Will you need a baby carrier or sling?

>Absolutely, no doubt about it. The most memorable moments in the early weeks of LG has been my evening walks with him. He would hang like a kangaroo turning his head from left to right - back and forth - eager to see everything.

In the early weeks, I was too confused as to if I can place him in the carrier or not and would mostly take him for a short walk on my shoulders. The hesitation was because he couldn't hold his head straight. However, with a little practice I started placing him in the carrier by 8 weeks --the baby enjoys it as he loves to be cuddled and feel close. Unlike prams, carriers give this feeling while your hands are free. The weight of the baby isn't a lot until 4-5 months and you can easily walk around with a carrier.

The difference between the two is while a carrier is positioned upright with the baby's legs coming out of the leg holes, it doesn't give any room for nursing. With some slings, you can nurse the baby as well. In a carrier, a baby can be placed facing towards you or outside. I've noticed, LG enjoys it when he faces me.

From my experience, certain things you will need to take care of while buying one:

1. Remember you won't be able to carry your baby in a carrier or sling for too long as he grows old. LG is nearly 7 months old and with his weight, I get acute back pain if I carry him for 5 minutes. So after 5 months, pram or a stroller will be useful for walks. Between 2-5/6 months, carrier is the best.



2. Comfort comes first and cost while buying this one as any other baby item. Else you could end up spraining your back and that of the baby's. Check for proper cushioning for head and back for the baby.



3. The straps should be sturdy and well adjustable and not come in the way of baby's face.



4. My suggestion is try it out in the shop first. You should be able to put in and take out the baby yourself. I couldn't do that so I went to the shop again and asked the gentleman to demonstrate and adjust it so that I feel comfortable. Don't worry too much about it if you don't get it right the first time. It take a few practice sessions before you will be perfect. My suggestion is always put the baby and take the baby out of the carrier near a mattress so that if even by some chance the baby slipped out, he/she would do so on the bed.



5. The hands of the baby would go inside the strap..that's the way his body will come close to you.

A good baby carrier starts anywhere from Rs. 450. Mayawrap is cool.