NOT WHAT TO WEAR BUT HOW TO WEAR

There are so many wonderful ways to keep your little one with you at all times. It can be beyond helpful when you are trying to get things done around the house, soothe your little one or chase an older one around the playground.

One such method is what I call the traditional sling. These are usually referred to as a pouch sling. This is the method I used the most before my little one became Miss Independent. One nice thing about the sling is it grows with your child. When you have a newborn they can lay down in the sling and be all cozy. As they grow you can move your child into an upright position and eventually carry them on your hip. I would highly recommend an adjustable sling. Reason being as you go through the postpartum stages, your body will change and need a different size sling. Hotslings does make an adjustable one which I really like. There are also ring slings that are adjustable. Such examples are Zolowear and Maya Wrap.

There are also wraps. Before I dive into this section I must confuse I don't have much knowledge about them. Most wraps use your whole upper body to carry the weight of the baby. This is easier on your back and shoulders. Also, the baby is held extremely close to your body, which helps comfort a fussy one. Examples of these are Moby Wrap and K'Tan.

Lastly I will discuss baby carriers. From experience this are very helpful if you and your family are outdoor lovers or if you have older children you might need to chase around the playground. There are many different types of carriers and they are come in all different prices. If you plan on taking long hikes with your little one, you might want to look into Sport ErgoBaby or even Kelty. You are going to want a carrier with a lower strap that goes around your waist, plus comfortable shoulder straps. If you are looking for something for the playground there is everything from Baby Bjorn, which I personally think is overprices, to Snugli. Some other ones to check out are Mei Tai and the original ErgoBaby.

Personally, start with a sling. If you really think you are going to use it then look into a carrier. Keep in mind that you also have a stroller to tote your little one around in and once they learn to walk, forget about keeping them under wraps.

Ahhh the stroller. It is your child's first vehicle. So do you get the Geo Metro like you got at 16 or the Rolls-Royce like you wish you had?

Before even deciding on which brand to buy you need to decide on which kind you want.

Full Size Strollers/Travel System Strollers

These would be your Graco® Baby Quattro or your Chicco® Cortina Travel System. They tend to come with a full size stroller and then a baby carrier/car seat that snaps into the seat of the stroller. These are very nice if you do not have a baby carrier. However, you do need to ask yourself if you need a full size stroller. Through modern marvels they have made these strollers easier to collapse and lighter. However, they can still be bulky, heavy and hard to load in and out of your car. So, ask yourself if you are going to want to push and maneuver a full size stroller around a store with narrow aisles?

Mid Size Strollers/LightWeight Strollers

Some examples under this category are the Peg Perego® Aria and Graco® Lite Rider. These strollers usually do not come with a baby carrier/car seat but one can be snapped into the seat. Strollers such as these tend to be easier to maneuver, easier to collapse and easier to load in and out of car. Since they are lighter weight, you will not have bulging biceps from pushing it around the zoo. If you are looking for a stroller with a lot padding to keep your little one cushy and cozy, you might have a hard time find it with the smaller strollers.

Umbrella Strollers

You can't get any lighter then these. They range from the price of $300, i'coo® Pluto, to $15 for the Cosco® Umbrella Strollers. These strollers are very easy to load in and out of your car and can even fit in the back seat. However, you will get very little, if any, padding and there will be no storage underneath. Since these strollers don't have the shocks and all the other gadgets other strollers have, one might find them more difficult to maneuver. Umbrella strollers work better for older children.

We did not buy a full size stroller. When our little one was a newborn we just used the Graco® Snap and Ride. $60, lightweight, easy to fold and lift while recovering from a c-section. Now we use the Peg Perego® Aria, which I love. I do not regret the lack of a full size stroller and know if I had bought one I would hardly use it.

There will be a separate post on Jogging Strollers. (I LOVE MINE)