all, that says a lot!)
  
• Babywearing is great for babies mental development
• Babywearing is great for their emotional development, as well
• Babywearing is also good for physical development
• It can help with a mom who is suffering from PPD

If you are new to babywearing, you may be wondering a couple of things. First, how do I decide which carrier is right for me? There are many charts throughout the internet that can help you decide that (here and here are two examples. The first talks about activities using a carrier and the second talks about closeness/learning curve/breastfeeding in a carrier/etc...)

The second thing you may be asking, "Why do I have to spend so much? What is wrong with a $30 carrier from my local 'big box store'?" Well. A lot is wrong with those carriers - for you, for baby, for their spine - rather than beat a dead horse (is that the cliche?) I strongly urge you to take a few minutes and read this article, "Infant Carriers and Spinal Stress" (it's short, but packed full of information and written by someone who knows a lot about the spine and the effects spinal stress can have on the rest of the body - a chiropractor).

No matter your reasoning for looking for a baby carrier (to have more use of your hands, to calm that precious, screaming little one, to avoid lugging a heavy stroller everywhere), kudos to you for looking at babywearing! Hopefully this week has provided you with some useful information that can at least assist in your decision making. If you ever have any questions regarding babywearing, please feel free to ask any of the writers here via email or a comment - if we don't know the answer ourselves, we will be happy to help direct you to someone who does.

Beco Butterfly II/Soft Structured Carrier (SSC) Review

This is a newbie carrier for me. As I mentioned earlier this week, I love my stretchy wrap and pouch slings, I also have a mei tai carrier that I made before my second son was born. A friend helped me with it, but it was the first time either of us had made one. Two and a half years later, it was starting to see better days. I started to look at other mei tais but kept getting drawn back to the Beco Butterfly II, a Soft Structured Carrier (SSC), or a Buckle Carrier, much like an Ergo. A few weeks ago, I finally bit the bullet and purchased one. In terms of baby carriers (I may or may not have a few, ahem), it is probably one of my smartest decisions. I absolutely love it!

Here's my 34ish pound pre-schooler on my back. The Beco Butterfly II can hold up to a 45lb child.

Here's my 18ish lb almost 6 month old in a front carry. He love love loves this carrier!

This is one of the many safety features on the Beco Butterfly II. It's a piece of elastic around the shoulder straps, to keep anything from slipping. To adjust the shoulder straps, you need to pull the strap out of that elastic and then adjust. A bit cumbersome, but I'm all about safe babywearing!

Close up of the elastic.

Close up of the shoulder strap. To get baby out, you need to push in the oval button, then squeeze the sides. It takes a bit of practice, but definitely worth the extra effort to know baby isn't going anywhere!

Here you can see just where you need to wear the Beco - it needs to be resting on your hips (not above) so the weight is resting evenly.
Another neat feature, the Beco Butterfly II comes with a sunshade (or a "ravioli catcher" if you happen to have baby fall asleep during dinner at Olive Garden!) that snaps onto the carrier. Instead of trying to find a place to store it, there is a small pouch to tuck the shade into when not in use.

Again, pros and cons come with a SSC/Buckle Carrier as well.

Pros:

• Adjustable for anyone caring for baby to use
• Distributes weight evenly
• Typically allows to wear through a wide weight range
• Has more padding/cushion than other carriers
  

Cons:

• More expensive
• Can be difficult to use on back (takes practice)
• Breastfeeding can be difficult
• May not be able to wear a newborn in one (though some do have infant inserts)

Discliamer: I purchased a Beco Butterfly II for my own use. All opinions are my own and you may have a different experience.

Woven Wrap Info

I need to preface this post by saying I personally have not used a woven wrap, however, there is oodles upon oodles of information to be found on the internet. One reliable place to find this information is Piece of Cloth. Here, many questions regarding woven wraps are answered. Also, you can search on YouTube for many tutorials on how to do various carries. Another great resource for learning carries is your local babywearing group.

What I can tell you is that woven wraps (or non-stretch wraps) are very versatile. While it does take some practice to get the various carries down, if you own a wrap, pretty much anyone caring for baby can use it - front, back or hip, you can easily breastfeed in one and it is fairly compact to transport (no buckles or clips, just a long piece of fabric). You can carry any child, newborn to toddler, in a woven wrap as well. Woven wraps also come in a variety of lengths.

Mei Tai Baby

I was given a Mei Tai baby carrier from a friend of mine. She had purchased it for herself but never ended up using it. I was pretty excited about this because the carrier I had was a cheaper one that you can get at your local super mart and it was only good for smaller babies. I have been using the Mei Tai for about 6 months now and really enjoy it.

The Mei Tai has a very simple shape. There is a large rectangle that the baby sit in. Then there are two padded straps that go up off the top and two un-padded straps that go off the sides of the bottoms. There is also a padded area at the top of the rectangle that is great for supporting baby's head.

