Which Baby Carrier???

I have the Beco and I love it. I can also still use it for my almost 3 year old too. My second baby was in it from 5 days old (using the infant insert).

good luck

P.

Another vote for Ergo. I love, love it, and people have stopped me to inquire what brand it is (actually, that's also how I first learned of the Ergo baby). I've only used it front and back, but it can be used on the hip too, I believe.

Ergo, all the way. I survived alright with a ring sling for my first child, along with the Bjorn (which we only used when traveling through various airports - much more secure than a sling of any kind, but yes - not for long-term use).

Once I was pregnant with my 2nd child I was "in the know" about the Ergo & knew that it would be my wisest investment. I could not have been more right! I have called it a "life saver" on many occassions. My first child is almost 3 yrs older than my 2nd, which sounds like you would be able to have your hands free for the 2nd child - hah!

The Ergo makes life easier, period. The child loves it, the mommy loves it, the daddy loves it. Your daughter will probably love the back or the hip better now that she's older & probably isn't used to sitting right in front of you facing you.

Good luck!

I would totally recommend the Ergo. I was able to carry my son in the front from the time he was an infant and then we moved on to the hip and then I easily started carrying him on my back. It was just like carrying a backpack. The Beco is very, very similar to the Ergo, but it has pretty patterns on the front. The Ergo sells for about $109.00 while the Beco can go for $140! I've known friends who have had both and they say that there really isn't much of a difference except for the pretty patterns. Good luck.

Hi S.,

I'm sure you've received some great advice already but I think you should seriously consider the Ergo. It can hold a kiddo up to 40lbs and and weight isn't distributed on your back and shoulders like the Bjorn. You can also carry the kid in the front, on the side or back as well. I still carry my almost 3 year old when it's needed on my back and he's happy and I can easily carry him (34lbs). It's a great long term solution. I also noticed that you are in Antelope. Go and check it out at Goore's! They will let you try one out and they should be on sale starting tomorrow for their President's Day sale. Good luck to you!

I have to agree with the others that recommended the Ergo. It is the best by far (that I have tried)! I have a bad back and it saved me with my first! It is pretty pricey, but look on craigslist and you can usually find one for sometimes half price! Good luck with your hunt!

I havent tried the Ergo which everyone seems to be a fan of here, but I used the Moby for a pretty long time. I agree its a bit complicated to get on, but it was always worth it because I could wear it for hours on end and not suffer from any back aches. I probably used it til my son was about 20ish lbs. He could still fit in it beyond that weight, but by then he wasn't into being carried as much. However, I still used it to help soothe or get him to take a nap when he was super cranky. (The moby really holds them in close to you nice and comfy.. heck, I wish I coulda been the one carried in it!!!) Also, I liked that when he was asleep in it, it really held him in so I could do things around the house without having to be super careful about his head jostling around etc.

You can check online and see if there is a babywearing group in your area. We have one through Yahoo groups and I believe also through meetup.com. You can usually go to meetings and try out other peoples' and maybe find deals on used ones too. Just google (your city) babywearers or something like that. Especially since she is already born, it will be easy to see how your child will fit in one, not someone else's kid who is used to that carrier.

I have an ergo also, and I didnt really get the hang of hip wearing with it, at all. I followed the instructions exactly, but it never seemed to fit well. Otherwise I agree with everyone and it was great. Good luck!

Ergo. No question. I had Moby, slings, Bjorn... I wish I knew about the Ergo earlier. I have twins and I need a carrier! I saw people with these around town with small infants sleeping to two and half year olds. You can carry them in front, on hip, and back. It does not put the weight on your back. The Bjorn hurt my back. But this does not. Check it out.

I know that you said that you have it narrowed down to a couple but I agree with the others. The Ergo is AWSOME!! I can easily carry my 25lb toddler on my back for a couple of hours! It can be used in all 3 positions as well.
Blessings, K.

The Bjorn is not recommended for babies or their wearers. Yes, it kills your back (as I found too), and apparently the "dangling" position of the baby is not good for her hip development. It's important to support the baby's bottom. Many people recommend the Ergo line of carriers. We're looking into getting one. I've used the Moby wrap. The best thing to do is get it on and keep it on (until it gets too loose), even if you take the baby out for a while. I've never heard of the Babyhawk before, though now looking at the website I realize I tried out a mei tai before. The OhSnap one looks like it might offer better support for both you and your baby. You might want to consider that your baby will just keep getting heavier, so you want to find a carrier that will accommodate more pounds, rather than fewer. The Ergo is not as stylish, but if you have a male partner who wants to carry the baby too, you might want to get one carrier that both of you will use. They are expensive, even used!

I would recommend the Beco or the Ergo. We've had an Ergo for a long time and even carried our 2 year old sometimes in it. Heavy, but weight well distributed. Now we carry our 8 month old everywhere, usually on the back these days. You can use it on the back or the front. From what I've heard from others, the Beco is a lot like the Ergo, but better.

I've heard bad things about the Bjorn and back pain and hip position for the kid, but I haven't heard about the babyhawk so can't advise there!

I found my Maya Wrap sling to be the most useful. It's lightweight, fully-adjustable (as opposed to the other two brands of slings I'd tried) and can be used in every position (I even cooked dinner with my 3yr old on my back so he could watch from over my shoulder). I loved being able to move the positioning of it while my child was still IN it. Even when they're big you'll find it to be a great help and they'll love climbing into it. I used it for nursing, hip carrying, chest-facing carrying, criss-cross legged front-facing and even swaddled and straight as a board positioning for my refluxing baby. Kids seem "trapped" in the ergo just as much as they do in the Bjorn - and I hated the drain on my back that the Bjorn caused unless the crossover plate was pulled down closer to my waist (which makes a huge difference BTW). My son was 20lbs at 6mos so baby AND MaMa comfort was KEY... Happy shopping!

The Moby is the best $40 investment I have ever made. We have been using it since he was about 3 months but you can start at infancy. Way cheaper than the bjorn and other things out there and easy to carry around with you. Love it!!!

Have you checked out the Ergo? I started using it at birth with the infant insert and still use it today. My son is 20 months and almost 30 pounds.
LOVE IT!

http://www.ergobabycarrier.com/

L.

i got the moby wrap when my son was 7 months old. i used it until he was about 14 months and not able to be contained anymore ;) i actually never used it with a small baby so i dont know how it work for them but i loved it for my son and it was supper easy to use. the more you tie it the easier it gets to do it. haven't tried the back hold on the wrap because it takes 2 people to do and i often just have me and a very wild 2 year old :)

I'll chime in... ergo, ergo, ergo! It's so much more comfortable to put them on your back at that weight - and it frees up your hands around the house. We use ours for hiking too (the 3 year old goes in a proper frame pack, but the 16 month old does great in the ergo). happy shopping!

thanks for asking this question. I am going through the same research too!