Front carriers

Tomy carrier: £49.99, available from www.babycity.co.uk

A front carrier positions your baby upright against you and can be used from birth up to about 10kg. Your baby's spine, neck and head are all supported. During the first few weeks, keep your newborn's face turned towards you. Later on, when he can hold his head up himself, position it so he's facing outwards, ready to discover the outside world.

The attachment system has large straps that cross over at the back and can be altered in height to ensure good weight distribution. The range also adapts to fit dads! There are two types of model available: either you put baby in the carrier in the top with the attachments fastened and adjust them, you place your baby in the front and then put the attachments in place afterwards.

Plus points: It balances out the weight over your whole back. When your baby starts to get heavy, this can be a godsend!

Limits: During the first few weeks when baby can't hold his own head up, you have to carefully position the carrier so that the head doesn't sway. There's less physical contact between your and your baby than with a sling.

We advise it if you've suffered from back problems during your pregnancy, because it will lighten the weight of your baby.