Baby Wearing- Not All Carriers Are Alike.

This weekend i had to go look for a replacement car seat, as our car got rear ended.  Thank goodness it was a very minor accident.   Nonetheless, we still had to find a new car seat to replace the one we had in the car.  We had to go through a few baby stores and look at the car seats available.  While walking around them, i was drawn to the baby carriers section.  Mainly because now that i have a 3 year old, i have come to the realization that the majority of the things they sell at Babies R Us or similar stores are unnecessary.  You get caught up in buying things you think you need, and you soon realize that a lot of it is wasted money.  I admit to purchasing wipe warmers...or getting excited about receiving a free one with purchase- i can't remember.  Regardless, i don't know who thought it would be a good idea to heat up wipes...unless you like a nice breeding ground for bacteria.

So i quickly skipped through most sections while we were waiting, and decided to check out their baby carriers.  Perhaps that section had improved since i had my daughter.  Maybe there were better choices available to moms now.  Sadly, they still have the same carriers, and even added some stranger ones to the mix.  

This one looks like you would not be able to wear it for more than a second without it being uncomfortable.  It is called the piggy rider.  Best save the $90 and just give your toddler a piggy back ride for free.

I applaud all parents who look into using baby carriers.  Whenever i see anyone baby wearing, regardless of the carrier, i can't help but shoot them a smile.  I remember those days so well, and it really creates a bond that is lasting well past the baby wearing days. I carried my daughter for 3 years, and we had so many wonderful memories while baby wearing.  I truly believe that the confidence  and independence she displays right now has something (i should say a lot) to do with our baby wearing bonding years. Never mind me going into her language development, i would have to write another blog post on the advantages (which i will do one day), but experiencing the world up close with a parent really does wonders for language and development.

Anyways, back to the baby carriers at the stores.  The main problem with them is that they do not support the baby as well as they should.  Not only do parents find it uncomfortable to carry and therefore give up on baby wearing, it can be harmful to a developing baby.  I hate to talk about these negatives, because i see pics of happy parents wearing their babies proudly on Facebook albums and i don't want to be the one to tell them that there are better options.  But there are better options.  Ones that i only figured out with lots of research, and being exposed to better carriers.  I too was a mom that had Baby Bjorn on the baby shower registry.  It was widely available, and i did not know that there was a whole other world of carriers available. 

What is the problem with Baby Bjorn, Sungli type carriers?

The main concern is support of the developing spin, hip and joints. 
This picture provides a wonderful illustration. 

Front facing carriers are problematic for baby and the wearer. Any baby carrier that advertises as allowing front facing position are ones that you need to be aware of.  The good carriers only allow parent facing, or high back carries that allow the child to see over the parents shoulders. I hate to use the term crotch dangler, but essentially that is what they do.  The support to the spine is very compromising to the natural C formation of a babies spine.  I was told to think of the natural position as the fetal position, whereas legs extending straight with the knees and hips straight is unnatural and should be avoided.  The baby should be in a" froggy" or "jockey" position with their knees over bum, hips falling naturally apart and thighs/back supported.  

This little cutie with the frog hat, shows the froggy position well.

Transfer that froggy position to babywearing.

In front facing positions, babies are forced to carry their own body weight due to lack of support (knee- knee support is essential), and they are also absorbing the force of every step that the parent takes while walking.  They may shift their bodies to prevent the unnatural positioning, causing more stress to their developing bodies.  If a baby falls asleep in the forward facing position, their chin drops to their chest, which could cause airway obstruction while sleeping. There is a greater amount of strain to the wearer as well.  Most strain is to the pelvis area when you wear your baby facing forward.  If you are a women, this can prolong postpartum healing.

*Even when facing the parent, the Baby Bjorn or Snugli carriers don't provide the knee-knee support that is so important for a baby.*

It must be boring for a child to face the parent?
While babies are young, they feel a sense of security while exploring the world facing you.  My daughter loved forward facing even up to a year.  Closer to 8 months we started to do high back carries...you can do back carries even younger when you become an expert wrapper (there are experts who do back carries from a few weeks.  I am confident to start it earlier now). There are so many images of high back carries with infants, if you do a google search.  I would say,  save the seeing out for the times you chose to put the baby in the stroller, while babywearing have the baby facing you.  Truth be told, our stroller rarely got used, my daughter loved to be worn.  

