baby carrier? ergo or babybjorn or another?

[puddleduck27]

I'm due beginning of Sept and will have a nearly 2 1/2. thinking of getting a baby carrier so we can still use her pram. I will be have elcs so will be recovering from that but want to.try and get out as much as I can. has anyone got any recommendations? many thanks

[Nicknamegrief]

Do you have a local sling library? They are worth visiting for the best advice.
Online advice through //www.itsaslingthing.co.uk is also good.

For the first months (although I used mine until 9-12months) is a stretchy wrap. I had a Moby. It is also really light and gentle around the waist.

For a more structured carrier I would recommend the Ergo, Connecta or the Tula. I think that these come more into their own once the baby is a little older. I do not like the Baby Bjorn.

I have 4 children, had 2 emcs, 1 elcs and a VB. Have always used a sling and carrier (just a buggy for running) and found it helps you walk more upright post section as well as having hands free- great for going up and down stairs post section.

[petalsandstars]

Yy ^^ good advice. Your needs may change when baby grows bigger. I had a caboo style then a ring sling and love my tula now.

[MissesandMuddles]

I'd also recommend a stretchy to start with. I'm due with dc3 soon (and also having an elcs) and have just got a close caboo - same as a stretchy but pre-tied so a bit quicker and easier.

I love Tulas and will use mine from around 6 months but nothing beats a stretchy for when they're very little, imo.

[DuhNuh]

I've had c - section number two and used an ergo from around 4 weeks old. She's almost 11 months now and it's still getting plenty of use. I've just started putting her on my back in it, and she loves it.

I used a baby bjorn with my first and he only used it for around 6 months as it was too uncomfortable on my back and he just didn't seem comfortable hanging off my front. The ergo website, I seem to recall, explains well why the ergo parent facing style is better for the baby.

I second using a sling library, they gave great advice and you can often take one home to try out. I was torn between the boba (?), manduca and ergo but went with the ergo when my friend sold me hers.

Good luck!

[littleostrich]

I'm no expert but I have a Connecta and I love it.

[Flakedorreadyrubbed]

Baby Bjorns are baaad. Look for a sling library for more help x

[WhatAHooHa]

We started off with a stretchy which was wonderful for really having the baby close into me. Next time around I will get a Close Caboo, being pretied would make it a lot quicker on the go. Once he grew out of that, I've moved on to a Mei Tai which I'm really enjoying at the mo, though I'm on the lookout for something which buckles up rather than having to be tied every time. Used bjorn-style carriers first time around. They aren't great for baby's hips, or your back and shoulders!

[puddleduck27]

thanks guys really useful. I need to research a sling library and try some out I think. can you use the ergobaby from birth with the infant carrier? Iv heard a few people say baby seems a bit squashed / at risk of suffocating. def going to research the stretchy type sling I remember being showed one with dd and thinking it looked to complicated but pretied sounds great.

[Runningupthathill82]

Loved my Baby Bjorn and will use it with DC2.
Everyone on here will tell you they're the work of the devil though.

Couldn't get on with the Moby (too fiddly) or the Babasling (DS was never comfortable in it). The babybjorn, by contrast, was easy for both DH and I to put on, and DS liked being in it.

[MadgeMak]

I used a stretchy wrap too for the first few months, yes it is a bit of a faff learning how to wrap and tie it but it soon became quick and easy to do. But as others have said, you can get pre-tied ones anyway if you prefer.

I then moved on to an ergo from around 4 months, but now my son is 13 months he's more up and down as he's starting to toddle so I use a ring sling mainly as it's quick to get him in/out and when it's not in use I wear it like a scarf or it folds down pretty small to fit into my bag. Definitely try to get along to a sling library and try out the different options.

[YouPooPooBumBum]

I recommend the Ergo baby carrier with the newborn baby insert.

[Luckystar1]

I have a Boba stretchy wrap, an Ergo and a Connecta. DS is 8 months and can go in all 3. The stretchy wrap is best for newborns, but it's an awful faff to get it wrapped and we wish we had a close caboo.

The Ergo is much more structured than the Connecta, and I find it more uncomfortable than the Connecta, but I am petite and I have narrow shoulders which is apparently a bad mix with the Ergo, but DH loves it.

The Connecta is lovely, so light and not at all fiddly.

Don't get a BB, there's so much else out there that's better for you and the baby.

Best of luck with everything!

