Curious - why don't more people use baby carriers?

[togarama]

I'm increasingly curious about this and just wondered if others on MN could shed some light on their choice of buggy Vs carrier (or both).

I don't know many other parents IRL and those I do come into contact with are often so obviously negative about baby carriers that I don't think I would gain anything other than a sore ear from asking them....

We've always used slings, wraps and other carriers with 20 month old DD because they're comfortable (for us and baby), convenient (especially since they leave your hands free) and fit our lifestyle. We walk a lot, like to be spontaneous and don't want to have to think about buggy access / stair problems every time we leave the house. I also travel a lot by train and tube and can't even begin to imagine the hassle of trying to cart a pram or buggy around the public transport system.

However, I'm always very conscious when with other parents (e.g. dropping DD at nursery and being stared at...) that we're very much in a minority and I don't really understand why. Carriers just seem to have so many advantages and appear much more logical for commuting and city living. But buggies are somehow still the choice of the majority.

Why is this?

Re the carryign stuff - I to shove all my personal stuff in my pockets - I am not talking about my stuff but school run stuff and other malarky - I think it depends how many children you have generally and how you are getting them to school and how long the walk is etc.

Sadly normality - I fall into your unhealthy camp - and I dont think you should dismiss that out of hand as rare as a lot of us do.

The toilet thing with a buggy - you either use a large cubicle or just leave them outside with the door shut - you're not settling down with a good book are you

They are great when I've been on a flight on my own with the children. One rucksack is enough for all the rubbish I need for the three chilmdren.

If I take the three children swimming, I do use a bag on wheels (it's softer te=hen a shopping trolley)for all the swimming stuff.

To OP, if you judge people who use buggies, do you expect them not to judge you because you use a sling? Can't we just do what we think suit us without being judged????? Goodness me, it really makes me think that we spend way too much time worring about what 'the others' do.

I personally don't bother judging other mums who use/don't use something that I have found useful. I don't judge: BF v bottle, buggy v sling, co-sleeping v cot, dummies, home cooked v baby pots, etc. It is all rather pointless. Each to their own, really. You make your choice and don't have to justify it to anyone!

BlueberryPancake What on earth are you talking about? Have you just posted in the wrong place? Please read my OP again and stop spouting nonsense.

It's been clear all the way through that this is not a thread about ideology or buggy/carrier superiority.

It's a thread about experience, lifestyle choices and understanding why we make them. With a handful of unfortunate exceptions no one is judging anyone else on this thread.

zombishambles - I didn't say that, you misunderstand me. I said:

"With a healthy child and a healthy mother, there is very rarely such a thing as too heavy"

I cannot comment on individual health problems - I do not know about them. I have helped people carry with back problems (inc previous surgeries and spina bifida) but I have no medical knowledge, just sling experience, I'm not going to tell you can can carry if you feel you can't - nor would I wish to. I did not dismiss health problems out of hand as rare. People with health problems who want to carry should probably seek both expert sling and medical advice in tandem.

DancingHippoOnAcid - did you ever try? You don't even need to lift them by the time they get to 4yo, they just hop on and off you go. Yesterday my 4yo went to sleep on my back quite happily after school as we had a long walk to a friends for tea. She was then able to stay up 'late' and play with her friend without getting overtired after a full school day. They don't become 4yo overnight, each month they get a teeny bit heavier but you don't really notice because you're used to it

zombi - what, you leave the baby outside a public toilet cubicle with the door shut??? I am surprised you have not had the police called yet, as I would have thought anyone walking into a public toilet and seeing a baby on the floor apparently unattended would immediately think it had been abandoned.

Personally, have never come across a public toilet cubucle that is so small that you cannot lay the baby down inside it on a changing mat.

dancing - I rarely say this on MN because I try and respect other people's opinions - but don't be ridiculous .

If a pram was just outside a locked/engaged cubicle, then I think it would be obvious to anyone that the parent was in the cubicle.

There may be enough space on the toilet cubclie floor but it is rarely hygienic enough in a public toilet.

I think Zombi means leave the baby outside in a pushchair.

I've never laid a baby on a toilet floor though. Usually she was happily out of the way high on my back, unable to reach anything or get in the way at all.

Not the case now, she's a PITA in the cubicle (Mummy why are you hairy, Mummy are you doing a poo, Mummy you are bleeding, you need a plaster, hey Daddy my Mummy did a really big wee, Hey Grandad my Mummy has a hairy fanjo etc etc etc ) so I usually send her to the loo by herself

belgo - sorry just realised I misread Zombi's post and thought she meant she left the baby outside when she was using the sling. I now see she was referring to using a buggy. My apologies.

Though personally I always felt uneasy about leaving the baby outside in buggy even for a few minutes, but a lot of people do and it is not unreasonable.

Floor is OK if you put baby down on a mat.

Normality, my DD when a toddler used to unlock the door and throw it open right at the crucial moment - caused many an embarrassing moment!

