All through the ages there has been some form of baby slings that have been used to carry the baby tied to the body of the baby carer. The baby sling is basically a piece of cloth. Pouch sling is the most simplest of all slings. It is just a piece of cloth with a pouch that is sewn into shape. Rings, buckles, clips, zippers and snaps are used to adjust the size and shape of the pouch. The pouch is then slipped through the head as well as the shoulder creating the seat for the child. The ring sling is also a piece of cloth sewn to two metal rings, usually made of aluminum. It forms a loop of cloth through which the head and an arm of the wearer is slipped forming a pocket in which the child is seated. Both infants and toddlers can be easily carried using the ring slings.
Wrap, wraparound slings or wraparound are long fabric that wraps the baby with the wearer securely when tied. The baby or the toddler is comfortably seated on the back, front or the hip according to the convenience of the wearer. Wraps are of two kinds. There is the stretchy and the woven. Jersey or interlock knits are used in the stretchy wrap. The baby can be easily carried in this making it more popular. The woven wrap makes use of woven natural fabric. A number of materials can be used such as wool, linen, silk and hemp though cotton is the most used. They are also attractive in their patterns and colors. A simpler form of wrap is the cloth used to tie the baby to the wearer with the cloth knotted at one end together making a slinging wrap. Almost all cultures have some form of wraps. The Chinese use a cloth almost square shaped with parallel unpadded straps from the corners and they call them mei tai. The Korean podaegi is almost the same except that the fabric is larger and rectangular in shape with a longer strap. Other variations are the parka or amauti of the Inuits, the Japanese onbuhimo, the Chinese bei beis and Hmong carriers.
Strollers which are like seats on wheels have become a popular baby carriage. There are a number of brands of strollers in the market such as Kolcraft Strollers, Chicco Trevi Strollers, Schwinn Strollers, Graco Strollers, Maclaren Strollers, Rock Star baby strollers, Stokke Strollers and Inglesina Strollers. If you want to get to know what users have to say about Chicco Trevi Stroller, then check out the Chicco Trevi Stroller review.
Strollers or the baby slings, these form part of baby care. The baby can be carried wherever the carer wants to go, be it work or travel.
Strollers come in various designs and models. The lightest and most compact stroller is the umbrella stroller. This stroller is convenient and easy to use. It is meant for older kids. There is no storage facility or sun canopy in this model making it lighter. Padding too is very little. Umbrella stroller is not only cheaper than other strollers, but also very practical. The stroller that is commonly used and favored is the standard stroller despite it being heavier. The seats are padded well. It has large compartments and sun canopy making it heavier. The reclining seats in most of the standard strollers make them useful to carry toddlers besides babies. The stroller comes with a number of accessories like rain covers and cold weather boots. Though costlier than other strollers, the standard strollers are offered in a wide range of price varying according to the features offered.
The travel system stroller includes a car seat along with the standard stroller. This comes in use when you are traveling with the child. Seating the child on the car seat while traveling in a car and removing and attaching the car seat to the stroller keeps the baby comfortable and undisturbed particularly while sleeping. This is particularly useful for infants who spend a lot of time sleeping. Jogging stroller is a new addition to the stroller. It has the features of a standard stroller but has three large wheels instead of four wheels. Its design is more compact. It takes a rough ground more easily making it easily maneuverable.
There are a variety of strollers for you to choose from. These include the Stoke Xplory stroller, Kolcraft Contours Options Tandem Stroller, Inglesina Stroller and Chicco C4 Trevi Stroller.
The high capacity strollers too are available in the market for carrying more than one baby in the strollers. As much as six babies can be carried at the same time in one stroller. The double stroller and the triple stroller however are the more common ones. There are two models available. One is where the children can be accommodated side by side and the other inline where the child is placed one behind the other. Though it is easier to maneuver the stroller with the children seated side by side, it also occupies more space making it difficult to squeeze through when the space available is smaller. The inline model on the other hand requires less space but more space for making turns.
Baby carrier has been designed to carry small child or infants as an on-the-body carrier. They come in different forms as soft front or hip carrier, backpack carrier and slings. These are made from different materials. There is the hip carriers, frame backpack carriers, mei tais, slings and many other forms of soft carriers for carrying older children. 58
The cradleboard is derived from the Native American baby carrier where the mothers carried the baby while working or traveling. The cradle is mounted on the back straps that are attached to the head or shoulder. It is hung on the travois or a saddle when traveling. Shredded bark, moss or lichens were used to cushion the baby on the cradleboard. They were woven from twigs that are flexible such as hazel and willow or cut from flat pieces of wood. The cradle board has flat surface. The child is kept secure and tightly wrapped with the head free to move.
Prams or perambulator has been in use for a long time from the Victorian era in the United Kingdom. The modern version has a detachable body called the carrycot. But prams are rarely used these days. They are also costly and bigger than the modern day baby carriers that are available in the market. People prefer the cheaper and comfortable strollers.
Stroller is also called buggy. It is used to carry kids up to three years. There are strollers that can carry two kids side by side or one behind the other. Triple strollers too are available with increase in triplets. A stroller looks like a chair or seat on wheels. The baby is held by a harness in the stroller to ensure that the baby does not fall off. There are many models of strollers with different features. These include the Stoke Xplory stroller, Kolcraft Contours Options Tandem Stroller, Inglesina Trip Stroller and Chicco C4 Trevi Stroller.
When choosing a stroller, you should check whether the stroller tips or wobbles. Check for sharp edges which can injure the baby. Make sure that plastic cover covers the screws. This is to make sure that the baby does not meddle with the screws and pull them out.