[twinsandapenguin]

Lots of good advice here, the baby bjorn and Stokke and similar are just terrible. So uncomfortable to wear and not the best for the baby either.
I have a Tula and it is fab (from about 6 months). I have heard a connecta is good for a smaller baby. A lot of slings have good resale value so you can buy them and then sell them on, but sling libraries are fantastic to get an idea of what you want

[WeddingNoNos]

Never really enjoyed the Babasling.

Love the Tula. Never looked back!

[theDudesmummy]

Ring slings are the best! I had one like this, it was great and I used it from when he was a teeny preemie until he was quite big, it just went everywhere
www.littlepossums.co.uk/slings/ring-slings.htm

[puddleduck27]

thanks all I'm so glad I asked! I really like the close caboon. Altho the ring slings are lovely. Need to try some one out as they look a bit trickier. Maybe I'll be able to do without the dreaded double buggy after all

[Sparrowlegs248]

I have tried on a number of carriers, and read up a lot. The baby bjorn gets slated because of the narrow seat width. However, i have just bought one which has a very wide seat width for the baby, and it was the only one i could put on on my own! I went out thinking i would buy an ergo but I just couldn't do it up, needed someone to fasten a clip for me, same with the much recommended manduca. I have a stretchy wrap to start with.

You should really try before you buy. For me, it would be pointless getting the ergo if i can't get the thing on without help.

[DuhNuh]

I used the ergo with the newborn insert. I found it fine, and it's only for a short time anyway, but I know some people find them too hot and a bit of a faff. I liked how snuggly my baby seemed in it and I don't think there's any more risk of them being smothered than in any other sling

[Topsy34]

There are loads of types and you need to see what you are comfy with so a sling library is a fab place to start.

I had a simply mei tai first, the connectas, and then babies in space, rose and rebellion. I am lusting after a custom madame googoo!

The narrow based carriers (baby bjorn) are not great for the pelvis of the baby and the position can be uncomfortable for you and the baby and actually quite fiddly to use.

Just be cautious when buying ergo, especially second hand, insist on proof of purchase as there are many fakes around that dont reach safty standards.

[Mamamia321]

I totally loved the Closet. Could just slip baby in so easy and then secure all fabric and so comfy. Never got on with any structured slings at all.

[caffiene99]

I had an Ergo with the newborn insert and have only stopped using it in the last month or so (my son is 1.5 years) as the bump from my second pregnancy is too big now!

For new borns it's better if the baby can face you. The Baby Bjorn's aren't particularly supportive for baby's developing hips.

The advice to find a local along library is really good - you can hire out and try different slings until you find one you like. Good luck!

[L0gLady]

DON'T get the Stokke. My mum got it for us and it's horrible.

[Socalled]

Absolutely, don't buy anything until after the baby is born, or you risk an expensive mistake - especially with an ELCS. (I had one, and was fine using a Close Caboo fairly early on, but some NCT friends who also had a CS found it too painful.) Sling libraries are a godsend.

[SaulGood]

The Bjorn is good for neither you nor the baby. It's not the devil's work but when there are better, safer options out there, I could never recommend it.

Different slings fulfil different needs in the parent and the child. I never used a pram so used slings exclusively. DD was in a coorie when very tiny, then we used either an ergo or a wrap until she was around 3. She liked the ergo best. DS was happiest in a wrap. I used the ergo with him when he was under 1 but I was much slimmer when he was a toddler than I was when his big sister was younger and being skinnier with narrow shoulders, the ergo started to hurt like nobody's business. I was gutted as I adored that sling. He was much happier in a good wrap and was carried in one until he was 3. He's 3.10 now and I still stick him in a wrap on my back if we're walking a very long way or in a big crowd.

I had a couple of ring slings too and they were great for occasional use. I took them to festivals with me when the dc were walking but still small as they would clamber in and out and could see a lot. Serious trekking however I didn't do with a ring sling as the weight isn't distributed across both shoulders which can cause problems.

[Plateofcrumbs]

Soft wrap style is great for the first 4 months or so - i often used to put mine on in the morning and wear it all day, popping the baby in and out as and when - he loved being in there for naps and can breastfeed without untying the wrap. I used to wear a vest top under the wrap and then layer up with a loose cardigan, coat etc as needed.

A more structured carrier like an Ergo or Manduca are great from about 4 months upwards.

Baby Bjorns are horrid - I hate seeing babies hanging from them, just don't look well supported or cosy at all.