So I was a bit of a babywearing nerd when DS was little...it was just so dang convenient, comfy, and enjoyable. It's one of the things that I miss now that he's pushing 50lbs and would rather be doing his own thing than cuddling with mom.

Any other babywearers out there? If so, what are/were your favourite carriers?

Our Heart 2 Heart sling was our workhorse carrier- quick to put on and take off, awesome to nurse in, overall super handy (that's what in my avitar pic). http://www.heart2heart.ca/

I tried a homemade wrap but it was a lot to put on and looked somewhat rediculous....that being said, next baby I will DEFFINITELY invest in a stretchy wrap for infancy- the handsfree/cudly/nursing factor would be awesome and the amound of in-arms time they need anyways would make putting it on totally worth your time.

The Ergo is awesome for walks and long distances. Didn't love it for nusring 'cause it sat rather high, but nothing beats an Ergo for back carrying (arguably). http://www.ergobabycarrier.com/

We had a mei tei too. I quickly learned that you get what you pay for in the land of mei teis. I was quick to retire my $40 one, but couldn't let go of my Mei Tei Baby- so comfy and with the interchangeable pannels it felt more like an accessory than a baby carrying device. Very comfy and diverse and worth every cent compared to a cheaper version. http://www.meitaibaby.com/

I had a lot of trouble figuring out slings when Alex was a baby - I wish I had something like Nurtured's sling workshops to go to at the time. It was like yet another learning curve, and I was hardly getting a chance to eat and shower, let alone figure out one of these contraptions! We had a heavily padded ring sling at the time - not sure the name, was in the UK anyhow - and he seemed to drown in it - plus he didn't want to held any way other than upright, so a ring sling when he was a newborn didn't work. We got a Baby Bjorn second hand and used that - it was fine, but not great. As he got older we got a Maya Wrap and really liked that once we got used to it:

http://www.mayawrap.com/

Again, a ring sling, and not good if you want to distribute weight over both shoulders (which has got to be a good thing!), but we liked it since he was never in it for long periods of times - he always wanted to be out and walking, or we had the stroller for longer periods of times.

I really like the look of the Ergo and mei tei - I know a couple of people with them who really like them. Would definitely consider one if we have a second!

I love ring slings. Once you get the hang of them, they are the fastest carrier for getting baby in and out. Also, if you're wearing a sling correctly, it shouldn't put a lot of strain on one shoulder. It should be good and tight, and sort of hug your body all over.

I have a Beco Butterfly. It's very similar to an Ergo, but it has a higher body, is less utilitarian looking, and unfortunately, more expensive. I love my Beco for back carries when I expect to be really busy with our older kids. It's my carrier of choice for theme parks and long walks.

I also got a baby wearing coat last winter, and it was well worth the money, though I've heard of moms having a lot of success with just buying an xlarge fleece jacket second hand and cutting a hole in the right place!

I didn't enjoy using a sling for the infancy period. We had a stretchy "cuddly" wrap which both my husband and I used. When she got a bit too heavy for that we got an ergo which we both used and still use on occassion especially for longer amounts of time or distances. For short everyday in and out trips a ring sling became indispensible from the age of 6 mths or so until 24 mths or so.

My favorite carrier type is the woven wraps. I have two a didymos and a girasol. I just loved the snuggly feeling of wearing them in a wrap. My husband put it in these words "It looks like you are wearing a big hug". I also love how high they are on your back - they see what you see - wheras in the ergo she only sees from side to side on my back not over my shoulder. Admittedly the wrapping requires a lot of cloth and a some learning but between youtube and friends and TBW (The Babywearer) website it wasn't too difficult.

At the time we lived in London, Ontario and there was a great group of babywearing moms who met monthly at the library and helped teach each other how to use carriers and shared carriers amongst each other for trial periods it was a great resource.