of your own body. So you want to make sure that whatever carrier you select supports

your needs and your baby’s needs. So with that in mind here are five tips on buying

a baby carrier. The number one tip I want to give you guys is to get help. You really

want to look at a range of products and talk to someone who knows a lot about these different

carriers, how they work and how they should fit for you. Try something like Babywearing

International, or there’s a great company, metrominis.com. They loan me these carriers

for these videos and were incredibly knowledgeable about them. That will really help you in your

decision-making. Second thing: make sure that your carrier safely positions your baby. That

means that your baby is high and tight. You want to think of a pair of seventies jeans.

And there are certain safety rules when it comes to carrying your baby in the carrier

that I walk through in my videos on carriers. So check those out. When your baby’s tight,

she’s secure. And actually the majority of times when a mom and dad is wondering how

her carrier is fitting, it won’t be tight enough. Okay? There are rules about how the

baby’s knees and baby’s bum should be positioned. So you want to be aware of those.

You want to make sure the chin of the baby is off the chest. And all of that is part

of the baby being high and tight. Okay. Point number three: you want to analyze your own

needs and make sure that the carrier you choose supports your needs. Do you have other kids?

Are you in and out of the car a lot? In which case a portable carrier where you can pop

the baby in and out might be ideal, something like a ring sling. Do you travel a lot in

airports? Do you have a partner who will want to share the carrier with you? In which case

you want a carrier that’s going to support a range of body types. And you’re not going

to want to have to adjust the carrier too much. That’s like having to always pull down that toilet

seat, and we all know what that is like. How long do you think you might wear your carrier

for? Some carriers are more for newborns, such as stretchy wraps, whereas something

like a Beco Gemini or Soleil or a Mei Tai can take you through the toddler years. And

finally, how hot is it where you live? What is the climate like? Some carriers can be

hotter than others. Okay. A couple tips on when you first try on your baby carrier: make

sure your baby is well rested and well fed. Babies might tend to really cry early on when

in, when they’re put in a carrier, because it’s just new and different for them. But

don’t give up! This is a little bit like nursing. Your baby’s going to get used to

it, and you’re going to get used to it too. And as you get more confident, your baby will

feel that confidence in you and they will be more comfortable in their carrier. So make

sure your baby is well rested and well fed. And finally, in winter whereas your carrier

is going to fit nice and snugly for your baby, you’re going to want to have your coat be

a little looser to accommodate the baby underneath. So whereas you get nice and snug fit for the

baby, buy big for yourself. So those are just some tips on buying a baby carrier. We have

a whole slew of videos coming out here on Cloudmom.com about baby carriers. Please weigh

in with your experience with baby carriers and babywearing. And thank you so, so much

for watching Cloudmom.