Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Oh the decisions-

There are so many new, innovative baby products to consider and granted most of them are definitely not a must-have, yet they seem so fun and practical.

Clay and I decided that we wanted a car seat that would hold a baby for a long time and we liked the safety reviews on a car seat that held an infant up to 40 lbs or so. So with that meant we were not going to have the infant car seat that would snap in and out to carry Lola to and from places. So it has sparked our interest (particularly mine) in different baby carriers. We have an amazing stroller so we don't need it to take the place of a stroller! We thought a carrier would be good for grocery store trips, running errands, and being more mobile and hands free around the house. I also thought it would be nice at the lake house and on trips. There is a lot of research that backs these wraps and slings up.

No making fun mom, but, yes, I have read all about them and I think I have narrowed it down to these two. :) (My mom loves to make fun of how I read about everything! I always have been a questioner and like to know the why's of life.)


Here is the Moby Wrap. It's obviously a wrap which takes a little more time to put on, but it doesn't really seem tricky and I am sure it doesn't take too long to fiddle with once you get the hang of it. I didn't think I would love this one, but based off reviews I think it is one of the most popularly liked one. I do like that it comes in several colors and you can carry the baby in several positions. I also like that the baby's weight is distributed evenly across your back, shoulders, and hips because with my scoliosis, I tend to have back pain. I like the turquoise color which shocks me! I wanted black, but wearing that during the summer seems to hot. The turquoise one has a UV protection in the fabric which I like. What turns me off about this carrier is all the fabric. It seems like a lot of fabric on your body and from the back looks almost like a shirt. I bet it's pretty cute on someone tall, but being so short I feel like I may look like a bundle of fabric. The good thing about all the fabric is one size fits all. I can always adjust it to fit me.



Second option is a Reversible Hotslings Baby Carrier. It's a sling or pouch and seems easy to wear. I have tried this one on and it seems comfortable. I liked the feel of the fabric and I liked this particular pattern. I wonder if I will like the baby laying in it though? They say this one is great for babies and toddlers. The picture shows a toddler, but I have seen several pictures of the wrap with a baby in it as well. Of course the baby is laying down. Also, the wrap adjust and fits every body style and the pouch does not. It is by size and I was surprised that I needed such a big one. I am a size 4 (different than clothing sizes!) or large in the pouch, which I thought I would be a small, but the small was really small on! I can't decide if that is good or bad that it doesn't adjust.

I have read several reviews and they seem very positive on both. A lot of websites picked the Moby Wrap as their favorites, yet the Hotslings carrier was picked quite a bit too. I think it may just come down to liking a wrap or a pouch and I guess I won't know which one I like more unless I have tried them both. I might just cross my fingers and choose one. And just to let ya know, the prices are almost the same... five dollar difference, the Moby Wrap being the least expensive. I want to put a poll on my blog and see what everyone else thinks. All four of my readers probably! LOL!

4 comments:

Ginni said...

I love the wraps, they seem very convenient. I wish I could give you a selection based on experience, so this probably won't help but...I like the wrap. The wrap looks like you would feel like the baby is more secured (and you could be more active). The sling looks better if the kid is older, but I don't think you are going to want to carry around a big kid like that. ha ha that is my opinion. I like the idea of a poll for this one!

The McCoys said...

Natalie,

I've been checking your blog lately to see if you have had baby Schwartz and still no baby, but I thought I would weigh in on my experience with baby slings/wraps. When I had Dylan I LOVED the sling. It doesn't look like it would be super secure, but it really is. And it took me some getting used to...but I used it all the time. It was really easy to get on, which really for me was one of the most important things. The wrap things look complicated, and trying to put it on by yourself looks near impossible. If Clay were at work and you were trying to hold her and put that thing on...well you see where I'm going. But on the other hand for your scoliosis the even weight distribution would also be a factor.

Sorry this turned out so long, I just thought I'd give my experience! I hope you're ready for this journey, it truly is the best thing you will ever do!

~Laura~ said...

oh girl! I can not imagine being in a swimsuit that soon afterwards! Although that is good motivation!! I had a pretty rough delivery (3 hours of pushing!! tearing and cutting!) so I was not in the best shape for working out for a while! Hopefully yours is QUICK and painless!! :) By the way, you look great for 8 months prego! Enjoy every minute (even the ones that suck) because you will miss it! I tell my friends that I wish I could be pregnant again for a while but just not have the kid! haha!

Debbie said...

Well, they didn't have these when Clay was baby but it seems like the sling would be much easier to use. It's get's my vote!