I love wearing my babies! For a lot of us moms, baby carriers are like handbags. We’re not satisfied with just one, or something in us just wants to try them all. They all have their own benefits. If you aren’t interested in owning more than one, but want to wear Baby, here are my thoughts on the few I’ve had:
I loved this one for newborns up to a couple months old. It holds my tiny baby securely, and it’s quick and easy to put on and take off. When getting out of the car, I’d put it on, unbuckle the big kids, then secure Baby in it, all before the big kids got into any trouble. As the baby got bigger, my back and shoulders hurt pretty badly with this carrier. It was too bad because it held the baby so well. I just had to stop wearing it, though.
- Sling
These aren’t even recommended anymore. I used one with my first baby, and had a lot of trouble getting the hang of where in the sling to place him. I’d think I was placing him in the sweet spot, but once I let go, and he settled, it wasn’t right. The design hurt my back, so it was short-lived. It was conveniently small to stick in a diaper bag in case I was in a situation that necessitated it, but in the end, I didn’t use it.
- Wrap
I fell in love with the idea of wrapping my baby against me so I could keep him warm and feeling cozy. I had winter babies, so this appealed to me even more as a newborn concept. Also, it was easy enough to make myself. The biggest hindrance was how unwieldy it was. It’s like 6 meters long! (For those of you that can’t remember, that’s more than 18 feet long!) You can’t put it on outdoors, or it would get disgusting from the dirty ground. It won’t fit in your bag. And sadly, my babies didn’t much enjoy being wrapped so tightly. It worked OK if we were simply going out for a walk and Baby was already asleep. If you make it yourself, it’s not a bad investment for a few uses.
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It’s expensive, but just buy it when you have your first baby and it’ll pay for itself. I only caved and got it after my other carriers hurt my back. I wish I’d had it from the beginning. I have to say it isn’t great for newborns. The newborn insert never worked for my babies, even after calling the manufacturer and confirming I was doing it right. But once the baby holds his head up, it’s great. It evenly distributes pressure, so I don’t have sore spots. My babies are comfortable enough to fall asleep in it. Even as toddlers. I love that it can go on front or back.
I agree with all for of your assessments (although I didn’t use the sling). The Bjorn was awesome at first but pretty quickly wasn’t comfortable (and C was a pretty light baby). I bought a moby wrap and I never could figure the darn thing out. I remember I took it shopping once with my mom and C. C fell asleep after eating but by the time I got the silly thing on, he’s woken up, and then didn’t want to be in it. Now, whenever baby #2 happens along, the Ergo is the first thing I’m buying!
OK, I’m not the only one
How did your big backpack work out?