My husband Jerome and I first considered babywearing when our baby was around 2 weeks old. It was at that time when I started to realize I need more hands than just two! ???? It was when I started wanting to do other things while carrying our baby girl Tala around. Mundane stuff like fold her clothes, fix her sleeping area, eat with two hands, go on a walk outside, and perhaps even go to the mall.
Jerome and I started researching and asking parent-friends. I was personally surprised and fascinated by the cultural background of babywearing which I read here. Oh, the nerd in me!????
We had our apprehensions of course—being first-time parents and first-time babywearers. Plus negative comments and advices from well-meaning people that it will lead to being “sakang” did not help. We read more and tried to educate ourselves more about babywearing. Articles led us to the conclusion that if done properly, babywearing is safe and truly has benefits both for parent and child. For safety tips, we referred to this page from the Babywearing International website .
So why baby wear? Our dear friend beautifully summarized her 5 reasons here, and well, I agree!
Having been convinced that babywearing is something we wanted to practice, our next question naturally was: what type of carrier should we use?
And so in this post, Jerome and I will share with you our experience with different types of carriers and though we are not babywearing experts, we hope to help you find the best kind of infant carrier for you.
SaYa
Type: Wrap Hybrid
Learning Curve: Steep
Price: Php 950.00
Where to Buy: SayaBaby
There was a time when Tala was still a newborn that I actually felt that I could not go anywhere without my baby. I wanted her to be literally with me all the time. And I am pretty sure my baby felt the same.
Our research on infant carriers suitable for newborns led us to try the SaYa, a Filipino brand that I was simply more than happy to support. Online sellers describe SaYa as a wrap-type hybrid sling infant carrier made up of two large pouches that are interlinked with each other.
The SaYa we got was made of semi-stretch knit which was 95% cotton and the material was very similar to a t-shirt fabric. This was a plus for me since it did not feel very hot on my body, considering my post-partum state and having the carrier and my baby so close to my skin.
Jeanette Un of Earth Baby resells SaYa in CDO. She helped me decide which size is best for me and she demonstrated how I can put Tala inside. We tried both having our baby’s feet inside and outside the carrier. It helped a lot that Tala was sleeping when we were trying it out for the first time as there wasn’t any crying or wriggling. It felt easy and I thought, “I can do this!”
But Jeanette warned me though that wearing the SaYa by myself has quite a steep learning curve. And she was right! At home, when I tried wearing Tala in the SaYa by myself, it became lot harder than I remembered! But YouTube is heaven-sent and I watched instructional videos until I got it right. Here is my favorite video on how to put baby in yakap position.
Pros:
- Comfortable, good back and shoulder support for mommy/daddy
- Good back, neck and leg support for baby
- Fabric is light and stretchy
- Handy enough to put inside mommy’s bag
- Can be used as a nursing cover
- Very affordable
Cons:
- Difficult to wear at first (but practice makes perfect! ????)
- One fixed size per wearer (so my husband and I could not share it which led us to try another carrier for him)
- No instructional manual or weight limit specifications in packaging
I love my SaYa and Tala was kept really snug in it and she slept well in it too. I wore Tala in it for quite some time at church, in our subdivision when I went for walks, and at the mall. I even used it during a talk I gave for Modern Nanays of Mindanao—a group of passionate, kind-hearted, driven mothers whose advocacies include breastfeeding, babywearing, and cloth-diapering.
P.S. I am a proud Modern Nanay too! ????
Infantino Sash Mei Tai Carrier
Type: Mei Tai / Meh Dais
Learning Curve: Steep
Price: Around Php 1,850.00 ($34.00 on Amazon)
Where to Buy: Amazon
Jerome can not wear my SaYa because it was too small for him. Fortunately, a good friend gave us The Infantino Sash Mei Tai carrier which her baby outgrew already. It was given to us without the packaging, so we referred to this video for instructions. It is made of sturdy cloth and comes in a beautiful black, white and gray pattern with no buckles and works just by tying it securely around the waist.
It felt comfortable when worn and Tala seemed to like being in it too. The wide seat made it easy to fix our baby’s legs in the recommended M-shape position.
Pros:
- Inside panels have specifications and instructions
- Wide shoulder padding for comfort of wearer
- Wide seat and good back and neck support for baby
- Can be adjusted and worn by different body types (I was able to use this carrier too!)
