First of all, the people I see on my way to and from the post office are so nice. Just had to say that and send them another thank you...I wear Britches daily, but especially whenever we are running errands. I am recovering from a long illness, so I do not have the strength to schlep that giant and ridiculously heavy car seat everywhere. Britches is not a fan of sitting down anyway, so wearing her keeps the screaming at bay makes much more sense. I love the hands free option too. I don't know how I would manage carrying a package and dealing with a car seat or stroller.
Back to the post office. Every time I go to the post office, I have multiple people ask if I need help. Whether it is carrying her or my package, opening doors, juggling, etc. I always say "No thank you!" But it is very nice to have them offer. It renews my faith in people to have someone be courteous enough to actually offer help. It just doesn't happen as much as it should.
I don't think new moms quite understand the benefits of a good carrier, whether it be a stretchy wrap, woven wrap, soft-structured carrier, mei tai, ring sling, etc. They are so convenient, especially if you have older children running around. I love being able to hold Britches and give her cuddle time, and still be able to have my hands free to write blog posts! get things done.
I do have to admit, I cringe every time I see someone using a Bjorn or wearing a baby in an unsafe way. If you google Bjorn (or visit any babywearing board--they will happily educate you), you will see that they are horrible, no good, evil not the best choice for a baby's spine, stimulation level, or mom's back/shoulders. If you would like a good carrier, definitely check out The Babywearer, they have a swap board with amazing deals! Babycenter has a babywearing swap board too, that I have purchased many, many, many wraps from.
My current favorite carriers are my Dolcino Jamaica, Storchenwiege Anna, Didymos Lila shorty, and a Sweetpea Ring Sling. I have a few other wraps (I will not divulge how many wraps I have to Grizzly under any circumstances, including torture) and a Babyhawk mei tai too. I will go into more detail later, but here is the abridged version.
My first wrap was a stretchy wrap (Sleepywrap) and it was great! I had a ring sling with Tater, but wraps are a different beast. Britches was a preemie, so the stretchy was perfect to keep her close.
My first woven was a Dolcino, and it was an excellent choice. They are soft and squishy right out of the package. Used wraps are fantastic though. I would always prefer a broken in wrap to a new one. My favorite Dolcino is a 5.2 and long enough for every carry. She has major sleepydust too.
I tried several other wraps and then found Anna. I was in love with the first wrapping session. She molded perfectly.
I've had my ring sling for some time now. I did a lot of research before purchasing one. I needed something for quick trips, that I could nurse in, and with a comfy shoulder. I am happy with this one. It came up on a swap board and was so pretty, so I had to get it. I do like the Sweet pea shoulder, but might have to try a few others to be sure--wink.
Because I liked the ring sling and wraps so much, I became shorty curious. A shorty is simply a short wrap. The benefit is being able to do some basic wraps, but also being able to rebozo (basically what a ring sling does but with a slipknot). For me it is great! I still like my longer wraps if I am going to be carrying Britches for long periods of time, but Lila is so comfortable.
Beware, it is addicting. I am pretty content with my stash. I will be adding a couple more for summer months, and trading the ones I don't reach for anymore. That is the great thing about them, if it doesn't work for you, you can always trade.
Next up is an ultra affordable option, 60 flannel prefolds for $29.95. 50 cents a diaper! Unbelievable. Free shipping again too. I thought these were too good to be true when I ordered them, but they work! I live by the idea that you can never have enough prefolds, but this will get you close. I have used them with a snappi, folded in a cover, stuffed in pockets, as a soaker in all-in-2s. They are so useful. They are a made from a few layers of flannel and are fairly thin, so heavy wetters might need 2 diapers to be effective. A couple of mine frayed a bit on the edge, but it didn't change the effectiveness of the diaper. You can't beat this deal! Pair them with 4 diaper covers of your choice (econobums, thirsties, etc. can be found on Amazon too), and you are good to go. Here is the link: 
