My first was the Ergo. It was a gift from my mom while we were out baby stuff shopping one day. Before that day, I never knew there were so many different options when it came to baby carriers. A friend had given me an Infantino "Breathe" and a Baby Bjorn, so I was just planning on using those. Then I started to hear news about how those carriers were not structured properly and contributed to hip dysplasia (this was back in 2010. I believe they have redesigned their carriers since then).
The lady at the store said it was the most popular soft structured baby carrier because it provided proper ergonomic support for baby and was comfortable for the parent to wear. There's a hood that's attached that can be taken out to cover baby's head - great for when baby is sleeping or, if you're savvy enough, nursing. There are accessories like a newborn insert or teething pads you can purchase separately.
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| newborn insert |
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| teething pads |
The newborn insert is NECESSARY for babies 7-12 lbs (based on what it says on their website). So it's an additional expense. Plus, it's HOT. I had both my babies in the summer, so this was not an option. But once they were a little older and had head control, I found myself reaching for the Ergo whenever I needed to run errands with the baby.
It allows you to wear baby in 3 different positions: front facing in, hip and back. Unfortunately, our first baby loved facing out and would get very squirmy if she had to stay in this for longer than 15 minutes.
It comes in great neutral colors, so dads might feel better about using it too. However, I started to resent needing to readjust the fit after my husband would use it. It's not a big deal, but he would wear our first daughter a lot, so we were readjusting it constantly. That got me wondering if there was something else out there that would allow us to wear the baby facing out AND would not have to readjust all the time. That's when I found the Mei Tai.
Through an online review, I discovered the Catbird Mei Tai. A cross between a traditional soft structured carrier and a wrap, a Mei Tai has long straps that you tie around your body to secure baby instead of buckles.
What's great about this carrier is you don't need an infant insert for smaller babies and you can front carry facing out with the Catbird. And because there are no buckles, there's no need to readjust from person to person.
The model/version I have is older, so it doesn't have a hood or the headrest. Both of which would have come in handy and made me use this carrier more often. I definitely like how the bottom can be cinched so a younger baby's legs can be out instead of tucked inside because my babies like to KICK! I'm talking about non-stop kicking/bouncing whenever their adorable tiny feet come in contact with anything.
While I like the fact there are no buckles to deal with, it does mean that the long straps hang on the ground when baby is not in it. This makes it rather inconvenient when we are out and about. With the Ergo, you can let it hang without fear of it touching the ground. This is the same issue I have with the Moby Wrap.
The Moby Wrap is one long piece of cotton cloth that you use to wrap baby to your body. There's a definite learning curve to figure out how to safely wrap it so baby is secure and comfortable.
What I LOVE about the Moby is how comfortable baby is once she is in the Moby, especially as a newborn. The stretch cotton fabric gives just the right amount of tension to make baby feel secure. I wore both babies in the Moby a lot the first few weeks we were home. Otherwise I would get nothing done around the house.
There are multiple carry positions and ways to wrap using the Moby. There are many instructional videos on YouTube that can show you how, but I always default to the Hug Hold. As with the Mei Tai, the fabric drags on the ground as you wrap it around you, so it's not ideal for when we're out. I'll usually wrap it at home and then put baby in it after we arrive at our destination. However, it gets HOT. We live in California, where it's mostly sunny 350 days a year and my babies were both born in the summer. Both babies got overheated quickly if we were not in an air conditioned environment for longer than 15 minutes, even if all they were wearing was a sleeveless onesie. So I looked online and found the Bali Breeze.
The Bali Breeze is similar to the Moby Wrap with the exception that it's made of a woven cotton gauze and doesn't have much stretch. From what I can tell, it's supposed to be one of the most breathable, light wraps on the market. They have beautiful patterns and colors to choose from.
Like with the Moby Wrap, there is a learning curve. I could never figure out how to wrap it so that both baby and I were both comfortable. And although it's lighter and more breathable than the Moby, it was still warm after being wrapped up. I wanted to like and use this so badly (I am in love with their batik prints), but I just couldn't use it comfortably. This lead me to discover the Baby K'Tan.
The Baby K'Tan is stretchy like a Moby Wrap, breathable like the Bali Breeze and does not have yards of fabric to deal with so it's highly portable.They have both cotton knit and a "breeze" that's mesh/cotton.
It's tricky to figure out the proper size. I think the best way is to try it on at a brick-and-mortar store with baby. From what I've read online, it's great to use when baby is small, but gets rather uncomfortable once baby is bigger. According to the website it can go up to 35 lbs. I think the same could be said of the Moby Wrap and Bali Breeze. Once baby is heavier, I think it would be more comfortable to use a carrier with more structure to support the weight.
There's one carrier that I do not own that I would like to try. That's the Beco Gemini.
It offers 4 carry positions including front facing out, buckles so you don't need to worry about straps dangling on the floor, and is structured so it can help support growing baby's weight. From what I can tell, the Gemini does not need an infant insert and does not have a hood.
I wonder, if I could do it all over again, if the Gemini and Baby K'Tan would've worked best for my family. In the world of baby carriers, there's definitely something for everyone. Just keep looking and try as many out in stores as you can find. They are a worthy investment.
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