- Can be machine-washed
Cons:
- Long straps are difficult to secure without them touching the floor/ground (Jerome got the straps dirty trying to wear it in a parking lot)
- Bulky to carry around
Jerome was able to use this several times, and I used it a few times as well, but we found that this carrier was quite heavy to carry around. And so when we went on a trip out of town, we just brought the SaYa for me.
iAngel Rainbow Hipseat Carrier
Type: Buckle Carrier
Learning Curve: Easy
Price: PHP 10,277.00 as of April 2017
Where to Buy: Mothercare or Amazon
Tala was around two and a half months old when we went to Manila for the annual convention of the Philippine Pediatric Society. While I was attending the conference, Jerome used my SaYa carrier as an arm support (much like an arm sling) the first day because Tala would only calm down and sleep if Jerome would go up and down the stairs of PICC.
Jerome and Tala waited for me in the building’s clinic which served as the breastfeeding room as well, together with another dad and baby duo. This was around 6-8 minutes walk (I actually timed my half-walk-half-run travel) from the main plenary hall where I stayed most of the time for the lectures. That is far when you have a baby whose hunger cues would progress from mouth movements to panic-inducing cry in less than 5 minutes!
Anyway, our new dad and baby acquaintance looked really cozy in a fancy-looking carrier! And so, Jerome was inspired (compelled? ????) to look into what a hipseat carrier is. ????
After some research and trying it out at the store, we bought the I-Angel Rainbow Black Hipseat Carrier + Baby Carrier at Mothercare and it has been very useful for us ever since. It works 3-ways: as a soft-structured carrier (SSC), a hipseat carrier, or a hipseat by itself.
The soft parts of the carrier are made up of sturdy textile with some padded areas that can be machine-washed. The removable hipseat itself is made up of firm, durable, yet lightweight styrofoam-like material. It has functional straps with side-release buckles and the one that goes around the waist in hipseat-mode has an extra safety feature. A detachable printed cotton hood and a couple of organic cotton teething pads came with the entire purchase.
Pros:
- Can be worn in 3 ways depending on what your baby needs and is developmentally ready for
- Comfortable with good shoulder and back support for the wearer
- Full back support for a small baby
- Easy to adjust straps
- Easy to put baby in alone (for me, it was just like putting on a heavy backpack the other way, haha)
- Can be used by different wearers
Cons:
- Pricey (but for us is a very good investment)
- Seat was initially too wide for our baby when she was still small (we found a remedy to this by adding an adjustable strap as seen in the last photo above: also, see “minifyer” in Embrace SSC)
- Bulky to carry around when using it as a hipseat carrier
We love this carrier so much! I could almost say Tala grew in it, haha. From the time we bought it up until she was around 9-10 months old, we would wear her in the SSC facing us if we feel that she is tired, overstimulated or is ready to sleep. When she learned how to sit up with support, we would put her on the hipseat only facing forward or facing us, so that she can look around and see what we are seeing. Then when she was around 1 year old, we tried using the hipseat carrier and it works just as well. We are using our I-Angel until now! ????
Special reminder, forward-facing carry and the hipseat has age recommendations. Please study and do your research to find out when it is appropriate for your baby. ????
Cookiie Pie Co DOUBLE LAYER MUSLIN RING SLING
Type: Ring Sling
Learning Curve: Steep
Price: Around Php 1,650.00 ($31.00)
Where to Buy: Cookiie Pie Co
Not long after we started babywearing, a friend invited me to a babywearing testers group. I was happy to try other carriers in exchange of a product review. The following 4 carriers came from this group.
Tala was three and a half months when I tried the Muslin Ring Sling (RS). Online reviews said that ring slings are suitable for a newborn. I tried the front carry with my baby facing me.
I received the Muslin Ring Sling in good condition, already washed and ready for use. I found the color combination of light-blue and tan very attractive and calming. The fabric felt soft and light; it seemed breathable too.
It is my first time to use a ring sling and when I tried to wear my baby in it, I could not properly position her bum on the bottom layer of the cloth since I was not able to make a deep enough seat. I had to watch many videos on how to wear a ring sling before I got the hang of it since it did not have any instructional manual in the package. Also, most of the instructional videos that I watched used striped multi-colored/rainbow RS, that made adjustment seemed easier (e.g. pull on the inner red part to make the seat support tighter).
Tala kept crying whenever we tried to put her on the sling. I had difficulty adjusting the cloth too, because the fabric kept “slipping”, compared to the woven RS which seemed to stay in place better after being adjusted (see below). So with this RS, I felt the need to always support her bottom with one hand. Several times my baby placed her hand in the double rings and this may be a safety hazard. But after many TRIES and many CRIES (haha), we were able to wear it and walk around comfortably in it.
