Pupsik studio pouch sling

As everyone knows, babies should be in carseats when traveling for safety.  As our family does not have a car, we need to explore how to bring the baby around on public transport. So I have seen some people use the travel system type of carseat/stroller when going into cabs. But what about the MRT/bus?

Note the barehanded carrying of baby in the above photo when I first took trips with baby on the cab to bring him back from hospital, polyclinic and shopping. I was scared shitless, worried I would drop him. This when on for weeks, so much so that we did not want to go out much at all.

My friend told me about this pouch carrier during my pregnancy, but i didn't want to get it as I was under the impression it can only be use 1 to 2 months, during the infant stage. I went to a baby fair, and saw a bunch of sling type of carriers with adjustable rings and buckle. The thought of fiddling with those things seems troublesome. And there were a lot in very scratchy type of material. 

Fast forward 6 weeks after I had my baby and we were on our way home when it rained very heavily. We already had the stroller and were happily shopping with the it. The stroller was a godsend, as we  could feed him, change him and walk around. Although we had to look for lifts wherever we go and changed 3 lifts to get from plaza singapura to the circle line mrt. But we were caught in the rain and had to carry the baby home barehanded which freaked me out.

I complained to my friend about it and she told me to get this Pupsik pouch carrier. This carrier is best for newborn up to 12.5kg. This pupsik studio pouch type carrier is like a sewn ring of cloth, with different sizes to fit the carrier. There are no buckles, clips or rings to adjust. Just fold, wear and carry. Important thing is to try for size. That's why I went mothercare to buy it as there were samples to try on and even an exchange policy so there are no worries. It's $45.90 with a 10 percent discount for members. 

 

After trying it and bringing my baby out in it, I was hooked, I scolded myself for not buying it sooner. Yes, it takes a little practice to put baby in and out, but hands free shopping, look! We carried it to supplement the stroller but ended up not using the stroller. I feel more confident carrying baby on the bus and MRT as I had the pouch support plus my hands to hold on to him. Baby slept in it like a baby. No adjustments needed, and the thing folds into something smaller than a raincoat. I carried my 5kg baby for 3 hours around town pretty comfortably. It's really convenient. 

Now for the bad parts for this pouch carrier. Number 1 is that there is a safety risk for this carrier. There were a reported 14 infant deaths in US over 20 years due to suffocation in this type of carrier, so it's important to exercise caution, making sure baby's chin does not squeeze against his chest when in the cradle position. For smaller babies, there may be fabric covering his face, so the guideline is to put a blanket underneath him to prop him up. It's important to buy the correct size carrier too. Too big and the baby sags underneath, too small and it will be a tight fit. 

Number 2 thing to note is that the feet should not be extended in the pouch to reduce the risk of hip dysplasia. Let the feet stay a little bent to keep their natural position. 

Lastly, as this carrier places the weight on one shoulder, it can feel heavy for heavier babies/longer trips.

All in all, this pouch is still very useful when used correctly, It's the training wheels for newborn and small babies before we graduate to the structured carriers like Ergo and Meduca that require some adjustment and for babies with head control. Honestly, for the price of a nice blouse, I think it's worth it even if used for 2 months. The taxi fare saved practically pays for itself.