A New Carrier for Maddy

Maddy has grown out of the cradle carry of her pouch sling. I can hardly stuff her chunky legs in it anymore and I think it must be uncomfortable for her too. While there are other carrying positions that I can put her into (tummy-to-tummy, kangaroo..) she is still a little small to fit properly in those positions. Besides, her increasing weight is putting some strain on my shoulder with the pouch. So I went in search of a new carrier for her – in baby shops and of course the wonderful wide web. Where we are, baby shops here do not stock many choices and there are almost certainly overpriced. So I started to dedicate some time into researching online for it. There is so much science into choosing a baby carrier it will blow the mind of the new inexperienced mother away. And then, there’s the vocabulary! I wished they had included babywearing 101 as a chapter in the pregnancy books.

Maddy started out being carried in a pouch. I had purchased it out of desperation during her early weeks when she had wanted to be carried around all the time and my arms were killing me! Then we started bringing her out shopping in it and found that it was fabulous! No manouvering through crowded aisles with the stroller and having to search for a lift to bring the stroller up and down different floors..simply fabulous!

So cozy in her pouch!

Anyway, time for an upgrade. Traditional carriers sold at most, if not all, baby shops are probably the most popular so-called crotch carriers. They have a hard padded body and so easy to put baby in and take them out. A very well-known brand would be the Baby Bjorn type. While I am sure Bjorn had perfected their design to be very baby-friendly, I am still reading lots of reviews on how bad it is for your baby to be dangling and supported by his/her crotch. The right way to carry a baby supposedly should be with baby’s bum supported in a natural sitting position for a healthy development of baby’s spine and hips…didn’t I mention there is so much science in this? On top of that, I didn’t really fancy the hard padded body – hot for Maddy and might be a pain to store away during travelling.

But I still wanted a carrier that has some sort of a body for baby to sit in and with buckles so I can pre-adjust and just click the straps the on whenever in use. I tried a ringsling before and am totally hopeless at adjusting it (it is up for sale by the way if anyone is interested..almost brand new, never used).

And that was how I stumbled upon soft structured carriers (also known as SSCs) and it was love at first sight!! A SSC looks something like this:

Photo from Beco Baby Carrier website

It has a body panel usually made of very sturdy breatheable cool cotton and adjustable straps that click into place. Baby sits on his/her bum while being carried with legs straddling the parent/person’s body. Kinda like how they would be if being carried by hand, don’t you think? The body of the carrier can be not padded or lightly padded depending on brands but as it is made of soft fabric, easily rolled up and stored. And the best part? Sooooo many prints one can mix and match with the body!!! Check out the brands below for yummy drool-worthy fabrics on SSCs…

AngelPack: http://www.angelpack.com/

Ergo: http://www.ergobabycarrier.com/

Beco: http://www.becobabycarrier.com/

Littlepods: http://www.littlepods.com/

JumpSac Baby: http://jumpsacbaby.com/

SSCs are fast becoming the modern mommy’s must-have ‘accessory’ and they are so functional too!! I bought my first SSC from Littlepods to try it out and never looked back since! Maddy and I were at the immigration office for four whole hours one day and she sat very quietly in the SSC while I went up and down different floors to get her passport and visa done. Now if I had brought her stroller I would’ve gone insane trying to cross the street (this isn’t a very stroller friendly place) and manage the stroller in a crowded government office. And Maddy usually won’t sit in there for more than an hour let alone FOUR!!

Maddy in her Littlepods SSC

The Littlepods SSC is great, but I need something with more support (waist support and slightly padded body panel) for shopping trips and travelling. We will still use the Littlepods for marketing, grocery shopping and afternoon strolls by the beach. So have decided on a SNUGGbaby SSC with a great cutesy print for Maddy. Have placed my order and waiting ever so impatiently for it to arrive on our doorstep!