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Parenting & Farm Kids:  Baby wearing  |
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countrymommy85
True Blue Farmgirl
898 Posts
Krystle
MT
USA
898 Posts |
 Posted - Jun 10 2012 : 07:35:24 AM
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I love wearing my baby but now that it's hot outside and baby is getting older I'm looking for new ways to wear her.
Right now we use a sleepy wrap/moby wrap style carrier.I have been wearing her in the front but I'd like to start wearing her on my back when I'm doing short chores outside like gardening/watering and on my hip when we are at social events.
I know I can do a hip carry in the wrap but it's so hot for both of us. I know I can use batik for the summer but that still leaves the problem of hip and back carries.
Another issue I have is spending $100 for a carrier. Women in other countries have been wearing their babies for centuries without spending $100 on a front/back mei tei... (No offense to those of you who have them, I just can't afford it- no matter how many kids we plan on having!) I know there must be an affordable yet functional and somewhat cool (as cool as it can get having a little heater next to your body!) way to baby wear.
What do you other mom's use for baby wearing in the summer time and what carries are the coolest/most functional for you and baby? What style of carrier and what material?
Mothers are those wonderful people who can get up in the morning before the smell of coffee. ~Author Unknown
http://countryrenaissance.blogspot.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop/SunflowersAndHoney |
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Simply Satisfied
True Blue Farmgirl
427 Posts
Emily
Montana
USA
427 Posts |
Posted - Jun 16 2012 : 05:51:32 AM
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I had a simple sling that was $28 that I used constantly. My girls were great in it until 18months when they were too heavy for the stitching. It is just a loop of fabric wider on one end for them and narrow on the other for my shoulder. It could be made easily I just wasn't much of a seamstress at the time. When they could hold their heads up well they could sit in the pouch over my hip with a leg on the front and a leg on the back of me. That really kept us cooler and only one layer of fabric wrapped around wasn't bad at all. I also nursed in the pouch very descrectly with my friends chatting all around then worried I hadn't fed my daughter for hours as no one had noticed I had already done so. We spend much of our summer in the 70-90 range and both my girls loved the sling with me or their dad carrying them.
Emily
Farmgirl # 3591 |
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MagnoliaWhisper
True Blue Farmgirl
2817 Posts
Heather
Haysville
Kansas
USA
2817 Posts |
Posted - Jun 16 2012 : 09:58:20 AM
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well I must say the mie ties with snaps are great. I own baby hawk, but if I didn't have the money (I save up and spend it on the baby hawk and barely have any other baby type stuff-no swings, no walkers, etc etc) infantino has one that is around 40 dollars at babies r us and target, etc. it works great! After a certain weight you need a certain type of fabric to just tie on. otherwise it will pull on your shoulders.
http://www.heathersprairie.blogspot.com |
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SarahJ
True Blue Farmgirl
198 Posts
Shreveport
Louisiana
198 Posts |
Posted - Jun 23 2012 : 12:20:37 PM
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I have an Ergo, which i LOVE, but it is expensive. However, after trotting my baby around San Fransisco for a week, I can say it was well worth the investment. Prior to the ergo, I used a snuggli, which is very affordable. There is a difference, however, between carriers like the Ergo and Mei Tei, and the cheaper variety. The Ergo, Mei Tei, etc., keep the baby next to you (no barriers) and the baby "sits" in them, so the pressure is on their bottoms. The cheaper versions are often referred to as "crotch-danglers" by experienced baby wearers, and are frowned upon (IF you are using them extensively), because it puts pressure on the baby's crotch and hips in an unnatural way.
Babycenter.com has a "baby wearing" forum, and you can find reviews and opinions on ALL types of carriers.
SarahJ
Farmgirl Sister #116
http://bayoumama.wordpress.com/ |
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MagnoliaWhisper
True Blue Farmgirl
2817 Posts
Heather
Haysville
Kansas
USA
2817 Posts |
Posted - Jun 23 2012 : 7:15:30 PM
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I agree Sarah!
I on the other hand do understand the money issue, it took me a long time to save up for my baby hawk. But it has been worth it. Like I said though I tried on the infantino at Target and BRU felt exactly the same as the baby hawk....but if for moral reasons you choose not to buy from infantino, I have had success finding stuff on craig's list...I did actually see a baby hawk on my local CL for 60 dollars (half of what new is from baby hawk).
http://www.heathersprairie.blogspot.com |
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MagnoliaWhisper
True Blue Farmgirl
2817 Posts
Heather
Haysville
Kansas
USA
2817 Posts |
Posted - Jun 23 2012 : 7:18:55 PM
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oh and just as a btw, however, I have not tried either pattern, but both look very good, there is mie tie patterns from simplicity I believe, and also from blessed designs.
