Not all baby carriers are created equal

Over the past six months, I’ve had the opportunity to try out three different baby carriers. I started carrying baby when he was around 12 weeks, and it gave me a great sense of freedom. Instead of feeling stuck to the couch with a baby sleeping on my chest, I could wear him and do some simple household chores. After having limited mobility after a C-section, folding underwear was practically a thrill for me. I enjoy the closeness of wearing baby and being able to kiss the top of his head whenever I so please. I also find that in public, strangers are much less likely to touch your baby when he is nestled in between your boobs than when he is in a stroller or car seat. Rather, they can admire from afar, and that is A-okay with me.

I’ve rated the carriers using your basic A-F scale with A being the highest rating and F sucking bad.


Sling: F
Maybe I’m not savvy enough to love a sling. It looks great and sounds good in theory, but I give the sling an F. I purchased my sling from Seven Everyday Slings despite the fact that all the models on the website are way too thin and put-together to be real moms (yeah, like I have time to volumize my hair every day). I will admit that they have a great selection of fabrics to choose from to coordinate with your wardrobe. 

The directions for use are (theoretically) easy, but my first few attempts at using the sling were unsuccessful. My son was about 12 weeks old at the time, and he slunk right down in the sling so that his chin was resting on his chest--a big no-no. When using a sling, baby’s head should be level with his spine so that he can breathe easily. A nurse at my new-mom support group suggested putting a folded towel between baby’s shoulder blades to prevent his tendency to slink, but that just added another step to an already difficult process. A newborn is pretty much dead weight, and inserting one into a sling is super challenging unless you have four arms. An older baby that can fight you...well, can fight you. Once the sling is on, I found it quite uncomfortable. All of the baby’s weight rests on one shoulder, which for a post-natal mom whose core muscles have taken a beating during the pregnancy, can be quite painful. 

(Note: Regardless of the baby carrier you choose, you should always have a hand available and resting on baby. Older babies tend to lunge at fun things they see with no warning.)




Moby Wrap: C
Even though I’ve considered burning my Moby Wrap in frustration, I won’t give it an F. Once it is on, it is quite comfortable for both baby and mommy. The trouble is getting the damn thing on. The Moby Wrap is basically five yards of jersey fabric that you wrap around yourself repeatedly--crossing the ends of the fabric here and there and everywhere until you have created a papoose. Following the instructions isn’t hard, but ensuring that you have your Moby tight enough that it is safe for baby but not so tight as to suffocate both of you is extremely difficult. The only way to know if you have harnessed yourself in too tightly or loosely is to put it on and add your baby. If you’ve gone to either extreme, you have to take baby out and start all over again. The first several times I used the Moby, it took three to five tries, at which point, I had an agitated baby and no patience. 


Okay, so we talked about getting the Moby on Mommy. Now let’s talk about getting baby in the Moby. You have to sling the kid over one shoulder and jimmy his foot through one set of straps, and then hoist him over the other shoulder to jiggle his other foot into another set of straps. Then you dance a jig to settle him into the Moby, and if you’re lucky, your kid isn’t screaming yet. Getting baby out of the Moby is equally as entertaining. Once you’ve extracted baby from the caccoon, you then have to unwrap yourself, which can be quite frustrating. I envisioned myself trying to do all of this in the middle of Target, had a good laugh, and decided that the Moby would only be for use around the house and only in winter (after all, it’s five yards of fabric--try that in July). 


Ergo baby: A
I. Love. This. Thing. I bought it off of Craig’s List for $50 and never regretted it. It is super easy to put on, get off, and wear. You put the belt on, pick up baby holding him to your chest, slip on the shoulder straps, and then buckle the shoulder straps together. I can do it by myself in the parking lot of the grocery store without looking ridiculous, and it takes less than a minute. You can adjust the tightness of the shoulder straps at any time--you don’t have to take baby out to do so. My little guy is quite content to sit in the Ergo while we go shopping or vacuum the house. It’s even sporty enough for Daddy to wear. If you thought I didn’t have enough nice things to say about the Ergo, here’s one more: my CAT likes it. That’s right. My (emotionally needy) cat loves to be carried around the house in the Ergo.


If you go with the Ergo, you’ll notice that there is an infant insert you can purchase separately. We read many reviews online that the insert was basically a small comforter that became way too hot after about 10 minutes. If your baby doesn’t have head control yet, but you don’t want to use the insert, I suggest using a rolled up burp cloth or face cloth to support the back of baby’s neck.  We also tucked a rolled up towel under his bum for about a month to boost him up.


The only popular baby carrier I haven’t yet had the opportunity to try is the Baby Bjorn. Moms I have talked to say that it is a “crotch dangler,” meaning the carrier puts all of baby’s weight on his or her crotch, possibly cutting off circulation and causing discomfort. (With the Ergo, baby’s weight rests on his bum, where it should be). 


With any carrier, use with caution. You can’t bend over to pick something up off the floor without risking injury to yourself or baby--you have to practice your squats and lunges so that your torso remains upright. You also can’t walk too quickly with a baby carrier lest you jostle the little one’s noodle. I told my husband that when I’m wearing the baby, we have to walk at “pregnancy speed.” With the right carrier and the right moves, baby carrying can be a joy for both Mommy and baby. 

Added Wednesday, January 25: Check out this diagram illustrating the proper hip placement for a baby inside of a carrier.