Baby Carrier

Question: What is the best baby carrier?

(Posted by: Anna on 2009-10-20 21:17:30)

And what will last the longest?

Posted by: barefoot_trudger on 2009-10-20, 22:05:30

I have tried tons of carriers so maybe I can offer some useful advice. If I had it to do over again, after experimenting with lots of types of carriers, I would buy two carriers. A Moby wrap for when they 're little and an Ergo for when they 're a little bigger. There 's really no carrier that works well for a tiny newborn and also for a bigger baby. Here 's my rundown: MOBY WRAP: When the baby is small (like under 6 months), this is the perfect carrier! It is guaranteed to put the baby to sleep, or at least make him content and stop crying. It leaves your hands completely free (although you still have a baby hanging off your front, so you are a little impaired, but this is true for all carriers when the baby is too young to put on your back). The Moby takes a few tries to figure out how to put it on, but once you get used to it, it 's a piece of cake! It makes the baby feel so secure, like he 's still in the womb. You can make one of these yourself if you 're crafty. There are patterns/ instructions online. There is also a brand called Sleepy Wrap, which is basically the same thing. Or maybe find a used one on ebay for a good price. TIP: Before you leave the house to go shopping or wherever, go ahead and put the wrap on and wear it while you 're driving. That way, when you get to the store, you don 't have to take the time to wrap it around yourself with a crying baby waiting in the cold or heat. You can just take him out of the carseat and pop him right in to the carrier. ERGO: After the baby is about 6 months, then I would definitely invest in an Ergo carrier. They are AMAZING! The baby is snug against your body, no fabric between you and him/ her. It is extremely comfortable for both baby and mother/ father. You will not ever have a backache with this carrier. As the name implies, it 's very ergonomically correct. You can also buy an extension for the hip belt for around $3, if you 're still trying to get rid of your baby belly, like I am, lol. The best thing about it? You can wear it on your front OR you can swing it around on your back, which gives you full range of motion in the front with no impediments! It 's great! I have even tilled the garden wearing the baby on my back in it and he just fell right asleep. You can cook dinner, do laundry, whatever you want while it 's on your back. And baby is so happy. I just hiked 45 miles in the past week and carried my little one in it the whole way. We were both very comfortable. I would wear him on the front when he needed to nurse (It 's SO EASY to nurse discreetly while baby is in the Ergo) and then would swing him around on my back so he could look around when he was done nursing. He likes to nap with it in either position. In the Ergo, you might notice that the baby 's legs are spread very wide in this carrier. While this might look a little strange at first, it 's perfectly healthy for their legs/ joints. I was a bit concerned and asked my doctor about it. She said that it 's actually GOOD for them to be in this position, compared to other carriers like the Baby Bjorn, which is NOT good for the baby. You should only consider carriers that keep the baby 's knees level with or above his/ her hips. Carriers that allow the baby to hang from their crotch with dangling legs are not good for them. You can wash the Moby Wrap in the washing machine and dryer. The Ergo can probably be washed in the machine on delicate, but I hand wash mine. Both will hold up for use through several children! I tried several pocket slings (like HotSlings) and didn 't like them because I always felt like I needed to keep a hand on the baby. Not secure enough and hard on the parent 's back. I tried several larger slings (like Maya Wrap) and found them to be too large/ roomy. It felt like the baby got lost down in it and like he wasn 't snug and secure against me. I always worried that he might lurch out of these. Also, baby didn 't like it because he was lying down and couldn 't see what was going on around him. My husband couldn 't use the Ergo (he is 6 ' 4 " and 290 pounds!) so he used the Baby Bjorn, but as stated, this is not the best carrier for the baby because it can cut off circulation in their legs, since they 're dangling. Also, I don 't think anyone would like to be hanging from their crotch! So, my hubby used it for limited amounts of time, when he only needed to carry him for under a half an hour, like if he was just going out to feed the chickens and needed to have his hands free for a minute. Also, the Bjorn was hard on hubby 's back when the baby got bigger. The Ergo is a much better choice, IMO. Hope that helps! Have fun wearing your little one!

Posted by: Nayeli's Mommy on 2009-10-20, 21:31:13

I LOVE my Moby Wrap. It 's just a long piece of clothe that you can wrap in different ways depending on what age your child is (infant, breast feeding, front view, side/ hip and back pack) It distributes weight very well so your back doesn 't hurt you either after wearing it for 10 minutes. Check it out: mobywrap.com/

Posted by: Tang on 2009-10-20, 21:43:43

I like BABYBJÖRN Baby Carrier Original. This carrier is the best! It provides excellent support for your baby 's back and head and guarantees that his/ her legs and arms are in a physiologically correct position. When your baby is a little older and has a stronger neck, the neck-rest can be folded down so that the child can face forwards and look around. Hope you find it interesting.

Posted by: elshva on 2009-10-20, 21:50:49

I use the Maya Wrap for going out to dinner, shopping, walking, and being in public long periods when I might need to nurse. I use the Baby K 'Tan (similar to the Moby Wrap, but easier if you are like me and uncoordinated) for work, when I have to move around a lot or hold things, long walks, light cooking. My husband used the Baby Bjorn for light yardwork, and walks. We used it a lot when she was little, but it is not as practical when they get over 15 pounds. It is also not so gentle on their little spines. If you are in a city, borrow a friends kid and go to some shops that sell the carriers - call and see which shop has demonstration carriers so you can try them all on and see which is most workable for you. I would recommend having at least a couple of styles, because they all suit different purposes, and you will want to change how you are carrying from time to time. BUT if you only want to buy and learn one, probably the Moby (unless you live somewhere hot, like I do) - it has the most positions for your money.

Posted by: Mommy of Syrellâ„¢ on 2009-10-20, 21:55:05

I have to say hands down the best baby carrier is the Ergo Baby Carrier. I have been using it for a couple of months now, and I can say that I can carry my son in this for hours without getting a sore back. It also supports a correct sitting position for the baby as the baby isn 't hanging by its crotch. The Ergo also goes up to 45 pounds and is very durable, so you 'll get a lot of use out of it.