Where do i find these carriers?:
There are so many great carriers that you can buy.  There are lots of options- wraps, ring slings, Mei Tai's, soft structured carriers (Ergo's for example fall in this category).  I would say that you would need to try a few out to see which is the best option for you.  I had a bit of a collection with a few different types to suit different needs.  For example, wraps for long carries, soft structured structured carriers for ups/downs throughout the day (amusement parks), ring slings for when they are young (although they can be used even with toddlers,-i just preferred wraps).  
Try and find a local baby wearing group where you can meet up with others and try different carriers out.  Some groups even have lending libraries where you can borrow carriers to try out.  A great place to find local groups is a forum called The Baby Wearer (TBW)

I would visit that site first as it has everything you need to get information about babywearing.  There are lots of tutorials on how to position baby properly and how to use all of the different carriers.  Believe me, it may seem intimidating at first.  I thought i would never get the hang of wrapping, but after some practice it became second nature for me.
You can even buy gently used carriers.  You can get really good deals on them too- it does not have to be expensive! There are so many great forums on the site too.

Although you can find amazing deals, there are wraps for every taste and budget.  There are wraps that sell for close to $1000 (Pamir) and are traded and sold all the time.
You can also get custom dye jobs on your wraps (the dye artists do ombre looking grads in three different colours).   
Here is a funny Ecard that only a TBW member would understand

 While it may feel intimidating or overwhelming at first, it actually becomes fun to learn about all the different options.  I have met some great friends from chatting online on this forum that i have met up with in real life. My local babywearing group is a bunch of cool, beautiful women (and a few men) who make babywearing look good!

I have to mention that i had a wrong stereotypical image on what i thought babywearers looked like (i am going to be honest here), but my goodness you will see there is a variety of babywearers- fashionable Europeans who wear heels and dresses while babywearing, cool urban moms/dad babywearers, small town parents who post beautiful pics of babywearing while walking through some scenic areas in their town (when i used to frequent the boards there was a Czech mom that posted the most amazing shots of her town while babywearing).  Yes, there are the tired parent babywearers too, who sometimes don't care about looking stylish while babywearing (i have been there)- you get a bit of everything on the site. It honestly is such a great site, and opened me up to more than just babywearing- you get an international passport and meet so many friends around the world.  

A custom dye job on a wrap. 

My daughter in a back carry, sleeping. Easy transfer to bed when she fell asleep. The wrap just molds to her body

Nursing in a wrap does not get more private and discreet (I was a discreet with public nursing, but all power to you however you chose to nurse in public). Hands free too.

Toddler wrapping after a long day at Disney Land.

Didymos was a popular wrap.  Here is a stock photo, but if you google Didymos wraps you will see tons of pictures.  TBW, has great pics of Didymos wraps too.

Norwegian brand Ellevill wrap.

This model was very active on TBW while i was on the boards. She had amazing pictures.

Italian company Diva Milano wrap.  They even have a Calvin Klein model that is also a babywearer.

This is what a great soft structured carrier should look like.  When it is the right carrier, you can wear use it for a toddler too.  Ergo, is a popular one that can be found in most stores.  When you check out TBW, you will find so many great ones.  Kinderpack, Beco, Bloo-Kangaroo, Boba, Olives and Applesauce are just a few among the many options.

These were the popular psling's that i liked when wearing a ring sling.  Again, when you visit TBW you will find so many other brands and options.  There are even ring slings made from woven wraps.  

My Tulikowo Mei Tai carrier.  Loved this carrier and i still have it saved for a future baby.  This has buckle straps at the waist, but wrap style shoulder straps.  There are so many different styles of Mai Tais (this is called the 1/2 buckle).  

As you can see, there are lots of options out there.  Trying them out is the best option.  Once you find your local babywearing group you will be able to try out all different types of carriers. 

I thought i would include one more babywearing Ecard (i have a slight obsession with Ecards, they are so funny).  No matter what anyone may tell you about babywearing, this is something to keep in mind.  Those early years go by way too fast and i don't think you will regret babywearing later.

I recently saw this picture of Beyonce babywearing.  She is said to be practicing some forms of attachment parenting- including babywearing and breastfeeding.  How cool would she look with a wrap to go along with her fashionable self.

For more information on babywearing, i also love reading Close Enough to Kiss
Here is a link to their spring 2013 issue


Updated to include the pics of men babywearing.  My hubby wore Sophie on a few occasions too (no pics unfortunately).