Baby Slings and Carriers

Sometimes baby doesn't want to be put down. She wants to be carried. Baby slings and carriers are great at times like these. You are free to get on with the housework, while baby gets all the comfort she needs.

Baby slings and carriers are great for shopping trips when you want to leave the push chair behind. They can even be used if you want to take a countryside walk in a place where a buggy couldn't easily go. Carrying baby this way is a popular choice for many parents.

To begin with, you will have to carry baby on your front. She will have to face inwards to begin with - until she can support her own head. Mums can usually manage to carry baby with a front carrier until baby is about six months old. Dads can probably carry the weight a little longer.

There are a number of reasons why using a baby slim or carrier makes sense:

• Babies find being it comforting. It's kind of like being back in the womb for them. It feels safe. It's especially good for babies with colic or reflux.
• Babies can see the world from your level. Because they are not stuck down at pram-level, they get to interact with grown ups.
• You keep each other warm. As well as the emotional warmth from being so close to baby, you can also feel the warmth of your babies body.
• Your hands are free. Having baby in a sling or carrier, your hands are free to do the hundreds of things you probably need to do.

These hold baby upright and close to your chest. Baby sits in a padded section and straps can be tightened to fasten in baby safe and secure. This type of carrier can feel more secure than a sling. They can also be pretty easy to use. They can be adjusted to fit different-sized babies.

On the downside, they have fewer carrying positions than some slings. Some of them can't carry babies over a certain weight, so they are best for use with small babies. A good choice of carrier of this kind is the Baby Bjorn Baby Carrier.

A wrap sling is essentially a piece of fabric which is wrapped around the wearer and baby. They can support a newborn really well, can be used in a range of carrying positions and can be used with babies of different sizes.

One disadvantage is that they can be a bit tricky to get used to at first. A good wrap sling is the Sleepy Wrap Classic Wrap Baby Carrier.

These are lengths of fabric which are threaded through rings. Easy to adjust, they can be used by both partners without too much difficulty.

On the downside, they can be a bit tricky to get used to at first though.

Well worth a look is the Maya Wrap is comfortable for mother and baby. It also folds up small enough be easily packed away in a bag.

These are sashes of fabric which are worn over the shoulder. Baby goes in a little pouch of fabric. There are no complicated buckles to deal with so using them is easy enough and they are usually pretty compact so they can be put into a bag.

They are good to use if you take baby out a lot. Hotslings Adjustable Pouch Baby Sling is a decent choice. The fabric is good quality and is easy to use.