Here is the story of my Moby. When my first son was about 8 months old, he was a hefty fellow. I had been using my HotSling which I loved dearly especially for quick trips in and out of the store, but because my son was so large, it really started to hurt my shoulder for extended periods of time or for longer (or even normal length) shopping trips. I wanted another baby-wearing option that would spread the weight across both of my shoulders. From the various carriers I had seen, a Moby looked like one I was really interested in. After a casual mention of it to my mother-in-law, she actually got me one. I think I had just told her I was looking at them and before I knew it, she sent one to me in the mail.
Now, the Moby does have a bit of a learning curve to it since it is a lot of fabric, but the versatility is amazing. If you are not familiar with a Moby, it is a type of baby carrier referred to as a stretchy wrap (wrap carriers can also be made of a woven fabric). It is made of about 6 yards of cotton jersey knit so it is soft and comfortable. There are no buckles or straps, nothing hard so it's all soft material against yours and your baby's body. There are several configurations for wrapping the carrier to hold your baby. The Moby comes with an instruction booklet that demonstrates several wraps, but the internet is also your friend for learning new ways to wrap and carry your baby.
Mobys are very popular for newborns, but like I said, I got mine when my oldest son was about 8 months old and I loved it. I carried him in the "hug hold" which is the traditional wrap that holds the baby against your body facing you. The baby is in a seated position with his/her legs spread in a "frog" fashion. It was wonderful. After a while though, it became a bit difficult for me to carry my little one because he wasn't so little and I'm a bit short for a larger kiddo to be carried on my front side. A friend taught me a side carry that she had created which was fantastic and held the baby on my hip similar to the sling, but the weight of the child was carried on my waist rather than my shoulder. The only drawback to this carry is that you do have to hold the baby while you wrap it but it's very comfortable, very secure, and it still lets you carry the kiddo hands free. I also discovered a carry called the "double hammock" which is a back carry for a wrap. Traditionally, it is not recommended to use a stretchy wrap for a back carry, but I found that I was able to wrap the Moby tightly enough to hold my son securely and he loved it.
Now that I have an infant, the Moby is again proving to be well worth every penny that was paid for it. I wear it almost every day. With a baby and a two year old, it's invaluable. I can wear the baby in the newborn hold (which is like the hug hold except his legs are tucked in) and he is tight and close to me leaving me hands free to chase the toddler and still feel confident that the baby is safe and secure. He loves it and sleeps well in it. The Moby allows me to go grocery shopping where I place the toddler in the shopping cart and the baby in the Moby. I also take trips to the mall with a friend of mine wearing the baby in the Moby and my toddler rides in the stroller. I frequently take my toddler on wagon rides carrying my baby in the Moby. It's no fuss and hands free. I recently even learned a nursing wrap configuration (thank you, YouTube) where I can nurse the baby completely hands-free (although, this configuration does require you to hold the baby while you wrap it).My Moby came with wrap instructions for the newborn hold, the hug hold, the kangaroo hold, a sling style hip hold, and a nursing hold (not hands-free). From what I've seen, the sling style hip hold and nursing hold are no longer included in the instructions, which is just as well, I didn't use them anyway. Well, I did use the nursing hold a couple of times but found it undesirable because it was not hands-free.
The Moby seems intimidating, but it really is a wonderful carrier that can be used from infancy to toddler-hood once you get the various wraps down and find the ones you like. The versatility is unmatched in any other style carrier I've seen. The biggest complaints I've heard about the Moby is the sheer amount of fabric which seems like a lot but it does allow for almost everyone to be able to wear it and the heat factor during the warmer months. I still wear mine in the south Texas heat, and yes, it's hot, but I would rather wear it than have the baby in the bucket carrier part of the car seat and I try to avoid going out during the hottest part of the day. Almost every day I'm out and about wearing my baby in my Moby I get comments on it. I've had many people ask where they can get one and others comment about how clever it is that something like the Moby is available (although some people think the baby is in my shirt since it's made from the same type of material as t-shirts are and it covers the greater portion of my upper body). I, of course, rave about how wonderful it is, because I probably would be at the end of my rope without it!
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