Front carrier for mom's with bad backs?

C

cyclinggirl

Cathlete
Hi,

I've been using the original baby bjorn, a friend gave it to me after her son used it. My daughter was too small at first but we've been using it since she was about 3 months old and she LOVES it! And I LOVE having her hang out in front of me grasping my fingers while I sing to her and give her a guided tour. I love to feel her bounce with joy as she sees birds, flowers, dogs, and other things that make her happy. But...now my back is killing me. She was 9lbs when we started and now she's 16+.

Any suggestions for a comfy front carrier where she can face outward? The ergo looks cushy but she'd be bored staring at my neck and chin! I'm considering the Bjorn Active, it has lumbar support. Does anyone have it? Is it working for you?

Any other brands that you can recommend?

I adore our walks, and using the stroller just isn't the same - she seems miles away and she zones out, doesn't get as excited or interested as when she's in the front carrier. She's doing so much more on her own now, so it's important for me to take advantage of these last few months of closeness before she's too heavy to carry around easily.

Thanks in advance! :)
Steph
 
We had a snugli that I hated, and I also am looking for a comfy, safe baby carrier where the baby can eventually face outward. I'm interested in seeing what everyone has to say...
 
i just got an ergo carrier on a reccomendation from a client. it can be used for an infant thru 40lber, worn in front, side, or back. i tried it with my 22lb toddler on sunday on my back. mind you, i am 35 weeks pregnant. it was amazingly comfy. i am looking forward to putting my new little one in it. i used a classic biorn with ds 1 and liked it, but it did get uncomfortable at a certain point.
 
I have an EllaRoo mei hip carrier that I used when Gus was 6 mos- 1 year. It was comfortable because the weight was on my hip more than my back.
 
Hi guys, thanks for all of your responses! It's so helpful!!

I read some great reviews that compared the Jeep carrier to the Bjorn active and many said it was better even though it's so much less expensive -- people who had the active and tried the Jeep. So...I went and got one for $40 and tried it last night. It IS more cushioned on the shoulders, and the straps and buckles are pretty easy to figure out. Plus, the cell phone pocket is way handy.

But...on our walk my daughter felt much lower and wobbly than in the Bjorn. I felt I had to keep a hand on her to steady her. Then she fell asleep and her face mashed forward into the carrier. In the Bjorn she doesn't slump in any one direction she's just sort of stationary in the middle. She's very short, just 24.5 inches at 6 months. So, I think a longer baby would have a less comfy time sleeping too, there's far less support in the neck/shoulder area than in the Bjorn. I had to walk a lot slower due to the jostling feeling. And I did have the buckles as tight around me as they would go. So...I'm returning it today and may just get the Bjorn Active to try out.

The Ergo DOES look soooo PLUSH. For those of you who have it, is there a way to put your baby in the FRONT facing FORWARD? I don't want to put in her in back b/c she's big into hair pulling now...and I don't want her facing me b/c I think she'll be frustrated that she can't see the world and knowing her she'll try to twist around. She's pretty tenacious!

I also have the Moby wrap. We tried that in the front, it's fine for around the house and short walks but for longer walks it's not that comfy for me, I think I need more support for 3-4 mile walks.

We have a sling too - the sprout pouch, it's like a hot sling. She's okay on my hip briefly but doesn't really like it that much. Basically, she doesn't like her movement confined and hasn't since she was born, for example she could never be swaddled...would always break out of it after lots of screaming.

Thanks again for all your help, hope you have a fun weekend!

Steph
 
the ergo cannot be worn with baby in frontfacing out, but, you can wear it on the side comfortably, and in back, baby is lower than a traditional backpack and i found it worked well if i pput my hair up. my guy loves it and it is so comfortable. hope that helps.
 
Can't you use your sling in a front facing position? My sling came with a video that showed how to use a lying/nursing position, a front facing, hip carrying, and on the back position. It is called "Over the Shoulder Baby Holder." It was great when the babies were smalland layed down, but once they were older I did tend to prefer my original Bjorn.

But I agree the original Bjorn is not very comfortable after a certain weight. A new front carrier is on my list of things needed for baby #3.

I am not a big fan of my wrap either. I felt like the baby was always bouncing. And putting it on and off was a pain.

Jeanne
 
i have an ergo and love it! dd loves to go on walks with me and has even fallen asleep in it facing me. i have a baby bjorn, but this is so much better - so much more comfortable for me and her! it comes with a how-to video on the different position possibilities :)
 
Okay, so I got the Ergo!! We got it yesterday and it's awesome. I can't face her forward but she still seems to like it and it's great for sleeping. I love the sleep hood, it's awesome. It pulls out of the front pouch to support their heads while they sleep...and keeps the bugs away at night. We had a ton of mosquitos tonight and I was grateful that her face was covered! Great for weather conditions like sun, wind, and rain I imagine as well.

My back feels wonderful too, most of the weight is distributed to your hips rather than your shoulders -- I love that. And there's a handy zipper for my cell phone etc.

