I have tried a lot of different baby carriers over the past 5 years that I've been a mom. With my first child, 5 years ago now, we found the best one that worked for us was the Over the Shoulder Baby Holder which is a sling type carrier. Then, when my baby daughter came along years later - the sling type carrier didn't work for us at all and of all things she preferred a very inexpensive front pack carrier from Infantino. Unfortunately she quickly outgrew that carrier and I needed to find something different. We found the Moby Wrap which is a stretchy wrap type of carrier and that worked well for a time too. When I needed something simpler and more structured to contain a growing heavier toddler who still likes to be held I turned to the Playtex Hip Hammock on the reccomendation of one of my good friends. The hip hammock has been an OK solution in a pinch but I found wearing it for any length to be "a pain in the neck", literally. So, when given the opportunity to try out a more upscale hip carrier called the Hip Baby from Walking Rock Farm I jumped at the chance.

She shall be named... Princess Hold Me.

My daughter is a real baby doll. Really she is. But, let me elaborate on that a little bit. You see, its all my fault. I'm of the belief that you can't hold and love on a baby too much. They are only small once, after all. When my daughter came along my older child was just turned 4 and a big boy who went to preschool and did all sorts of big boy things. Ah - to have a little baby around again, especially to have a baby girl. Well, that should pretty much sum it up for you right there. She gets everything she wants! When she wants up, she gets up. When she wants to explore - she explores. And when she wails, she gets picked up. And so, now you've come to understand why we call our daughter Princess Hold Me.


So she's a princess... but is she hip?

Enter the world of hip carriers. Our first introduction to a hip carrier was the Playtex Hip Hammock which I've also reviewed at: http://www.epinions.com/content_245422198404. Its not a bad carrier but its not my favorite either. As far as hip carriers go, I felt it was decent and it was certainly affordable at under $50. When given the opportunity to test the Hip Baby Carrier from Walking Rock Farm, I was truly hoping that it remedied the challenges that I had with the Hip Hammock carrier - largely that the shoulder strap was very uncomfortable and that it wasn't truly hands free. So, read on to find out if the Hip Baby met my needs.. and decide for yourself if it will meet yours!

About the Hip Baby Carrier

The Hip Baby is a carrier by Walking Rock Farm for babies from 6 months of age and up to 45 pounds. About this weight limit, I do have to wonder as technically I could put my 5 year old in this according to the limit. However, I don't think he would fit (he's a size 5), and I think it might just kill me! Now my 23 pound daughter - 20 months old.. may seem heavy to me but to me is certainly more reasonable to put into a hip carrier like this one.

The Hip Baby comes in quite a few fabrics with slight price variation. We have the Air Flow Leif version which is a nice neutral and attractive color of leaf green. The carrier has a special breathable shell and lining which will keep the baby comfy, and not too hot. This specific carrier sells for $84 plus shipping of $5.75 from the Walking Rock Farm catalog (you can order by calling a toll free number).

Sizing for the carrier comes in Small, Medium and Large and that is based off of the wearers dimensions, not the babies.

From their website at www.walkingrockfarm.com here's the sizing guide:


SIZES
Sizes are for waist or hip measurements in inches. The first size measurement is the belts smallest size. The second measurement is the belts largest size. For example, size medium adjust from 28 inches out to 54 inches but can not be made smaller than 28 inches or larger than 54 inches.

Small: 24 inches to 42 inches
Medium: 28 inches to 54 inches
Large: 34 inches to 58 inches




So, as you can see there is quite a bit of overlap in the sizes. Looking at the chart technically I could fit into all 3 of them. As it turns out I selected a large because my husband is very tall and I am short and busty with sadly, extra baby weight that I haven't lost yet. Well - as it turns out the medium may have been the better size for me but with lots of adjustments I found that I can make the large work for us. Which, brings me to adjustments..

Getting Started...

