Our first sling was a Close Carrier*. I dithered constantly in the last few months of pregnancy...there were such lovely options out there, but they all seemed so expensive and frankly, the 'sling lingo' was confusing for a total newbie. DH was keen on a mainstream carrier, and the general advice from friends had been 'don't spend too much as babies get too heavy to carry after a few months'. However, I asked for advice from my ever-trusted friends in my Ravelry due date group, many of whom are experienced and enthusiastic babywearers, and was given a few very helpful suggestions, one of which was a Close Carrier. As luck would have it, a friend of mine was happy to lend me hers, so the deal was done for our first baby carrier.
The Close is a carrier constructed from a similar soft, stretchy, cotton jersey type fabric to the very popular Moby wraps. However, rather than having to learn the wrap carries, it is constructed in a way like two ring slings which cross over (with the rings at each hip), sewn at the point where the two slings cross over at the back. Once baby is seated in the front 'X', there is an additional straight wrap section which you can tie around the baby and you for extra support. It's hard to explain without showing you a flat photo and unfortunately I don't have any of my own! However, here is a link to a video which shows pretty clearly how it works: Kiddicare Close Caboo Carrier video.
A great aspect of this construction, particularly with an autumn/winter baby, is that it could be put on without long tails dangling into puddles or mud at your feet, something much appreciated with our love of taking countryside walks. The extra wrap section can be turned into a bag for carrying the whole sling in, which is also extremely useful. They cost around £50 new but can be picked up preloved for around £30.
Initially I found it slightly tricky to get in to - I would end up tangled in the wrong parts of the sling, or get the fabric twisted and then find it hard to adjust. However after a few weeks it because easier and most importantly, A seemed to really enjoy travelling in it. After one disastrous outing in the early weeks with our enormous pram (which was like steering a battleship round the local corner shop), I could tell I was going to carry A one way or another much more than I had previously anticipated. It enabled me to go back to working part time in our shop with her nestled in the sling, to go on woodland walks and trips to the shops, all with her poking her tiny little newborn head out and taking in the world around her (she didn't do much sleeping when carried in those days...).
I don't have many photos of us using it, because...well, we were at that new parent stage where every waking moment of your newborn is captured on camera, but you avoid having pictures taken of you yourself at all costs because the sleepless nights have somewhat taken a toll on your appearance! But here is A tucked up asleep in it on a walk in the woods.
As the months went on, my little (well, not so little at 8lbs 12oz) newborn got bigger, heavier and feistier and at around 3 months it became apparent that the Close Carrier was not going to last us much longer - she would start sagging down after I wore her for a little while, she would get frustrated with the volume of warm cotton jersey around her and start screeching and arching out. Despite it being February it was one of the warmest winters on record and combined with the fact that both her and my natural body thermostats are set to 'furnace' it simply felt too hot for her to be swaddled up in there.
After a particularly frustrating walk on Dartmoor where I ended up carrying her in arms most of the way our time with a stretchy carrier came to an end and the sling was packed away ready to make it's way to a mutual friend. At the time I felt a little disappointed that it had lasted us so little time. However, in retrospect I now know that, particularly with bigger (and warmer) babies, stretchy carriers don't have the longest life span, and I think it really did do the job very well. I guess this was our 'gateway carrier' - and a pretty great one at that.
*I believe these have since been rebranded as Close Caboo
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