Hi there everyone. Let's start a babywearing discussion thread in LYN and let me get the ball rolling.

1. An introduction babywearing

-What is babywearing?
Babywearing is an act of carrying your baby using a carrier/sling/wrap. It is part of attachment parenting. The most beneficial thing is that you are able to be close with your baby, which in turn will strengthen your bond and you can have your hands free to do other things.

Other benefits include:
-less fussy babies
-less crying and calmer babies
-help babies develop social skills faster by observing parents
-kids being more intuitive by being able to see at adults level
-easy access to non-stroller friendly areas
-portability and ease of storage
-breastfeeding while being carried

Since the beginning of Malaysian babywearers (non-profit organization catered to increasing babywearing awareness), Malaysia has seen more parents wearing their babies. Now it has become a norm and expected. We can see many types of babywearing gears being offered around Malaysia.

For a clearer understanding of what is babywearing, you can refer to Wikipedia

2. Types of babywearing gears

I like to group babywearing gears into 3 different categories.

a. Single piece of cloth (SPOC) - As what the name suggests, it includes pieces of cloth like wrap, kain-batik, shawl, pashmina, towel and even the highly specialize woven fabric. Pros: Very2 versatile (many ways to carry your baby), doesn't have to cost a thing (grab whatever sturdy piece of cloth to carry your baby) & worn correctly, it can be the most comfortable carrier. Cons: Certain carry/way to tie a cloth has a steep learning curve.

b. Sling - It includes pouch slings, ring slings and cloth that is tied to a sling. Pros: Packs small, quite versatile, easy to put on, comfortable for smaller babies or short trips. Cons: Because it is a single shoulder, it can be uncomfortable for a long period of time due to uneven weight distribution.

c. Two shouldered carrier - This includes the Mei Tai (Asian Inspired Carrier), Onbuhemo (Soft Structured Carrier), Buckle Tai & Podaegi. Pros: Better weight distribution, suitable for heavier babies and longer period of babywearing. Those that comes with buckle are very easy to put on. Usually it is made to be more supportive. Cons: Slightly bulky/can be bulky, carriers like Mei Tai, Onbu and Podaegi have long straps to deal with.

***All baby-wearing gears that are recommended by babywearing community are suitable for newborns well into toddlerhood and almost all carriers can be used to carry baby while breast feeding at the same time.

3. Why the babywearing community don't recommend Carriers like Babybjorn and such

These type of carriers are coined as "crotch carriers" or "crotch danglers". Baby is not seated in the carrier but instead they are hung by the crotch. Some studies shown that it gives a negative effect on babies' back bone development or in other words they are not seated ergonomically. Best seating position for a baby in a carrier lets them seat on their bums with the legs are in the "M" position. This explains why crotch carriers always have a age/weight limit wheareas babywearing gears that are recommended mostly can be used with babies at any age/weight. Baby carriers that are recommended are also better for the parents.

4. Resources/Sites to learn more about baby carriers

http://thebabywearers.org
http://malaysianbabywearers.org
http://thebabywearer.com
http://babywearinginternational.org
http://www.facebook.com/MalaysianBabywearers

The International Babywearing week this year is Oct 10 - 16th. Locally, its not decided yet how it will be celebrated. Usually there will be a babywearing walk and numbers of babywearing related contests by Malaysia babywearers.


5. LYN Babywearing members and their babywearing gears owned
1. Babyripp - Ellaroo, Vatanai, Bambaroo, SNUGGbaby, Didymos, Hotslings & etc....
2. phythia79 - ringsling
3. qarezma - SNUGGbaby

This post has been edited by Babyripp: Jul 25 2011, 02:59 PM

Most SSCs are great for 12kgs onwards. I agree with qarezma, it is best that you can try them out to see which is best for you. You can either visit Tiny Tapir outlets and try the local and imported brands, join Malaysia Babyweares Forum and see if anyone can loan you one to try (usually you must be an active member for a period of time), join one of their monthly meets, or you can personally contact local vendors and ask if you can borrow a carrier to try.

For <RM400, you have quite a good range to choose from. Local ones definitely snuggbaby and jumpsac, then also patapum, pikollo and ergo sport (i think)

Let us know how your hunt for SSC goes!