When I received my Hip Baby I was really excited to try it out. I was extrememly impressed by the way it was constructed and could see that it had way more padding than our Playtex hip hammock does. So I whipped out the single page of instructions and started trying it on. I pretty much knew how to put it on and use it from using my other hip carrier. I was the only one home at the time just me and my baby doll and she seemed curious about it. The directions stated to put the carrier on over my left hip, carrier facing downward and strap it on. I intuitively carry on my right so I put the carrier on my right and didn't have any problems with it being on the other side from what the directions stated. The first thing I needed to do was crank the waist strap all the way in. Since I got the large size it actually is as tight as it goes and this sits on my hips just below my natural waist. Sitting down I plopped my little girl on and then pulled the carrier strap up over my shoulder. It was too big so then I had to take it off and tighten up the front and back straps. This is where its a little tricky and having a second person would be needed if you wanted to adjust it while the child is in the carrier. It took me a lot of times to first get it adjusted and the pad located where I thought it should be so as to not be uncomfortable. The following adjustments need to be made:

1. adjust waist/hip belt (there are some loops on the strap to wrap around the extra length of strap (which in my case is a lot!)
2. adjust the pouch for the baby.. the "safe seat"
3. adjust the front & back length of the shoulder strap so that the padding is positioned properly and the non skid/grip pad is centered over your shoulder so the carrier securely holds your child. You want this tight, but not too tight where it will hurt you. At the same time, it needs to be tight so that your child is supported safely for a hands-free carry.

I do think that it would be nice if the adjustments were less, or able to be done by the wearer once the child is inside but thats not the case. Adjustments need to be done first or with the help of another person and can take quite a bit of figuring out til you've found the right settings for you and your child. The good news is that once my daughter and I found our settings we don't need to re-do them. Some carriers need to be adjusted each time you wear it, as when you remove your child it releases all the tension. This carrier can be taken off without messing all the settings up. However if my husband were to wear it then he'd need it set up differently and you see where this is going.... So far he's not worn it and my daughter doesn't seem to want him to put it on!

Wearing the Hip Baby
Ok, so now I've got it on and the baby in it - where do we go from there.

Well, initially my daughter was really sleepy and fussy and she cried about it but within 10 minutes she fell asleep. I had her in the carrier for almost an hour because once she was asleep I didn't want to disturb the peace. Success, I thought, right?

Hmm.. maybe not.

Later that night I tried to show my husband the carrier or have him try it out. When Princess Hold me saw it she told us "NO No NO!". So, she didnt want it. She outright refused it. Still I tried it and a few times when I put her in it she cried out "Helpie!" (her version of Help me!". I thought, hrm.. something must not be right here. So, I adjusted the pouch straps and made them just a tad bit looser. I am not sure if the elastic back was cutting into her, or if it is the part down by the legs/butt that was bugging her but it seems to have made a difference. I'm also just keeping in mind that my little one is just about 20 months old and very opinionated about what she wants and when (she gets that from someone..I'm sure!). With lots of things my daughter requires a period of adjustment and just now after about 2 weeks of steady use I feel we are getting used to things. Of course, tomorrow is a new day and things can and will change with the drop of a pin for her!

So, now after getting her to accept the carrier willingly and after wearing the Hip Baby a few times, I found that my back didn't hurt at all - though my neck did have a little bit of the tightness that I get when I wear our Playtex carrier (this was remedied later with proper adjustments made!). As for the claim to hands-free, I feel that the Hip Baby Carrier is WAY MORE hands free than the Playtex Hip Hammock - where I always feel that I must be holding onto my daughter with one arm. I think its instinctual for me to still want to hold onto my daughter while wearing it however this is no fault of the carrier (or me!). Also compared to the Hip Hammock, the higher back support that the pouch the Hip Baby offers seems safer and also does create a cozy nest of sorts - similar to the pouch in the OSTBH but without the bulk of the padded rail. The directions say to make sure you can slide a hand in between the elastic and your child - and I agree with this. Otherwise I think the elastic could be too tight on a little ones tender skin. The sides of the pouch can be adjusted to create a custom fit for your child and adjust for any bulk created from clothing, etc. The "safeseat" on this carrier is really quite cozy and I feel that my daughter is riding safely. Plus, the fabric doesn't make her too sweaty. I do feel a bit "hot" under it but no hotter nor sweatier than I'd get from carrying her around (and way more pleasant/less tiring than exhausting myself!)