You can find a great how to tutorial here on how to put on a MeiTai either as a front carrier or a back carrier.

For front carrying you tie the waist straps around your back with the printed panel hanging down against your legs.You then take baby and hold them against you and pull the panel up and over them. You pull the padded straps up over your shoulders and cross the straps in the back. You then bring the straps around front and tie them behind the baby's back. Here is the padded straps crossed behind my back.

Here is me wearing Zeke when we went to get our Christmas Tree. My MeiTai came with a black fleece cover for going over the baby while wearing them. Kind of like a blanket. It has elastic on the corners that you slip the top shoulder straps through to hold it up and the bottom is sewn closed like a little sack for the baby's legs to go in. I of course forgot to bring it with so I simply tucked a blanket around him and we stayed nice and warm!Here is the MeiTai with Zeke at 2 months. With littler babies you can tuck their legs up into the carrier so they are almost balled up. The day this picture was taken it was so miserably hot outside and humid and I did wear this for about and hour and a half then we ended up putting him in the stroller to cool off.

I have also used this as a back carrier as well as my husband. We put our 2 year old in it. You tie the waist straps first then put the baby on your back (this is best if you have a person to help. You then flip the carrier up over the baby and pull the straps around your shoulders. You can cross them in the front but I did not. You simply pull them over and back under your arms and tie behind baby's back. I was extremely comfortable with my 2 year old on my back while carrying him around.


Over all I am pretty happy with the MeiTai. If I wear it for a VERY long time I will start to get sore but other than that it has worked great for us.

Baby Love Ring Sling Review

Welcome to babywearing week! We have a fantastic week lined up with reviews on a number of carriers and even a couple of giveaways! I, personally, am so excited about this week! I am an avid babywearer and supporter of babywearing (and if I had a second addiction to cloth diapering, that would be it!) So stay tuned for more information on slings, wraps and other type of carriers!

Without further ado, let's get started! First on the list: Ring slings, featuring one from Baby Love Slings.

I had worn our first two children in wraps and pouches, and I had borrowed a ring sling from a friend but didn't "get it" - I found it incredibly uncomfortable and I was most certainly wearing it (and my child!) wrong. Then, through the wonderful world of blogging, I met Farrah of Baby Love Slings. We often talked of babywearing and I finally confessed that I had never really used a ring sling. I convinced hubby that I needed a ring sling when we found out we were expecting our third child. I was determined to figure it out, make it work and love it! And of course, I knew I would be ordering from Farrah.

It took me forever to decide on a fabric (I chose Aqua Floral) and it arrived just before Caedmon did. Once we got past the fuzzy first few weeks, I finally attempted to use the ring sling. I have to say that Farrah was so incredibly patient with me as I sent picture after picture to her of me trying to get the sling just right. I spent what seemed like hours in front of a mirror trying to get it just so. Before I knew it, I had my little man all snuggled up -

Caedmon at one month, the first day we really figured out the ring sling. He was asleep within seconds. He always liked to be slightly to the side. If he was straight upright, he was miserable - he still, at 5.5months, much prefers to hang out at an angle!

Caedmon at almost 2 months
((Sorry for my face being out of pictures, hehe, I don't like to have my picture taken!))

I quickly fell in love with my ring sling and I was so thankful for it. While my older two loved the wrap and pouch slings, Caedmon wanted nothing to do with them, but he loved the ring sling! I'd wear him in it all day around the house, to doctor's appointments and church. He is now a little over 18lbs at 5.5 months and still fits in it great, but really only likes it when he is tired (he much prefers the freedom of 'moving' in a soft structured/buckle carrier). I'm excited to see if he will love it as he grows more and that 'freedom' isn't such a new thing.

Farrah also makes child size slings and sent one along for my boys to practice their own babywearing skills!

Keaton "monkey"wearing at 3.5 years with a sling to match mama's! ;-)

Ring Slings do have a bit of a learning curve, but once you get it, you get it.

Here is a video demonstration of a hip carry with a 5 month old:



There are many ways to use a ring sling in various carries.

Just like with any carrier, there are pros and cons to using a ring sling over another type of carrier.

Pros:

• A ring sling is compact, it can be folded and stored easily
  
• A ring sling is versatile and can be worn by any one, any size who is caring for the baby (some carriers come in sizes and one care provoder may not be able to wear baby without purchasing a carrier in their size)
• You can carry baby in a number of positions
• It is easy to nurse your baby in a ring sling
• Can be used from infancy through toddler-hood
  
• Can be used on both shoulders

Cons:

• Because it does use only one shoulder, that shoulder may become tired after some time, and the need to switch sides may arise
• Some may find difficult to use (does take practice!)
• Some may find it is uncomfortable as baby gets heavier

Disclaimer: I purchased a ring sling from Baby Love Slings at discount for my own personal use. All opinions are my own, and you may have a different experience.