Pouch Carriers and the Peanut Shell: Sizing Comparisons and a Review

The Peanut Shell, Hotslings, and other pouch-style baby carriers come in a host of beautiful patterns, but is a pouch-type carrier a good long term investment? Due to their mass market availability pouches represent a convenient purchase. Pouch carriers are similar to ring slings and can be used for the same set of carries.

The major difference is that pouch carriers cannot be adjusted while worn (although certain limited brands may be adjusted using buttons or snaps when not wearing the pouch). The non-adjustable Peanut Shell touts their lack of adjustability as a plus: no complexity. E-A-S-Y. For new moms, anything to take the burden off is attractive. Easy = good.

Will a pouch carrier become your favorite baby carrier over the long run?

In my personal experience: No. Every mom has a different experience and different needs, but if you’re weighing your options, you might want to consider my story, especially if cost is a factor for you.

A Peanut Shell Review

When I first chose the Peanut Shell (aff), I have to admit it was largely for convenience. I set up a registry on Target to make it easier for my friends and family who were almost entirely long distance (I had just moved cross-country). Although there are literally dozens of brands and possibilities for carriers, Peanut Shell and Hotslings were the only brands available on Target.

Finding a print I liked was easy, the hard part was choosing a size. In theory, you should only need one size for a sling/pouch style carry, as clearly you come in just one size (well, usually!). But if you’ve never carried a baby before, you might not realize that it’s not just your size that needs to be adjusted to, but your baby’s age, or more specifically the type of carry you use, which typically relates to your baby’s development.

(Or if, like me, you’ve carried a baby a million times but it was twelve years ago and you used something adjustable like a ring sling, you also don’t know this, because you had the ability to adjust it, so you couldn’t predict what would happen when that was taken away!)

When I listed the Peanut Shell on my registry at a size medium, it was based on my best guess of my dimensions and sizing pre-pregancy. The problem, in the end, was not my size, but the carry I needed to use. The Peanut Shell site clearly states that you should carry your baby as high as possible, above the waist preferably. But guess what? Many babies just don’t abide to being squashed into that small of a space at two weeks old, and mine was one of them.

I received the size medium, struggled for less than a week trying to get Little Del into it, and then hit the internet hoping to find stories of other moms having the same problem. Post-pregnancy, the measurements were definitely right — I checked them and checked them twice. Why wasn’t baby happy?

Pouch-Type Baby Carriers and Sizing

Upon significant research into why I was having so much difficultly, I found the answer nestled among various forum comments and in between the lines of sizing instructions on the goo-ga site. The conclusion I came to was twofold:

1. Many newborns (mine included) prefer a looser cradle carry than the Peanut Shell sizing recommendations.
2. Baby slings need to be adjustable if you want to use your sling for the lifetime of your baby-hood.

I went ahead and returned my size medium for a size large, which I was able to use relatively well as a newborn cradle carry and quite successfully for the kangaroo carry once baby could hold his head independently, as seen below in our cute “Babywearing Meets Baby Games” kangaroo carry video!

Developmentally, the sizing seems to work like this:

• Newborn: Cradle Carry –> Larger. While some babies may enjoy being snuggled tight, a smaller, tighter pouch makes it very difficult to arrange your baby which can lead to unintended fussiness and difficulties getting your baby set in a position that allows her to breathe freely. The fact that a larger size means that your baby hangs slightly lower is largely irrelevant for newborns. Your baby at this age weighs practically nothing, and you’ll most likely always have one hand on baby during this time due to raging hormonal protectiveness! For nursing, it’s simply impossible with a smaller pouch. I had to return my pouch and order a size larger than the manufacturer’s recommendations in order to nurse in the pouch and it was still difficult. I never had any problems nursing in the adjustable ring sling I used with my first baby.

• Infant (Headholder): Kangaroo Carry –> Possibly Larger. Both my babies loved the Kangaroo Carry from the time they could hold their heads up until they got too large for the Kangaroo, around the time they could sit up without falling. Here you’ll likely want a little bit of space to fit in their cute little legs in front of them.

• Older Infant (Sitter): Hip Carry –> Smaller. Here is where you begin to need a smaller sling. I barely use my (too large) Peanut Shell now that baby is too big for the Kangaroo carry. When baby is larger and heavier, you need to be able to adjust them tighter, which you can only do with a ring sling.

• Older Infant (Crawler) or Toddler –> Fuggedaboutit! As I say this I know that there are mama’s who use slings for their toddlers, but honestly I don’t know how they do it. Perhaps they have excellent chiropractors. Once your baby becomes sufficiently heavy (your back will tell you when), it’s time to switch to a two-shoulder hold, not possible with any sling or pouch. And it just makes sense. A heavy baby pulling all its weight down on one shoulder can’t be good for you. I’ve found it more comfortable to just carry Little Del at this point until I find the two-shoulder carrier that’s right for me.