Other reviewers mentioned, and according to the instructions - that you should seated when loading your child into the carrier. It is definitely easier to load and unload in a seated position. However, I'm always up for a challenge and can say that I did load my daughter in to the Hip Baby while I've been standing and done fine with it. One trip that we used the Hip Baby - and found it very convenient, was a trip to the local pumpkin farm. Princess Hold me had fallen asleep in the car and I was with my husband and 5 year old son. We were planning on taking a wagon ride out to a pumpkin patch where I knew that a stroller was just not going to cut it. On top of this, she was fast asleep. So I strapped the carrier around my waist and unloaded my daughter sleeping from the car. Holding onto her with one arm I pulled the carrier up and over with my free hand and then made a few minor adjustments (like to the back of her shirt and to pull my hair out from under the strap)and we were good to go. She woke up while on the wagon hayride but was content to ride in the carrier while we were out in the muddy field. My five year old took forever in selecting the perfect pumpkin(s) and so I was very thankful to have this carrier because otherwise my arms would have been exhausted from holding a squirming and heavy toddler who would have itched to get down into the field. In the Hip Baby she was content to ride and stay close to me - making for a very pleasant trip to the farm. If the ground had been dry I would have let her down to explore but with rainy weather lately that wasn't an option.

It was from this trip actually that I shared a photo of my daughter in the carrier with the folks at Walking Rock Farm. In reply, I received a great email response offering me feedback on the placement of the shoulder strap for the carrier with the recommendation to place it further out towards my shoulder as it was sliding in towards my neck. I have the same trouble with my barely padded Playtex Hip Hamock and it can make things very uncomfortable after any length of time. I do think that some of this has to do with body shape and also the size of my daughter. I'm not a tall person - Ok.. I'm short! My daughter is an average sized toddler around 23 or 24 pounds and I'm also on the busty side. So, on the advice of Annie at Walking Rock I re-adjusted my straps and am wearing it slid out about 2 more inches and it has definitely been a world of difference in the past few days we've tried it again. Tomorrow we have another farm trip outing planned and I'll bring this along! So, I just have to share that I am really impressed by the care that she took in letting me know that I could be possibly wearing it wrong. Since you can get these carriers online/catalog only - without the opportunity to try before you buy it is so nice to know that excellent customer service awaits you. Sadly, it is rare these days!

Caring for your Hip Baby carrier

Washing instructions are included on the carrier itself (on the waist belt) and also listed on the website for it to machine wash cold and drip dry. We've not yet washed the carrier but I'm sure we'll need to at some point soon as accidents do happen. I'm hopeful that it will fair the washing just fine as its made really well and very sturdy looking. Some things look like they will fall apart, and this is just not one of those things!

Carrying Positions

With the Hip Baby I found a comfortable carrying position for us both which is slightly forward of my hip. This allows my daughter to be nice and close and she can put her head down on my breast. My husband is jealous, I'm sure. Though this is "hip carrier" you can use it for more than carrying a child on your hip. The Hip Baby can be worn in a front position, hip position or even on your back. Photos of a front and back carry positions are shown on the product's website but only the hip carry is shown on the product sheet that I received with my carrier. Now, for me, personally, I'm afraid to put my daughter on my back where I can't see her so I don't think I'd even try this. As for a front hold, well I figured it out all by myself how to slide her to a more frontward hold vs holding her on my hip. Princess Hold me and I found our comfy spot is actually a bit in between front and hip. Though for me to walk with her in the Hip Baby, the hip hold works better. As with all the carriers I've tried it just takes some trial and error to find what works best for you and your child.

My daughter enjoys the carrier but has to be "in the mood" - or she won't ride in it. I am farely certain that this is no fault of the carrier though, and more a reflection of her age. There was a time that our front carrier served us well, but she has outgrown those days. Sling carriers worked for my son but don't work as well for my daughter. Our Moby wrap carrier has some configuration advantages as well as disadvantages too. Overall, my experience has been quite positive with the Hip Baby carrier. I was hoping for a carrier that would provide to me a more hands-free and more comfortable carry than the Playtex Hip Hammock, and I've found that in my now better adjusted Hip Baby. So, that being said I do recommend the Hip Baby if you are looking for an upgrade from your Hip Hammock. Or, if you are considering the Hip Hammock from Playtex - I think the Hip Baby from Walking Rock Farm is definitely worth spending the little bit more for. I'm so very glad that I took the time to play around with it and accept the necessary guidance to get the carrier adjusted properly for me and my sweet little Princess Hold Me!

So yep, she is a hip baby. But I already knew that!!!

www.gethipbaby.com
www.walkingrockfarm.com

I received my Hip Baby Carrier free of charge from the manufacturer, in exchange for posting an honest review on Epinions.com.




Recommended: Yes

Age Range of Child: 12 to 36 Months