Saturday, May 3, 2008

Baby Carriers

I never really used a carrier for either Ty or Emma. I did a little with Tyler, once in awhile, but he always seemed uncomfortable. Emma simply hated the whole idea so it only lasted for a few minutes and I just gave up. With Nate, I wanted a carrier for many reasons. Mostly because he was such a preemie and in the hospital for so long that I wanted to bond with him even more once he came home. Also, with two toddlers, I needed to have something to carry him in when the bigger kids were both in the stroller. So, a friend who owns a store selling all sorts of "earthy" type things like fancy carriers, gave me a super nice one as a gift. I LOVED the idea of this thing. It is one of those fancy, no buckle, all material, multiple position, carry-your-kid-until-they're-ten type of carriers. You know the kind? I got it a few weeks before Nate came home and practiced a little. It was VERY complicated and I had to follow the online instructions a lot. I figured it would be easier once he was actually in it. It wasn't. I just never could get the hang of it and by the time I finally got him in the darned thing, he never felt secure to me and I always worried that he wasn't getting enough air. Plus, all that material was just plain hot. Maybe I got the wrong size. I don't know. Needless to say, I never really used it.

Thus my search for a new carrier began. I looked online and the one with the top ratings is the Baby Bjorn. Great. I can't afford the Baby Bjorn. They're nice but really, are they any better than a Snugli? They must be because I had a Snugli and hated it. I guess I am just not destined to be a baby wearer.

Lo and behold, the beauty of yard sales. Yesterday I found a Baby Bjorn for $20. I was hesitant, $20 is still kind of pricey. But given that they are upwards of $60 or more new, I decided to give it a shot. The lady was very nice and showed me how to wear it, how to put Nate in, etc. I walked around for a few minutes and thought, hey, I can do this one. And the best part? I really CAN do it, even on my own. No more gymnastics trying to figure out how to wrap him correctly. No more worries that he isn't getting enough air. No more thoughts that he may fall out. He is secure and he is really in love with it. He doesn't cry, he doesn't fuss, he smiles and really enjoys his time in it. HOOORRRRAAAYYY.

So, for all of you debating weather or not to spend the money on a Baby Bjorn, I say go for it. Knowing what I know now, I should have bought one long ago. And, as you probably know, I'm not exactly thin. I was worried it would be too tight but it isn't. It adjusted well for me. I won't lie, it is a little tight but maybe this is just the motivation I need to lose a few pounds. :)

3 comments:

jkribbit said...

I'm so jealous! Not that it would fit me - because it SO wouldn't, but I want to snuggle with Nate! I'm glad you found something that works - I can just see his sweet smile as he looks up at you and bet that he's loving the Mommy time!!

Paulette said...

My carrier is an Infantino. I received it as a handme down with baby #2. I'll have to say that I love it, because I felt like I was hands-free for the most part while walking around town (for hours) at our town's village wide garage sale Saturday, by myself... and with all four kids with me! There are SO many carriers out there.. and I wanted a Baby Bjorn when my friend passed this to me saying it was similar in design. Have fun!!

Sustenance Scout said...

Gotta love those baby carriers! Happy Mother's Day, Jodie!! K.