Finding my mojo - here is a list of the London slingmeets updating regularly :) There are about 3-4 a month across London from what I can tell, but it's not my area unfortunately. Contacting anyone running one on the page should see you directed to your nearest. The poster 'baretrix' is London based and runs the online shop Slingjax.

www.slingmeet.co.uk/forums/forumdisplay.php?9-London&s=c2f2103cfda7967f58f5d0e6d2c70591

Of all the things to judge people's parenting on, whether they use a sling or a buggy has to be the silliest Especially since it is rarely either/or - most sling users have a buggy as well, and most buggy users at least have used a babybjorn.

I think a lot of the comments about slings being uncomfortable/babies being too heavy come from the type of carrier used - I found the babybjorn uncomfy for both of us, and I also have a wilkinet that is comfier but only for short periods, and very faffy. However, I got a Close carrier and can wear it for hours and it puts ds to sleep almost instantly. The slings available on the high street tend to be less comfortable types for some reason.

However, I was given my slings second hand or bought them off ebay - if I was to spend £100 on a new one I'd damn well want to try it on first!

oh ok

I'm just waiting for someone to link to this

that solves one problem!

One problem?

I'd have it for everyday use

I don't think 'travelling light' would have worked for me personally. There's only so much you can pare down, and if you're shopping you always end up with armfuls. I did use a Baby Bjorn for a bit and hated the sheer feeling of lugging everything around - it made me feel kind of trapped.

But then I LOVED using a buggy and being able to hang everything off it as I get sore shoulders when carrying any sort of bag. I've now got a shopping trolley as a substitute

Normality - at the embarrassing comments (they sound familiar) and at your 4 year old falling asleep on your back. I did gave my 4 year old a piggy back the other day and it was extremely back breaking, can't imagine doing it long enough for her to fall asleep.

I am not a martyr, I would not do it if it were painful (if I do not have a sling with me I tell her NO she cannot be carried because she is too heavy and hurts my arms) If I have a sling, it is no trouble. Really - not painful. Not uncomfortable. Not even particularly heavy. It's like being a bit overweight - I feel a bit heavier as I walk - but no strain, no trouble. I can happily run or jump or skip (and do - wouldn't with a baby on though )

I often wish I could click my fingers and have someone else feel as I feel when she is on my back. But even if I leant her and a sling to someone they haven't the practise I've had tying it so it's invariably too loose or saggy etc etc which will cause pain - and they haven't had the 4-year build up from carrying a tiny baby to a large 46lb lump. For me, it is honestly easy - a thousand times easier than carrying her in my arms which I literally cannot do for more than 50 yards.

I think it does depends on you and your child tho
DS was an asthamtic reluxing puker

I needed at least 2 changes of clothes for him and a spare bra & top for me, if we were going to be out of the house for more than 2 hours. Plus his inhalers and his other meds and a few nappies and wipes etc

After the Bjorn my one was like a sash made of fleece- mai tai rings a slight bell? but he just flopped in it and didnt feel secure or look comfortable, then he started crying every time I tried to use it
Would have had some help with it and maybe we could have made it work

Pixelherder - I mostly use the pushchair when I'm doing a food shop. It suits me to have the choice, and I think that's the same for many sling users.

Would have LOVED some help with it, that was meant to say

Anyone who has problems with ligaments or tendons in their legs or feet will be advised to lose weight. Carrying a baby puts weight on your legs. Anyone with arthritis in knees and ankles - same thing. I am hypermobile, have arthritis and I have something called planter fasciitis which causes severe heel pains. All because I was a long distance runner and also ballet did'nt do me a favour. Adding weight to your body if you have any of these medical conditions is not recommended as it will increase the inflamation. I think there must be a list of hundreds of conditions that would prevent you from using a sling or carrying babies. I think it's a myth that anyone can wear a sling.

I personally think that they are way overpriced.

Having said that, I had two slings, a Wilknet (what a pain that was, completely useless and whoever pretends that they are easy goodness me, they are a real pain to put on). and a Patapum for toddler, which I loved but had to stop using because of the above.

Use 2 different slings with mine. All good. Use the buggy too cos its nice to put them down sometimes!

I always wanted to enjoy using both a sling and a buggy. in fact I bought 2 slings before DS was born. I tried a number of times, but unfortunately he had reflux for the first 12 months and after wiping up warm, milky baby vomit from out of my cleavage (facing me), from off the floor/front of my trousers (forward facing) and from down my back I gave up on the idea and saved on the laundry by putting him in the buggy.

Normality - yes I can imagine that a properly tied sling would be a LOT easier than a piggy back, as a lot of the effort of the piggy back is in bending over and trying to clutch their legs to make sure they don't fall off.

But in answer to the OP, a lot of the problem is that I'm just not that fit, and about 2 stone overweight. Also get niggling back, joint and shoulder pain generally, so carrying stuff doesn't help. I can comfortably stride out and push a heavy pram, even up hills (well for a bit, anyway ) but carrying anything does me in.