No babies were hurt in the making of this blog post. Always follow this rule of thumb when wearing your baby: close enough to kiss/can see their face.
I love wearing my daughter Ella.
She likes it too, much more than bouncing along in the stroller. She sings and kicks her feet, rests her head on my chest and even nurses while we’re walking. This means less tears. And happy baby = happy mama.
Baby wearing is a lifestyle.
Mothers wear their babies not only for the emotional comfort, although that is a great reason, but for skin-to-skin contact, to regulate breathing and pass back and forth loving hormones.
The safety of wraps, carriers and slings has been in the news recently. It may
be in your best interest to stay away from carriers like the Infantino, which carries a higher risk of suffocation due to bad positioning.
Some reports have advised mothers not to wear their babies under 4 months of age. This is not accurate. You’ll definitely want to carry your newborn. Just make sure your baby is upright and it’s face is visible!
I owned the Infantino carrier for a moment – literally, a moment. We tried putting Ella in it and she seemed so uncomfortable that we just took her out and stuck it right back in the box.
Having used 5 different baby wearing devises, I thought I’d discuss my thoughts on the matter and share some user-friendly information.
(All wrap & carrier info is in chronological order from newborn to toddler)
Wrap #1: The Peanut Shell
The first wrap I wore Ella in was a Peanut Shell – sent from a friend. I pulled out from the box of goodies she sent a big donut shaped piece of fabric and thought, “what the heck is this??” I read the friend’s card, checked the label on the sling and searched for more information online.
The Peanut Shell website was very helpful, providing explanations and “how-to” pictures. I even looked up some videos on You Tube (thank you to all the moms out there who make instructional videos).
Do not wear the Peanut Shell as depicted in the photo to the right – make sure you can always see baby’s face and be close enough to kiss.
I only wore Ella in the Peanut Shell a handful of times. It didn’t look like she was comfortable, not being able to hold up her head or re-position herself. So I simply sat on the couch with her, (see top picture) which allowed some freedom and rest for my arms.
I think I like the Shell for toddlers – you can throw them on your hip that way. I’ve seen friends pop their 2 year olds on in and would recommend this wrap for that age group above newborns.
Wrap #2: The Moby Wrap
I have a love/hate relationship with the Moby and all other wraps that are essentially extremely long pieces of fabric.
On one hand, they’re very versatile. Wear your baby facing out, facing in, on your front, back or side – it’s up to you and baby. 
Just learn how to wrap the thing around you before you have a wailing baby that wants to be picked up. Frustrating!
I will say however, that the Moby is a great wrap for infants. You can snuggle their little bodies up so close – right under your chin. Very cozy.
I finally got the hang of the Moby Wrap when Ella started feeling too heavy and kicking her legs seemed to mess up the way she was wrapped. Before I knew it, she was lop-sided, so I decided it was time to invest in a different kind of carrier – one that has snaps and buckles.
I went to a local baby boutique and tested out different styles of baby carriers interchanging Ella into several positions and walking around the store before making a choice.
Here are a few notes from my experience:
The Baby Bjorn wasn’t very comfortable. At all. It kind of laid funny over my breasts. I think it might be better for dads and have heard the same from a few friends. Yet I do see mothers wearing them out and about…so it could very well be personal preference!
The ERGO Baby Carrier was fantastic but Ella really liked to face out at the time. That position is not an option with Ergo. I was pretty bummed about that limitation because the Ergo Carrier was what I initially had my heart set on purchasing it.
The Cybex 2.g0 was new on the market. 5 positions and comfortable, including forward facing with 70% of weight distributed on the hips for babies ranging 8-40 lbs…
I ended up buying the Cybex due to the outward facing compatibility. It didn’t hurt my back, shoulder and waist straps were adjustable to fit Eric and I both.
I continued to wear Ella everywhere. To the grocery store, the library, the park and around the house while I clean.
But then…(oh yes, there is a but…)
One of the plastic rings that holds the straps together broke as I was tightening it!!
Big time bummer! Mad, mad mommy!
The good news: Ella didn’t fall out.
Bad news: She was no where near the weight limit and the 5 month old carrier should not have broken.
I wrote and email and made a phone call and within 3 days, (yes THREE days!) of my complaint, I received a phone call from Cybex and a full in-store refund. Yay!
Our Happy Ergo Ending
I used the Moby Wrap once again to walk down to the store and exchange the Cybex for the Ergo – the one I wanted all along, and we both love it.
Ella is just fine being carried facing me, riding on my hip or on my back, now that she’s getting bigger (it’s so bittersweet).
I think she’s just content to be close.
So am I.
Here’s an updated photo of my baby boy Lucan in the Ergo. We both love it!
Purchase ERGO baby carriers here
Cybex was prompt and very professional with my complaint. I deeply appreciate quality customer service and think highly of the company for their speedy response and care. This was the first carrier snap that had broken that was brought to their attention.
