About the Sling Lady
Hi, I’m Laurel McCarthy, otherwise known as the SlingLady. I am the owner of Carry Me Away, a baby carrier education and sales business. I started The SlingLady blog as a way of answering frequently-asked questions and getting out information about happenings in the babywearing world. You can read more about me and about Carry Me Away here.
The SlingLady blog is your chance to ask your baby carrier questions! You will receive a personal answer to your question. When your question is one that I receive a lot or if I think the information will be useful to others, your question (with your first name) and my answer may be posted here.
Please let me know if for any reason you do not wish your question to be posted.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Sling Lady! Thank you so much for the info you provided – I appreciate your response so much!
So, I heard about another carrier, the Hopp Tye. From what I have read it is very comfortable because it distributes the weight better, across the back and shoulders, not just w/ a strap like the mei tei. Do you know very much about this carrier? And how well it would work for an older child, too?
I guess I am just very confused…I read on one site that mei teis aren’t as good as backpack carriers for toddlers…and I feel my 9 month old will be a toddler soon…but the backpack style carriers cut me on the side of my breast
The only one I haven’t been able to try is the Oh Snap, but all the others are very, very uncomfortable.
Will the mei tei style work well even when she gets older? I just want to find one carrier that will work well for now and for later
Do you have any thoughts? I think the finalists based on research are the Toddlerhawk, Catbird baby Mei Tai (thank you for your suggestion!) and then the Hopp Tye (but I haven’t been able to try the Catbird or the Hopp Tye – neither are available here in store).
What are your thoughts? Thank you AGAIN for your help!!
Hi Suzy! Yes, the Hopp Tye’s are lovely carriers and I can recommend them! Both they and the Kozy or similar mei tai would work well for an older child. The reason some people don’t love them is because they are typically carrying older children for shorter periods of time, and the investment of tying the carrier on each time can get annoying. Most people prefer buckle carriers and the like because there is no tying and the straps don’t drag on the ground. But since the buckle carriers don’t seem to work for you, a mei tai is a good bet. If I had to choose one, I’d go with the Hopp Tye!
I really don’t think you can go wrong with any of the carriers you are looking at.
Hi Heather, thank you for writing! I really want to have better information for you, but as of right now, I simply haven’t found a fabulous substitute for the Kangaroo Korner Adjustable Fleece Pouch. It was simply the best, and I am SO sad that they are not in business.
Anyways, one of the reasons I didn’t get back to you right away is that I wanted to do a little research just to make sure I wasn’t missing something obvious. But alas, I have not found other stretchy pouches that adjust! KarmaBaby makes good slings and they have a microfleece that should have the stretch you are looking for, but those pouches are sized, not adjustable. Hotslings makes an adjustable pouch but they don’t have stretchy materials.
Probably the best bet is to try EBay or to get on a forum like thebabywearer.com and see what people are selling on the ForSaleOrTrade boards.
If I ever do find something as wonderful as the Kangaroo Korner pouches, I will email you!
Best regards,
Laurel
Aka The Sling Lady
Hi Laurel! I own 2 Kangaroo Korner pouches and LOVE them. My sister-in-law is due in June and she wants one! I know they have gone out of business, and I can’t seem to find one to purchase on any other sites. Can you suggest another brand that is a lot like the Kangaroo Korner pouch? What I love about them– the stretchy fabric and the ability to adjust the size with the snaps. I used to have a cotton Hotsling and did not like it at all because it had no stretch. I really want my sister-in-law to have a new Kangaroo Korner pouch of her own, but if that can’t happen then I want her to have the closest carrier to it. Any suggestions?
HI,
How can I find instructions on how to use the kangaroo korner fleece sling? I have one but no instructions and I’m concerned my baby is having trouble breathing in it.
Thank you.
Hi Sabrina, thanks for writing the SlingLady! It’s definitely important to be using your pouch correctly. There are a few instructions from Kangaroo Korner here: http://www.carrymeaway.com/pages/UsingaPouch.html Also, scroll down for my article tips for positioning your baby in a pouch, with pictures of good and not-so-good positioning.
Another resource is this article on safe babywearing of a newborn, which address proper positioning to allow for proper flow of oxygen: http://www.thebabywearer.com/articles/HowTo/Positioning.pdf
I am also always happy to help troubleshoot, either by phone or via the web. A great way to do this is to send me a picture of you using the carrier.
Additionally, if you have ANY concerns about your baby breathing while in the carrier, stop using your carrier and talk with your pediatrician about proper positioning for your baby’s needs.
I hope this helps, and please let me know how it goes!
Best regards,
The Sling Lady
Hi Aya! The ERGO is certainly a great carrier, but I probably wouldn’t recommend it at your daughter’s age. It is a better carrier for older kids – 4-6 months at least, with good head control. I recommend either the Beco Gemini or the Pikkolo carrier for your husband. Both will be comfortable in the forward facing (as well as regular front carry and back carry positions) and can also be used as your daughter gets older and heavier. Some people do switch to the ERGO when their babies are toddlers, but that is pretty far down the road!
I hope this helps and please let me know if you have more questions!
Hi Sling Lady,
I have a 2 1/2 month and we both love the Moby Wrap. My baby girl especially likes the sling hold so that she can turn her head to face out when on walks, in grocery stores, and on oher outings.
My husband (who does not like the moby), needs a carrier. We have a bjorn but have heard too much bad news about it to use it. He wants something that doesn’t get too hot- which he claims the moby does, is comfortable for him and baby, and preferably one that baby can look forward in.
We hear that ergo is great. Is it worth it even though baby can’t face out? What about pikkola? Can we use it when baby is older and heavier?