Parents of Invention Ultimate Baby Wrap- Black

I love this wrap and so does my son...eventually. After watching the DVD, I struggled to get my son in it, we finally figured it out. When he goes into the wrap there is a period of crying and screaming, but then when I start walking around in it, he falls asleep within minutes. I use it when he's colicky, when I want to make a cup of tea or check my e-mail. I prefer this to my Snugli because when I go for my daily 45 min walk with my son, my back doesn't hurt as it does with the Snugli.

One drawback is that when my son goes to sleep, it's not as easy to extricate him from the wrap as it is with the Snugli. Sometimes he wakes up and I have to lull him back to sleep in my arms. But for doing "stuff", I would choose this wrap over my Snugli.Parents of Invention Ultimate Baby Wrap- Black

This is one of those products that hospitals should give away to new parents. Works well and is comfortable to wear. Mobile parenting.

If you have a newborn baby who can't hold his or her head up yet, this is NOT a good choice for a carrier (even if you try to "tuck" his or her head to one side behind the fabric, it inevitably shifts, and there goes baby's head!). A better choice for newborns is the BABY BJORN carrier - it fully supports them, and keeps them close to your body and therefore feeling more secure for them. Also, if you don't have 20 minutes (ok, an exaggeration...) to put this on (wrapping it this way, that way, up and over, etc.), DON'T BOTHER. The only positive thing I can say is that it is more comfortable than the Baby Bjorn (because it's softer).

I've been using a typical carrier for a long time, but it's always weighed hard on my shoulders. Lately, I cannot get my 12-month-old out of it without shaking her out! It's just too small. So, seeing that this product claims it'll fit a kid up to 4 years old I decided to give it a try (I do use a stroller as well, but in the mornings I like to walk the dog, and need my hands free). The negatives: the carrier is made of A LOT of material, and putting it on takes some getting used to. But the postives are that it will definitely continue to carry her for years, and it spreads the weight very naturally to my hips instead of my shoulders, making it SO much more comfortable. I can see carrying her in this to a lot of places! It comes with a DVD too (which, incidentally, my baby enjoyed watching! LOL) to really aid you in putting it on. I think it's a pretty great invention, and I am more pleased than I expected to be.

This was my very first baby sling/wrap when I had my first son (he is now 2). The price was reasonable, and it had great reviews. This wrap is useful, for the most part very comfortable (though reviewers who say that it is hot are absolutely correct), and easy to learn to wrap (especially since there is only ONE way suggested to wrap it, regardless of which carrying position you use). I used this wrap quite a lot as it was snug and comfy for my son from day one and more comfortable for me than a baby bjorn. I too had a baby who NEVER wanted to be put down (which continued through about 18 mos of age), and it was a handy thing to have around.

That said, there are MUCH better wraps out there, as I discovered once I started exploring my options more. Woven wraps, in my opinion, are far better than stretchy wraps as they are wider and hold a baby more securely, don't stretch and therefore there's no eventual "drooping" or winding up with a heavy infant practically dangling to your knees (no matter how tightly I tied this, after a few hours it would sag and have to be retied--a pain when you're out and about). There are more tying options with a woven wrap (a steeper learning curve, but once you learn a couple of favorites it becomes second nature), and woven wraps are cooler (temperature-wise). Three months after my son was born I bought a Storchenwiege wrap, which was expensive, but it soon was the only baby carrier I would use, while he "Ultimate" gathered dust in the closet. I used the Storch wrap up until my son was almost two, and rarely wanted to be carried anymore.

Any wrap can be cumbersome to wear and tie, however. Those who have talked about trying to tie it in a parking lot, etc. are correct that it can be hard to handle such a long piece of fabric without it dragging on the ground, etc. The solution to this? Tie it on yourself at home, and just pop baby in when you get where you're going. Those who have said that nursing can be difficult (as the wrap is tied around your waist) are also correct. The only remedy I found for this was to use nursing shirts with an "empire" or cross-over opening (see motherwear.com or motherhood maternity for handy nursing shirts) so that I didn't have to hitch my shirt up--but those shirts are really, really handy to have for discreet nursing with or without a sling.

So, to sum up this product:

PROS:
-price
-ease of use for a beginner
-stretchy CAN be a good thing to snuggle a very tiny baby, or even to pull baby over and position for nursing a little more easily
-definitely comfier than a bjorn as it distributes weight much better than narrow shoulder straps

CONS:
-stretchy fabric means baby can start to sag after a while--and I can't imagine trying to support a toddler
-personally, I don't think that the fabric is wide enough to support a cradling baby securely
-definitley hot to wear in warm weather--for you AND baby
-I would argue that there's not as much versatility as advertised; the best way to carry a baby in this wrap is tummy-to-tummy, or forward-facing, and carrying a heavy child would be a joke as the fabric just stretches too much
-because it's a long strip of fabric, it can take a bit to wrap it around and tie--so think ahead before outings and ask yourself if you'll be dragging the fabric on the ground, or more importantly if there will be anywhere to set your baby down while you tie it! The main plus to a bjorn is that it's easy to put on, no dragging straps, and you can maneuver yourself into it without setting baby down.

So if you're a newbie to "baby wearing" I think that this wrap is worth the money to see if you even like using it (why spend $100+ to find out it just doesn't work for you?}, but you may find yourself wanting to invest in a better wrap later. I am pregnant with my second child and I will probably use the "ultimate" wrap a bit, at least as an alternate, while my baby is small--but the Storch wrap is my go-to, as is a ring sling.

Additionally, to those of you new to nursing--definitely invest in a few nursing shirts, particularly if you want to wear your baby. Whether using a bjorn, sling, wrap, or whatever they are handy to have for nursing on the go.