Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Baby Carriers/Slings

In this corner, the ever popular Baby Bjorn! The name everyone knows! The one carried by baby superstores! And in the opposite corner, the lesser-known Ergo carrier! Only carried by specialty stores! More expensive than the BB!

Who wins? The Ergo wins in one round – TKO!

After experiencing both of these products, our Mama’s will take the Ergo over the Bjorn any day of the week. While the Bjorn was fine for little newborn babies, the heavier the baby got, the worse the back pain became because of the lack of support. We have also heard that the Bjorn is uncomfortable for baby boys, because of the way the baby is positioned (with all that extra weight on the crochal-area). Because all of the weight with the Bjorn is supported by your back and your shoulders, anything over 10-12 pounds will not be a comfortable ride.

The Ergo on the other hand focuses all of the weight on your hips (hence the more bulky structure) so you can wear it for longer periods of time. It is also big enough that your husband can wear it when you need a break. And you can wear it on the front, back or side of your body (not sure how the side position works, but that is what they advertise). The one complaint is that the baby is not able to face out with the Ergo, like you can with the Bjorn.

Remember that not all babies are partial to carriers like the Bjorn or the Ergo. If you are lucky to have one that is, these are great to strap on for a quick walk, or for shopping when you need your hands free. They can also be worn under big jackets during the winter months to keep your baby close and warm.

*We should also note that the Bjorn has come out with a version with a little more back support, but none of our Mama’s have tried it, as they went straight from the standard model to the Ergo.

Only a few of us were “sling Mamas.” Those of us that did use the slings, loved the Hotsling and the Moby wrap. They found that it soothed their baby better than anything other method. When purchasing a HotSling, we advise you to purchase one size larger than you would normally, as we have found them to run on the small side.

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