Baby carriers are so important if you want to be able to get anything done, especially while still on maternity leave and baby is sleeping most of the time. Actually, scratch that, babies usually sleep better when being held, so carriers can be a godsend if mom needs a few more minutes of peace and quiet. I never really thought much about baby carriers before because I got two as gifts and thought I was pretty much covered. We got the Baby Bjorn and the Ergobaby. We never really used the Baby Bjorn because I kept hearing all this hype around the Ergobaby. My lovely MOH and bestie gifted us a special, designer print ergobaby pictured below:
We used the infant insert with it when Ethan was only a month old, but he quickly grew out of that insert. The ergobaby was very comfortable to use because it kept him so close to my body, which dispersed his ~8lbs pretty well. The only drawback to using it, as with most carriers actually, is that both Ethan and I would get extremely hot. I think it's cuz of all that fabric, and he was basically a mini heater with all that healthy blood circulating and stuff. Only recently have I been looking for something new because of a few things:
1. Lucas didn't like using the ergo because he felt like he was suffocating Ethan, and he wanted something that would let Ethan face outwards.
2. Ethan is around 20lbs now, and while the ergo disperses weight well, it doesn't have as much structure as I'd like for support. On the box, it also recommends carrying babies in the backpack position after 6 months, but I can't bring myself to carry Ethan in that position. It also seems like a very complicated position to maneuver into based on the vids I've seen.
So, we busted out the Baby Bjorn that was sitting in our closet for the longest time to give it a go. It was way worse than the ergo for a 20lb baby. It might have been good for when Ethan was younger and lighter because it was easier to put on than the ergo, and it could face outwards. But, because it only really had straps on top like a backpack, all the weight was based on the shoulders. No bueno.
Inspired by youtube once again, I came across the Hipster from a vlog I watched and immediately backed the kickstarter. Just lookie here...
There's an actual seat for the baby to sit on! That means Ethan won't be squished up against me anymore, meaning less heat and more comfy for both parties involved. More importantly, a lot of the weight is going to be supported from my core and back because of the thick strap across the bottom.
Oooh the colors. I battled between whether to go gender neutral and get the beige one to match my car, or get the blue one because it was perty. Perty won.
Look at ALL the carrying options!! Outward facing too!! Can you tell I'm excited?!
Yay for removable panel so it won't be as hot! !!!!
Now, for the downside: I had to wait over a month for the kickstarter term to complete and for them to start production and ship out units. Soooo, while I still backed it, I was on a mission to get something similar that could help me out NOW. I managed to find the Jerrybaby, which is like a cheaper, stripped down version of the hipster.
The shipping took forever from China, but it arrived sooner than projected (within two weeks). Once I saw it on my front doorstep, I tore open the packaging and immediately tried it. *Cue angels singing* It was, literally, instant relief for my arms and wrists when carrying Ethan. Just like the hipster, the seat is detachable from the top strap portion, but I found it much easier to just use it as a whole to be completely hands-free. I wish I had gotten this earlier! It has made my morning routine so much safer and less like a daily weight lifting workout bringing him and all his daycare stuff downstairs to the car.
The kickstarter for the hipster has finally completed, so I'm anticipating its production and eventual arrival to my house. Although I'm pretty happy with the jerrybaby, I'm excited to see if the hipster is even more comfortable. Ethan is excited too I'm sure; Happy Mom = happy baby.
This mini-revelation made me think, "What other carriers have I missed out on?" I've seen a couple infant carriers on youtube that intrigued me for my next baby...
The ring sling:
The K'tan:
Who knows if these can beat the ergobaby during in the infant stage, but it'll be interesting to see how they compare in the future.
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