It wasn't as expensive as I thought, just $92 where I bought it and they let me try it with my daughter so we could see if she'd take to it or not. There's a DVD too, but I haven't had to watch it yet. I found a great website that helped me understand the Ergo:
http://www.myfavoritebabycarrier.com/ergo.html

My daughter is a bit short for it but I'm glad to know that she'll grow into it and we'll have it for a long time without having to buy yet another carrier.

And those expecting babies soon should know that it works with infants through 40lb toddlers. I'm happy I bought it!!!

Thanks again!
Steph
 
glad you like it step. i cannot wait to try my new baby in it, and also to feel like i can carry my big baby in it! so comfy, and honnestly, i think it is more comfortable for the kids too. seems to support better. enjoy!
 
Hi Steph,
Well, I have become the queen of carriers, now having owned and tried many. The Ergo is the best for getting my Tamal (19 lbs. now) to sleep. But for forward facing, I know what you mean. That is by far his favorite way to travel! I recommend the Moby Wrap. It does not tax the back at all. Somebody gave me a Snugli, and that was terrible. The Moby is so versatile, you will be able to wear Sienna almost any way you want.

I have retired all ring slings because they have taken a toll on my right shoulder and nerve.
Manmohini
 
Hi Manmohini, good to hear from you! Tamal is huge, 19lbs wow! How long is he now? I do love the Ergo, I think it's helping my posture too. Nice bonus! I have the Moby, but lost the instructions so I need to download them or something. I can't remember how to tie it for the various options. It's a bit boingy for me...really bouncy, but I suppose I'd get used to it after a while. Even though Sienna enjoys the ergo and snoozes quickly I'd love to have another front facing option for her.

I thought of you recently. Sienna cut her lower teeth a few weeks ago and leading up to that her sleep was really bad. Then we got into a bad cycle with her waking to feed and get comfort everytime I went to bed regardless of how long she'd been down. I wasn't sleeping much at all, she was waking 3-6 times a night and I go to bed late (night owl) so I nearly lost my mind after about 6 weeks of this. So last weekend I caved and decided to attempt transitioning her to her own room and crib. It was tough at first but she loves her bed and has slept through the night 3 out of the 6 nights so far. :) (me too!!!)

And I'm focussing on letting her learn to self soothe by keeping her in her crib when she wakes up, so she can play. It's working. She woke up yesterday and didn't cry at all, she was smiley and content just playing in her crib. Awesome...so happy to see her content!

I'm also weaning her from her car seat nap dependence at day care so she's sleeping in a crib there. They were used to her sleeping 2-3.5 hours in her car seat and she was so easy to go down...probably making up for all the lost sleep at night!!! She sleeps less during the day but she's more engaged with the other kids and playing and she gets tuckered out so she goes down about 1-2 hours earlier.

How is your sleep situation going now? I hope you found a solution or that Tamal just outgrew his fussing. How many teeth does he have now?

Hope all is well!
Steph
 
Has anyone tried the Babyhawk? I am waiting for mine to arrive. I guess its similar to the Ergo. Just curious how anyone found the Babyhawk to work.
 
Never heard of them before but they look simple, easy and really pretty. Very fashionable! Let us know how you like it when it comes.

My first reaction to the photos in the gallery on their site is that the top head support looks high and stiff, not great for short older babies like mine who'll get lost in it...they won't be able to see out very well. But tiny newborns and infants might like the comfort and being snuggled below the surface. With larger toddlers it looks really practical! How old is yours?

Thanks for mentioning it!

Steph
 
Steph,
I have two daughters. My older is two years and two months and my younger is almost 6 months. I'll let you know how I like it. The scheduled delivery date is 6/4 (this coming Wednesday).
Thanks.
Linda
 
Hi Steph,
I just heard from my stepdaughter who teaches babywearing in NYC. She said that for forward facing wear, you should check out the Baby Trekker (it's Canadian). She warns against mainstream brands (Babies R Us) because they are for women who are not committed to long term baby wearing. If you're committed to the long term, you need something ergonomic (like the Ergo). However, she did tell me that after 15 pounds, you really shouldn't be wearing a baby forward facing on the front of your body. Drats! That's Tamal's favorite position. She recommended that I transition him to my back. I tried it last night, and he seemed to like it. But it takes some getting used to. First off, it's scary to swing the baby up onto the back. Second, you can't see what he's up to back there. I would almost like a rear view mirror. Anyways, I thought about getting the Trekker, but since Tamal is 19 pounds, I might think twice about wearing him forward facing on the front. Even though my back feels fine now, I could easily blow it out. I blew out my right shoulder and right arm with a ring sling in the first 3 months of Tamal's life.

Sienna sure has caught up in weight. What a relief for her. Good luck with teething. I hope it goes easy for her. She sounds like an easygoing baby. Tamal cut his first two teeth at 4 months. At 6 months, he is now starting to cut all 4 teeth on the top at once! Amazingly, he is so much less perturbed by it than he was at 4 months. I don't understand.