You can also google and the franken mei tie looks pretty good. If you have some old sheets around it may be something worth trying to make, I think I would use old sheets and maybe old jeans for the twill/heavier fabric you need. As a testing one...that way you aren't buying fabric, just using up stuff around, if you don't have old sheets and old jeans around your home, ask on free cycle first, and get the stuff for free, and see if the pattern works for you, if it does then you can buy fabric and make it better. Most fabric stores have 50 % off fabrics quite often now.
http://www.heathersprairie.blogspot.com |
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MagnoliaWhisper
True Blue Farmgirl
2817 Posts
Heather
Haysville
Kansas
USA
2817 Posts |
Posted - Jun 23 2012 : 7:21:12 PM
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sorry to keep blathering but it also may be worth while to find a local baby wearing group and see if they have any sponserships/scholarships where they can give people in need a free, or at least discounted price ones that have been donated to them. They often get donated carriers for their groups from the companies. Or they raise money to buy them for their groups libraries and what not.
http://www.heathersprairie.blogspot.com |
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fromscratchhomemadelife
Farmgirl in Training
40 Posts
Cassi
Western Middle
TN
USA
40 Posts |
Posted - Jul 20 2012 : 2:43:19 PM
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Consignment shops will be your friend. Ring slings are super easy to make or you can buy a cheap one. I use mine for quick trips like the grocery store. I looooove my Ergo. I bulked at the price when I had my son, then got one when I had my daughter. I wish I had it sooner! Worth every single penny. I'd try to find one used.
Cassi
Farmgirl #4371
http://fromscratchourhomemadelife.blogspot.com
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MagnoliaWhisper
True Blue Farmgirl
2817 Posts
Heather
Haysville
Kansas
USA
2817 Posts |
Posted - Jul 20 2012 : 4:04:45 PM
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You can get ring slings really cheap. I have a ton, several for free on freecycle, and others only 5 dollars here and there. But, they hurt my neck, I've tried and tried and I must not be doing it right, I've asked other ring sling wearers to help me they try and it still hurts. I have a lot of back issues though.
I bought a baby hawk oh snap and am VERY happy with it! LOVE it! I see that blessed designs is coming out with a version (a pattern for it) I want to buy that pattern. Cause like you I bulked at the price too, but it's been worth every penny! Every penny! I would forgo all other baby things for it-crib (don't need it!), bassinette-(again don't need it!), Swing (never used one), walker (again never used one), etc etc. Clothes, diapers and a baby hawk is all I need!
Now please don't take this as a insult at all Cassi. But, just a little info that I heard, and I don't know if it's true completely or not. But, when I was debating between the ergo and the baby hawk. I asked a few people, and they said most "fluffy" or well endowed like the baby hawk a bit better (When trying both) and the thinner, or less endowed like the ergo. I am fluffy and really well endowed. I thought I liked the ergo till I tried the baby hawk and they were right it hit places better for me. But, I think both are excellent, and both worth it. I would have one or the other (or like I said get the blessed designs pattern, I have other patterns of hers I LOVE!) over any other baby gadget, pretty much it's all I rea,lly ever need.
BTW, for DD1 I only used a pouch sling and it worked great, but she was long and skinny, my second and third are shorter and heaftier and the soft structured carriers (ergo, baby hawk) seem to just work better.
http://www.heathersprairie.blogspot.com |
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knittingmom
True Blue Farmgirl
665 Posts
AnneMarie
Edmonton
Alberta
Canada
665 Posts |
Posted - Aug 02 2012 : 3:45:10 PM
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I had a baby sling and LOVED IT. I used it for all the kids and still use it for our little toddler girl (back carries). My original sling finally disintegrated with our last one so I just bought fabric at the fabric store looked at the design and made a new one. It's not quite the same (the original had nice padding) but my creation functions the same. I've seen patterns out there so it might be worth googling it.
Farmgirl Sister #3759
"There is no foot so small that it cannot leave an imprint on this world"
"The things that matter most are not really things after all" |
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Parenting & Farm Kids: Baby wearing |
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Baby wearing