Should I Buy a Pouch-Style Carrier?

Pouch vs. Ring Sling

If you really are committed to the idea of a non-adjustable pouch instead of an adjustable ring sling, whether because you don’t like the look of adjustable rings or you’ve fallen in love with a Peanut Shell or Hotslings (aff) pattern, bear in mind that you most likely will need to purchase something else at some point down the road.

A ring sling, in contrast, will most likely work for you from newborn at least until your baby is too heavy for one shoulder carries.

• One source for beautiful, handmade rings slings that will benefit a fellow mama who makes them is Etsy.com.
• Another resource is the Vendor/Hobbyist listings on TheBabywearer.com (registration required).
• The Maya Wrap (aff) comes recommended as the best inexpensive ring sling out there by natural family living mom Jeska of MoonStar Minus Politics. The Maya Wrap is also widely available and easy to find used.

Ring slings are easy to adjust for very discreet nursing. By my experience, no style of pouch will serve you well for this purpose.

If you rely heavily on strollers, a ring sling might be the only carrier you’ll ever need. If not, there are a host of two-shoulder options, from mei-tais to podegis to wraps, all available to get you through longer periods of time once your baby reaches 15-20 pounds.

Fortunately for me, I was lucky enough to be given a Mexican rebozo (similar to a long, sturdy cotton sash) which adjusts simply by altering the location of the knot! Ah, the beauty of simplicity! It has been my choice lately for a quick “poppable” (easy to get in and out of) carrier and represents another fine alternative to the ring sling. I’m also in the midst of a mei tai vs. podegi quandary for my Stage II two-shoulder babywearing adventure!

Pouch as a Part of your Baby Carrier Stash

For some mamas, the short-term nature of the pouch investment is a non-issue as they prefer to have a complete stash of various carriers to fit various circumstances. I am not such a mom. I like my carriers as I like my shoes — get a good thing going and keep it nearby as your tried and true. Not to mention the fact that I personally don’t have hundreds of dollars to throw around.

There’s something to be said however, for trying things out, and for meeting exceptional circumstances with just the right tool.

For me, the pro’s of the Peanut Shell pouch carrier were:

• It worked extremely well as a kangaroo carry during the approximately 3-6 month range (at one size larger than recommended by the manufacturer).
• It was good looking and fit well with my style.
• It was lightweight and easy to throw in the diaper bag for shopping trips.
• It was very “poppable” while used with the kangaroo carry, less so for the cradle carry due to the inability to adjust it to a sizing “sweet spot.”

The con’s of the Peanut Shell were:

• At the manufacturer’s suggested size, it was too small for an easy cradle carry that felt safe.
• At one size larger than suggested, it was too large for a comfortable hip carry.
• It was not so easy to nurse in — doable — but not so easy as previous ring slings have been.

Although it came with a bit of a “new” smell, which I don’t like to expose babies to, that came out quite easily with a 2 hour soak in a small load with 1 cup vinegar, followed by a cold water delicate wash and line dry.

The pocket was nice and I did use it once or twice, but to be quite honest it’s a bit awkward to place objects inside a piece of fabric that’s actually carrying the weight of your baby (read: smushing the object into your baby’s side). Plus, once my wallet fell *out* of the pocket I decided it was a risky proposition. Besides, if you’re toting a baby, you’re probably also toting a diaper bag, a much better place to stash your keys, wallet, or cell.

Sling/Pouch vs. Wrap

Of course, another consideration for the newborn in particular is the wrap, one example being the popular Moby Wrap (aff), although any simple piece of cloth will do. Were I to do it again, I might invest in a knit wrap like the Moby in addition to a ring sling or rebozo (make your own!) during the early months. To save money, it’s also possible to make your own knit baby wrap. Word on the street is that the front wrap cross carry in a knit wrap is heaven for very young babies.

Truth be told, it’s often difficult to tell in advance of actually having your baby which style carrier will be right for you. Should you realize you’ve made the wrong choice, it’s always possible to resell on ebay or on TheBabywearer.com FSOT (for sale or trade) forums (registration required).

Go Green! Buy a Used Sling or Carrier

Don’t forget that the best way to save the planet is to reduce consumption. To find gently used baby slings, carriers, or wraps, try:

• Ebay.com
• TheBabywearer.com FSOT forums (registration required)
• Diaperswappers.com (registration required)

As you consider the Peanut Shell or similar pouch-style baby carriers, hopefully weighing the pro’s and con’s of my experience, and others like me, will help bring you to a decision that pays off for your lil’ babe and you. No matter what you choose, congratulations for making an investment in holding your baby close!

Happy Babywearing!

Mama Hope

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