Shop By BabyAge
When you are choosing which soft carrier is best for you and you baby (sling, pack, hip carrier, or wrap), it is important to consider your baby’s age – is your baby a newborn, young infant, older infant or toddler?
Your baby’s age will help you figure out what his needs most likely are and which soft carrier will help best meet that need. Developmentally, some soft baby carriers are best suited to support the baby in typical newborn positions (e.g. the newborn recline or the upright, vertical newborn nestle position) offering optimal support along the spine and properly supporting the head and neck. As baby get older and is better able to support himself, some parents like to opt for soft baby carriers that offer maximum support and padding for parents who are toting their increasingly heavy load.
In this section, we will look at ring slings, such as the ZoloWear Cotton or Silk slings, the New Maya Wrap Baby Sling or the Ellaroo Organic Ring Sling; pouches, such as a Hotslings pouch; hip carriers, such as the Mei Hip; packs, such as the Ellaroo Mei or the Ergo Baby Carrier; stretch wraps, such as the Baby K’Tan, the Moby Wrap, the Hand Painted Moby or the Moby- D Silk; and woven wraps, such as the Ellaroo Wrap.
When your baby is between 0-2 months, in his newborn stage, he has very clear needs. He needs the warmth and security of being close to his caregiver for much of his day. He needs the convenience of being able to nurse at will, and sleep comfortably. Parents of newborns often find it difficult to get anything other than baby care accomplished in the day. Their hands are always full. A well-chosen soft baby carrier especially suited for newborns such as a ring sling, a stretch wrap or a woven wrap can be a life-saver in these early, often intense first few months.
At 2-6 months, your baby is considered a young infant. This is the perfect age to have your baby make his social debut with the help of a soft baby carrier. Developmentally, your baby still needs to be held for most of the day and needs quick, easy access to nourishment (nursing or bottle feeding). He is also starting to smile, make eye contact and engage with people and is ready to meet the world snuggled safe and warm, close to you in a soft baby carrier. Keeping your baby close in a soft baby carrier helps you to get to know your baby, and allows you to respond quickly and effectively to his cues. Responding to our baby’s cues provides the neurological input baby needs to develop properly. A well-chosen soft baby carrier such as a ring sling, a pouch or a wraparound carrier will help you meet your baby’s developmental needs at this age for warmth, security, social engagement and parental responsiveness.
When your baby is between 4-12 months, the older infant stage, he is developmentally ready to try some new carrying positions. He is now mastering his head and neck control and he may begin to enjoy riding on your hip or your back at this point. And you will enjoy these new position possibilities because they transfer much of your baby’s weight to your side and to your back. Your older infant continues to reap the benefits of being held close in a soft carrier such as a ring sling, pouch, hip carrier, mei tai, soft-structured carrier or wraparound carrier: he has warmth, security, easy access to nourishment, and soothing movement.
At 12-36 months, your baby is considered a toddler. Although he can now walk (or almost walk) on his own, he may still need to be carried in certain circumstances. You may carry your toddler for convenience (for example when you are traveling or in a public space) or you may carry your toddler to meet his emotional needs for security and familiarity. Toddlers continue to have an intense need for physical closeness, and you will find yourself reaching for your soft baby carrier, whether it is a ring sling, a hip carrier, a mei tai, a soft-structured carrier or a wraparound carrier, again and again as your child leaves infancy behind.