Pros:
- Soft and breathable fabric
- Light enough to be folded and carried around when not being used
- Color contrast of front and back guides user on which side to pull for adjusting
Cons:
- Challenging to be worn by a first-timer to baby-wearing (needs time and practice to learn to do it by myself)
- No neck support
- Fabric felt “slippery” and need to be adjusted every now and then
- Since this was a review product, there was no instructional manual included when I received it
Cookiie Pie Co HANDWOVEN RING SLING
Type: Ring Sling
Learning Curve: Steep
Price: Around Php 2,150.00 ($40.00)
Where to Buy: Cookiie Pie Co
I tried the Handwoven RS right after using the Muslin one. Again, I tried the front carry, with my baby facing me. I instantly loved the neutral color and simple pattern. The woven fabric felt nicely tight and strong, though a bit heavy compared to the Muslin RS.
By the time I tried this woven RS, I was already quite familiar with using an RS after practicing on the Muslin one. But the first time I tried to wear my baby on it, I still could not properly position her bum on the bottom layer of the cloth, it seemed uncomfortable to reach through and pull the bottom cloth and place it between me and my baby.
But of course, after several TRIES and CRIES (again! ???? ), we were able to wear it and walk around with ease. Compared to the Muslin RS, I was more confident with this RS because the cloth was stronger and seemed to hold my baby better. I did less adjusting once worn because the fabric did not slip.
Just a note, I believe wearing a baby in a ring sling is a skill. And it takes time to get used to this type of carrier compared to an SSC. The learning curve for a first-time user like me seems steep, but as with other skills, I know it will be easy and comfortable with time and practice. ????
Pros:
- Strong fabric that does not need repeated adjustments when worn
- Neutral color goes well with any outfit
- Can be folded and carried inside a bag when not in use
Cons:
- Challenging to be worn by a first-timer to baby-wearing (needs time and practice to learn to do it by myself)
- No neck support
- Fabric felt a little warm for the summer weather
- Since this was a review product, there was no instructional manual included when I received it
Cookiie Pie Co EMBRACE Soft Structured Carrier
Type: Buckle Carrier / Soft Structured Carrier (SSC)
Learning Curve: Easy
Price: Around Php 4,850.00 ($90.00)
Where to Buy: Cookiie Pie Co
I received the Embrace SSC in good condition, already washed and ready for use. It looked attractive, though personally I would not choose red/maroon because I prefer neutral colors or shades of blue.
The first time I tried to wear my baby on it, I could not properly position her legs in M-shape, as the seat seemed too wide for my baby such that her knees could not flex. It seemed awkward and uncomfortable compared to our other SSC.
Being a first-time mom and new to baby-wearing, I was not familiar with 2 parts which Kat (our testing group moderator) patiently helped me out with: the fabric attachment for newborns and the “minifyer”. I just removed the attachment for newborns since my baby is already 3.5 months old; it was easily detachable. Then Kat taught me to pull the minifyer which is an adjustable strap beneath the “seat” to create a narrower base. It worked so well! My baby’s bum sat comfortably on the carrier, with hips and knees flexed, and knees slightly higher than her bum. She actually fell asleep several times in this carrier.
My husband tried it too and it fits him as well. Our over-all experience with this SSC is good; we actually considered buying one. ????
Pros:
- Easy enough to be worn by a first-timer to baby-wearing
- Sturdy and comfortable
- Straps are easy to manage
- Pocket for the hood behind baby’s neck and sleeve/pocket for cellphone on the waist of the carrier are useful
Cons:
- Bulky to carry around when not being used
- Since this was a review product, there was no instructional manual included when I received it
Bebe Sachi Autumn Kantha Wrap
Type: Handwoven wrap
Learning Curve: Average
Price: Around Php 6,250.00 ($115.00)
Where to Buy: Bebe Sachi
I received the Bebe Sachi Autumn Kantha in good condition, smelling clean and ready for use. I really loved how it came with its own shoulder-bag plus a manual that contains information about the wrap, the makers, and different carries. This helped me a lot in being able to wear my baby in it correctly even if it is my first time to use this kind of wrap. I was actually surprised that this was easier to put on than a ring-sling.
The woven fabric initially felt very heavy for me, though nicely tight and strong when worn. And surprisingly, my baby and I did not feel as hot as I thought we would when we walked on the street babywearing. During our walk, the wrap gave my back full support and it felt comfortable. My baby seemed to like being in it as well.????
Pros:
- Strong fabric that does not need repeated adjustments when worn
- Neutral colors goes well with any outfit
- Has instructional manual and product information
Cons:
- Fabric may be a little warm for the summer weather
- May be challenging to put to the wrap on when outside since it is very long and the edges reach the ground
- Expensive
There you have it! We hope you find this helpful. We would love to hear from you, please drop us a comment below.
Babywearing is so beautiful and practical. <3 For more information and inspiration, let us all join and learn from the upcoming International Babywearing Week this October 1-9, 2018. As for here in CDO, we Kagay-anons are lucky that Modern Nanays Of Mindanao are hosting this worldwide event at Centrio Ayala Mall on October 6, Saturday. Follow this event through this link.
