Scarf or baby carrier - which is better?

When an expectant or new mom decides to carry her baby, the first thing she starts thinking about is whether to get a sling or a carrier. But the answer is not that simple, because every mom is different. It also depends on how often she will carry, whether someone else will carry too, whether she only wants to carry for walking the dog, and many other criteria. So which is better?

The pros and cons of a sling

When you say sling, a lot of moms start to panic, because they are already dreading the complicated tie they will have to learn. But it’s not rocket science, it just takes a bit of practice. It’s ideal if someone shows you how to tie it and gives you a few tricks.

A sling is clearly more suitable for newborns and premature babies. It adapts beautifully to both mom and baby. Nothing presses anywhere, nothing pulls, and there’s no need to adjust anything in a complicated way. At the beginning, learning to tie a sling correctly is more demanding, but after a few days you’ll be more confident and it will go smoothly. Getting a sling is also a cheaper option (of course, unless you plan to buy a handwoven sling, which can cost tens of thousands), because it will last you for almost the entire carrying period. If you don’t have a smaller child, a more supportive sling will also come in handy later. Another advantage of a sling is that you can carry twins in it, or carry an older and younger child in tandem, one on your back and one on your belly. 

As soon as you become an experienced babywearer, you’ll definitely be tempted to carry on your back, and for this kind of carrying slings are clearly much better than carriers. They let you position the baby beautifully so it can peek over your shoulder and be happy with the view, which is not very easy to achieve in a carrier. 

If we leave aside the initial downside of the complicated tie, then one disadvantage of wrapping in a sling is the possibility of getting it dirty outside and the more complicated wrapping while out and about. You have to put the child somewhere, get the sling ready on yourself, and because it is several meters long, the ends can quickly get dirty outside. However, if you fall in love with slings, this won’t even feel like a disadvantage, and you’ll treat the sling as a fashion accessory, so you definitely won’t stop at just one. And of course, one tie won’t be enough either, and you’ll want to learn more. A second disadvantage may be the more complicated breastfeeding in a sling, because you need to know what to loosen so the baby can get to the breast and nurse comfortably, and if the baby falls asleep, you have to tighten the wrap again, which is more complicated than with a carrier.

The pros and cons of a carrier

At first glance, a carrier may seem better than a sling, because you can put the baby in much faster and it’s basically like a backpack worn the other way around. However, even then, the carrier needs to be adjusted first, and since the child is still growing, it has to be readjusted often. Choosing one is also more demanding, because there are different degrees of firmness in the waist belt, different adjustment methods (Velcro, snaps, strings, straps), different materials, and therefore it is not so easy to choose a carrier.

The advantage is therefore clearly speed and ease of handling, because when you take the baby out, the carrier still stays around your waist, so you can quickly use it again at any time without putting the child down. For this reason, moms often have a sling at home and a carrier for outside. 

Breastfeeding in it is also easier; just loosen a few straps and access to the breast is practically immediate. If the baby falls asleep during breastfeeding, you simply tighten everything again quickly.

If you want or need someone else to carry instead of you, then a carrier is definitely easier, because dad, grandma, sister, anyone who will be carrying does not have to learn a tie, they just adjust the carrier to their body. 

If you wanted to carry in a carrier from birth, you would need to buy one designed for that purpose, but it will only last for a few months and then you have to get a larger size. If you want to carry an older child too, you need to buy a toddler carrier. For this reason, the financial costs of babywearing are significantly higher than with a sling. That’s why moms usually buy a sling first and carry mostly at home during the first months, and later buy a carrier and carry outside too, because they feel more confident. 

One compromise between a sling and a carrier can be a full-wrap carrier, which has no buckles, so it is less bulky and looks softer, more like a sling. It adapts better to both the baby and the wearer and is not as complicated to tie as a sling. 

So what should you get?

There is no clear answer. Ideally, you should have the chance to try both the sling and the carrier and decide based on that what suits you better. However you decide, your baby will love being on your chest. As soon as it hears your heartbeat, it will be calmer, and you’ll be able to smell its little head whenever you want, which will give you energy and improve your mood too.