Baby Body Carrier

There are a lot of Baby Carriers in the market. I can only give reviews for two of them because they are the only ones I have tried. The “Ring Sling” Baby Carrier and the “Mei Tai” Baby Carrier.

Ring Sling: By the name itself, this kind of baby carrier consists of a long rectangular cloth that has two rings sewn on one end of the cloth. The rings are placed on one side of the shoulder and the cloth is wrapped around the opposite hip and the end is threaded through the rings to create a buckle effect.  A pocket is then created where the baby is placed. The sling can be adjusted by pulling more fabric through the rings to loosen or tighten it.

Mei Tai: This style of carrier is Asian inspired. There are no rings or buckles involved. The Mei Tai is all cloth with a rectangular panel with long shoulder and waist straps. The straps are padded which gives the wearer comfort. Adjustment is easy because you just tie the straps according to your size. Baby can be worn face front, hip-carry and at the back.

When I tried the ring sling, my baby was fussy and I had a hard time putting him in and adjusting the sling. I felt very uncomfortable using the ring sling. My shoulders also hurt because there was no cushion on my shoulder and most of the weight is on one side of the shoulders only.  I wanted to use the ring sling because it can help me nurse in public discreetly while walking hands free. However, after a few attempts, I just gave up and searched for other baby carriers in the market.

I found the Mei Tai baby carrier and decided to try it out. I found it much easier to use compared with the ring sling. I would just tie the rectangular panel to my waist and put my baby. I then lift the panel over my baby and cross the shoulder straps to my back and tie it. It is also easy to adjust. It is also more comfortable because the shoulder straps are padded and the weight of the baby is evenly distributed to both my shoulders. One negative thing about it is that the straps are too long and I usually need an assistant to hold the straps for me to avoid touching the floor. My baby is so comfortable in the carrier. I can go anywhere and have him near me hands free. It’s hard to nurse in it though because his head is above my breasts unlike the ring sling where in the baby can be carried in the cradle position. With the Mei Tai, the baby can be only carried three ways: face-front carry, hip-carry and back carry. The ring slings have more positions in carrying the baby.

I prefer the Mei Tai baby carrier because it is easier to use especially for first time moms like me who is not used to baby wearing.