He still nurses through the night. I console myself by saying it's only a short and precious time in his life. He certainly won't be doing this in 20 years. He is an extremely restless sleeper. I used to think something was wrong given the way he would jerk around and toss all night, sometimes constantly. But you know, he sleeps right through it all, and some mothers have told me that their infants were extremely restless and nothing was wrong. I'm sleeping right next to him as well, so I hear everything. I have just given up on sleep for awhile. Luckily, I'm on summer break.

The nap regimen was hellish for awhile. I realized at about 4 1/2 months that he was sleep deficient. He would often take short naps or no naps. Now I insist on a morning and afternoon nap both, hopefully of at least an hour if not more. He's a much more jolly fellow since he's been getting more sleep. After about 3-3 1/2 hours of being awake, he gets cranky. I've tried putting him to sleep after 2 hours as one popular book recommends, but he won't go for that at all. As long as he naps about 3 hours a day, he's fine. Still, it's been a struggle. We just started solids last week, and I can see the learning curve on this new chapter will also be high. Alas!

Hey , if you can, please send a recent pic of Sienna. I would love to see her developing
Manmohini
Manmohini
 
Hello all.

So, I got my Babyhawk carrier about a week and a half ago. I have had a chance to practice using it some, but not a ton yet. So far, I am very frustrated with it.

I find it really difficult to get the baby onto my back without feeling like I am going to drop her (same goes for getting her out of it). I don't like that I can't preload her into the carrier and then strap her onto me. I also find that the carrier is usually off-center once I do finally get the straps up over my shoulders. I feel like it splits the baby's legs too wide apart. I also don't like the way the straps feel on my shoulders and when they tie in the front (tight), you get lumps and bumps from the straps digging into your stomach (who needs that?). I feel like it cuts off my circulation because the veins in my hands are popping out when I get it on.

I did try it with my toddler and she seems to like being in it (it can hold up to 40 pounds). It was easier to get her into it because she can follow my instructions. I'm not sure how long I could wear a baby in it.

My sister has one and she loves hers. I chose the Babyhawk over the Ergo because of her speaking so highly of it.

I am going to give it some more time, but right now I'm wishing I spent the money on the Ergo. I saw someone wearing an Ergo over the weekend and it definitely looks more user-friendly than the Babyhawk.

Live and learn!
 
Hi Linda and Manmohini!

Thanks for the posts and info. Linda, I'm sorry that the BabyHawk isn't what you had hoped. That stinks! Thanks for telling us though.

I have a friend who's looking for a front carrier. Her son is outgrowing her sling. I sent the info about the baby trekker to her. Linda, check out the trekker. It's more expensive than the Ergo but looks a bit more flexible in terms of the positioning and it's WAY padded. If I had seen it before I bought my Ergo I'd have snapped it up - it's looks like you could use it for at least 4 years. Nice!!
http://www.babytrekker.com/see the trekker.htm

Though I do love the Ergo's feel and comfort, I still miss letting my daughter face out. :-( (regardless of her poundage and warnings)

The Ergo tends to make her nod off very quickly, so she doesn't get to stay up and explore the world with me the way she used to. She fell asleep using the Bjorn, just not so quickly. She also gets frustrated being down too low and looking over her shoulder and straining her neck. So...if you're interested in comfort and inducing sleep, it's tremendous that way. :) I'm able to prop her up by her armpits for the first phase of the walk, so she can see more. That has helped but it doesn't look too comfy for her...and she still strains her neck.

I may try the Infantino front carrier, it's inexpensive, well padded and has excellent reviews. For the low price I wouldn't mind owning 2 carriers. One for longer wearing & napping (Ergo) and one for exploring and quick trips where she'll want to see things (infantino).
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2864800 (This is why the Baby Trekker appeals to me...it's all in one.)

Manmohini, thanks for all this info! I'll send you a note and some photos via email as soon as I can. I'm so glad to hear that Tamal is doing better with his teething now. Sienna is getting ready to cut her top teeth so she's uncomfortable now...hopefully they'll come soon! Apparently Arancini's little one (Nico) has 12 teeth already! Wow!! Can you believe that?? He's just 2 weeks older than Tamal. Yikes! And his molars are on the way....

Take care, I'll talk to you soon.

Steph
 
Steph,
I'm with you all the way. I would love to continue to wear Tamal facing out. He loves it! It allows him to engage with the world, whereas he usually falls asleep when he is facing my body. I am almost tempted to purchase the Baby Trekker anyways just to get a few more opportunities to wear him facing out. He really is pushing the limit on the Moby Wrap at 19 pounds. I do feel a slight pulling in my lower back if I wear him too long this way. Let me know how the Infantino works. I might try that if you have luck.

Wow, I can't believe Nico has 12 teeth. Tamal got two at 4 months. At 6 months, he is pushing through 4 at once!
Manmohini
 
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