Baby carrier for long baby and mum with large norks - thinking of BB SYnergy or Miracle

[orchidee]

I currently have a 12lber in a fabric sling (Close parent) and cannot see this being a long term option so am thinking of buying a structured carrier, maybe the Bjorn Synergy or the new Miracle. The fabric sling is okay at home but keeping baby's face from being squished and shoulder / back pain for me means readjustments and short durations are required.

Also, I know some people are anti-BB but is there any evidence or is it more of a gut feeling / urban myth? BB's website says they are recommended by experts.

May be worth you reading these links:

www.storchenwiege.com/babycarrierresearch.htm
www.didymos.com/index.php?s=bonnet
www.continuum-concept.org/reading/spinalStress.html

I believe there are many reasons to avoid the BB (speaking as someone who has recently ditched theirs) relating to the'crotch dangling' position they force the baby into, the problems with the front facing out position and the fact that all the babies weight is effectively hung from the wearers shoulders. There just seem so many reasons not to use them, especially as there are so many options which avoid these problems.

If you want a structured carrier maybe look at something like the Ergo, Manduca or Beco Gemini. Not much more expensive than a BB and avoid the problems mentioned above.

Oh, and definitely try before you buy. www.slumber-roo.com hire carriers and they do stock the Gemini and Manduca. Also see if there is a sling meet anywhere near you where you can go along and try some out.

Good luck !

Also, I've not looked at the BB website but I would take the phrase "recommended by experts" with a pinch of salt. It's a meaningless phrase without qualification.

i have MASSIVE boobage and used an ellaroo wrap when my dc were babies. i moved onto an ergo carrier and a roseandrebellion carrier after they were about a year old. found them all to be really fantastic and very comfy and easy to wear for long periods of tiime.

the soft structured carriers can be used until kids are quite big and heavy....my five year old used to get the occasional carry without any bother!!!

whilst expensive, it will see you through a few years and should be classed as an investment almost!

have a look at www.thebabywearer.com/index.php?page=choosinglinks for some good thoughts on choosing a carrier to suit you and your needs.

Thanks everyone for your ideas and advice. I forgot to say earlier, but a priority is that I am able to get the baby in and out of the carrier without assistance and without a flat surface to lie the baby on, e.g. from sling/carrier to car seat to sling / carrier. I have been loaned a carrier with buckles and cannot get the baby in or out of the carrier easily. I have to put the baby's part of the carrier on a flat surface then lie the baby on top (while bending forward and killing my back) then do up the buckles and flip the baby into a standing position. So I moved from that to the stretchy Close carrier but while I can get the baby in and out a lot easier, it doesn't feel supportive enough. Maybe a woven fabric rather than stretchy jersey would be better?

I would avoid stretchy wraps/carriers for anything other than a small baby, they just don't have the support you need once they are over about 4/5 months. I normally use a Babyhawk mei tai which is lovely and supportive for DD and comfortable for me, but not ideal for quick transfers to or from the car seat because of the long tails which keep trailing in the gutter. I have just purchased a Connecta to use for car journeys which looks pretty easy to get baby in and out of, so I will report back once I have tried it.
My friend loves her Beco Gemini and looks pretty slick whizzing her DD in and out of it (no flat surface needed) so that may be an option for you to look at.
Definitely worth hiring before you buy though just to be sure you get something which works.

Thanks beamel I'd appreciate hearing how you get on with the Connecta. Can I ask where you got it from? (connectababycarriers.com says the site is closed but will reopen which makes me wonder what's going on.)

I saw the Beco on youtube, although I think it was the butterfly..

We bought the Ergo and it is absolutely brilliant; does everything you say you need it to and it's the most comfortable carrier I've worn. I also currently have F-cup breasts, so I can vouch for comfort on the norkage front

I have a generous frontage (HH!??! I hope these go down eventually!) and both I and DH have carried him in a mei-tai (like a hawk carrier) from a couple of weeks with no suffocation, back problems, or uncomfortable strap issues.

These days I tend to put him in a back carry with it (10 months, about 10kg I think), but at first he used to enjoy standing/sitting facing forward (legs in until he was about 6 months)

orchidee - my Connecta is from www.slingjax.co.uk, but I found that closertoyou.co.uk and littlepossums.co.uk also have some in stock, just not all the designs. I will report back as soon as I have tried it out.
Slingjax have the Connecta availalable for hire too.