1 mth old Ollie in the Manduca
To be honest, the stroller and a baby carrier were the last items on our minds when we discussing items we needed to get. I mean, how often were we going to bring him out, especially when our mode of transport was taking the public bus and train?
Hah. Little did we know that Ollie and I would be travelling around Singapore and going on little adventures.
Again, the Manduca carrier was recommended by my colleague. I knew what kind of carriers that I did not want, but wasn’t sure what other kinds of carriers there were out there. My colleague had mentioned that the Manduca was ergonomic and he was still using it to carry his daughter, who is currently 3.
So off we went on a little hunt, checking out baby carriers. The hubby tried a total of 2 kinds, the Baby Bjorn and the Manduca. We only tried the Baby Bjorn because another colleague of mine brought her baby to the office and she was using the Baby Bjorn. It had looked fairly easy to use, Also as much as I would like Oliver to be able to see the world front facing like all of us, I was really uncomfortable with the way it supported the baby (around the groin).
We tried the Manduca at Isetan Scotts and did a bit more research online, watching videos on how many ways the Manduca can be used. We also did some comparison between the Ergo Baby and the Manduca, and found that the infant attachment for the Ergo Baby came at an additional cost & could be separated, whereas the Manduca came with a built-in infant attachment. The Ergo Baby was definitely cheaper, however the additional cost of the infant attachment would bring it close to how much the Manduca would cost.
Since we heard about the Manduca first, we decided to get it. We bought ours at S$256 from Isetan Scotts. However, if you intend to get the Manduca carrier, I would suggest purchasing it from Baby Slings & Carriers as I understand that the aftersale support is pretty good, as in they will teach you how to better utilise your carrier. Unfortunately they will only serve customers who have purchased their carriers from them.
When Oliver was about 3 weeks old, we thought we would take him out nearby in the Manduca and use the infant attachment. Obviously skimming through the instruction manual, looking at the photos and not watching an instructional video led us to not using it appropriately. After about 30 minutes of figuring out, we gave up. Haha. It was only until recently, when a fellow SAHM made the comment about how the carrier extension was for the infant attachment, did I sorta figure out how it was meant to be used in the first place. DOH.
Fortunately though, Ollie was big enough to use the carrier without having to use the infant attachment when he was about 1 month old. He fitted snugly against us and slept when he was in there most of the time.
And it was also recently that another fellow SAHM found out that we could breastfeed when using the Manduca. What a relevation! I mean, that’s like feeding on-the-go! No more finding a nursing room and sitting somewhere to nurse. When I heard that, I tried it on my next outing, and haven’t looked back. It was awesome. It also helped that Oliver usually nurses to sleep after, so it was very convenient. Feed and sleep. How easy is that!
FYI, Oliver is turning 8 months end Sept, and can still be breastfed in the Manduca. Basically just extend the carrier and feed. Having said that, using a nursing spaghetti top is the easiest when feeding in the Manduca. I find it harder to feed wearing those tops with a concealed nursing covers. A fellow SAHM who’s son is 1 yr 8 mths old is also still nursing in the Manduca. So you can see how far this carrier can bring you! =P
So far we have carried Oliver in front, the back and on the side. I am most comfortable with the first two ways. Carrying him on the side provides him with a different view, however I always worry that my hip is pressing against his crotch and it may be uncomfortable. He hasn’t “complained” when he is carried on the side. I guess it is just me. Hrm. Maybe when he is a little older. Hehe
Sharon
May 6, 2013 at 6:16 am
Hi , I am looking into getting a new carrier for my baby as the baby bjorn is starting to get really uncomfortable for me to carry the lil one. I am still debating between an Ergo and a Manduca. Given how hot Singapore weather is, do you find the Manduca really hot / sweaty for the baby? I tend to walk a lot with the baby bjorn. Any inputs is great!
enitsuj
May 6, 2013 at 11:31 am
Hi Sharon, Ollie hasn’t had an issue with the manduca in Singapore weather so far. It is a lot thicker than the Ergo I am guessing. The only heat generated is body heat between my body and his body, it tends to get a little sweaty/hot, so you may feel a little uncomfortable there. But otherwise, I haven’t felt/seen him sticky with sweat after sitting in the manduca for a long while (after walking for about 3-4 hours, both outside & in aircon areas).
Kirsten
July 3, 2014 at 11:21 am
Hi. My son is 8 months old and I also have a manduca. I’m fully Breastfeeding my son and always have to find a nursing room. I’ve never tried nursing him in the carrier. How do u actually do it? Up till now I’m still confused on which straps is for which sides…
enitsuj
July 4, 2014 at 9:05 pm
Hi Kirsten,
I’ve a 5mo that I’ve breastfeeding in the Manduca as well. Basically what I do is to unzip the back extension so that he sits lower, shift the manduca slightly to the side and then let him nurse with a nursing cover over. Would have to do some boob shifting to get him to suckle. I don’t remove any straps to breastfeed. If you find that your son is still sitting a little too high to nurse, try adjusting the lower straps, which would be the one closest to the side of his body, so that he sits even lower. That is the easiest strap to adjust as to release it, you just have to lift up the adjustment buckle, and to shorten it again, you just pull on the excess strap. I hope you understand what I am trying to say!
Alice
October 19, 2015 at 11:22 am
Hi, how do you do breast massage on the manduca before feeding the baby?
planning to try breastfeeding on the manduca as I’ve another toddler and really need both hands free.
enitsuj
October 20, 2015 at 8:14 pm
Hi Alice!
I actually don’t do any breast massage prior to breastfeeding. It is possible tho, I would probably just put the nursing cover over, then use one hand to massage a little, going in from the side of the manduca (baby resting on other boob, so you have a little space to massage one boob). that might work? heh