My Favorite Baby Carrier's Blog

I just read this article about a woman having bladder control issues during pregnancy.  I don’t recall having that particular problem myself, but I do remember, during those days of nursing, that it was not easy to get to a bathroom quickly.  I had to keep very hydrated in order to produce enough milk and, as a result, had to pee all the time.  Eventually, I figured out that I could put my baby in my Ergo baby carrier (front position) and use the facilities without even waking up a sleeping baby – okay, sometimes I didn’t flush!  It was possible to go with the baby in the back position in the Ergo as well, but not as easy for a woman.  My husband, on the other hand, would use public urinals with a baby on back.  According to him, it was a tad embarrassing to have a (girl) toddler leaning out of the carrier checking out all the other men using the urinal and, at times, commenting.  Then there is the issue of eventually having company in the bathroom whether the child is in a carrier or not.  At home, my kids just always seem to be there.  When my youngest was 4, she would often follow me in to the bathroom, lock the door and say, “there, now we can have some privacy!”

I read this article about a baby whose Mom has nicknamed “fatness”.  I can’t really relate, because my babies were never fat, but I had a couple of friends whose babies were extremely roly-poly (they have thinned out – they are 8 now).  I do know that with my first, when she hit about 15 lbs., I could no longer carry her in the Baby Bjorn.  Her weight was pulling on my neck and shoulders and I was even having a tingling sensation in my neck.  That’s when I switched to the back carrier – a great big framed hiking backpack – talk about cumbersome!  It did work better for my neck and shoulders, but it was such a pain to put on and take off and it was a bulky thing to deal with when I wasn’t actually using it – I remember a long day at Sea World when I had to jam it between my 36″ long legs and the seat in front of me during shows. 

Then I discovered the Ergo baby carrier.  I thought I had died and gone to heaven.  It was so easy to use.  My baby loved it.  My husband even wore it (he never wore the other two carriers – back problems).  And it was so darn comfortable – all the weight (just the baby – the Ergo weighs next to nothing) was on my hips – not my neck or shoulders.  Eventually, at about age two, my child weighed as much as those bigger babies had weighed at 6 months.  How their Moms carried them around in slings and the Baby Bjorn at that weight, I will never understand. 

Eventually I had a second child.  That is when I discovered the advantages of being able to carry an infant, then a baby, and then a toddler in the same carrier.  I also learned to nurse her, wear her in all the positions (front, hip, and back), use the sleeping hood (my favorite feature of the Ergo baby carrier), and use the accessories (infant insert, front pouch, backpack).

And now, I even sell the Ergo baby carrier.  I feel so strongly about how great they are, that I even offer a 90-day money back guarantee.  I am convinced that if you try it – you will like it.

I know my Mom managed her four children without a baby carrier, but I don’t know how.  I used my Ergo baby carrier every day for years.   Many debate the merits of feeding on demand, nap schedules, and the like but I basically just did what was practical for me.  I am not sure I was as easy-going about making these decisions with my first, but by the time my second child came, and I had observed a variety of mothering styles – of friends and acquaintences, I was not nearly as stressed about these decisions for her.  Instead of changing our life for the baby, she joined ours.  She came everywhere with us (I nursed exclusively, so she had to) and it didn’t matter what time the activity was.  But I have to say again, I could not have done it without my Ergo baby carrier.  I nursed in it (while hiking, shopping, or preparing dinner) and my baby napped in it as she pleased.  Of course I took time to nurse her in a rocking chair and lie down with her to nap, but I had the option to do it on the go as well and with an older child already, that was often necessary.  I started my business, My Favorite Baby Carrier, because I think this carrier is the best thing since sliced bread – not because I was even looking to start a business.  Every Mom will make her own decisions on how to parent her child(ren) – but whether you invest in a crib or decide to co-sleep, I guarantee that you will not be sorry that you invested in an Ergo baby carrier which you will use for years for your newborn, baby, and toddler.

Whether your child is enrolled in a school or being home-schooled, science projects are a great learning experience. I recently came across an article on Denver Post.com about the importance of science projects, “Science Fair Season – Ask Questions, Explore and Discover”. The Author gives links to a number of places to get ideas for science projects. She also gives some great advice about the purpose of science projects.

“For example, dropping Mentos into Diet Coke is not a science fair project. It’s a science demonstration. Asking questions like “what temperature of Diet Coke will make the tallest geyser,” or “what soda makes the shortest geyser?” are good science fair projects.” Susan Wells

If you are the parent of more than one child and one of them is an infant you can often find yourself not spending enough quality time with your older child(ren). A great way to be able to keep your little one close and still be able to play and have fun with your older child(ren) is the Ergo baby carrier. The Ergo baby carrier keeps your child close to you and is a hands-free carrier so you don’t need to worry about your child’s safety and security. If your little one falls asleep in the Ergo baby carrier you can just lift up the sleeping hood to secure his head and keep on going with your activity.

My Favorite Baby Carrier offers a 90 Day Money Back Trial Period for the Ergo Baby Carrier and Accessories.

In my ongoing quest to find fantastic Arts and Crafts sites I came across a real gem, Dollar Store Crafts. This site is seriously cool, she not only has her own crafting ideas but she also links to a whole host of other crafting web sites and blogs. The idea behind many of her Arts and Crafts projects is cost – she lists out how much you can expect to spend on the items to complete a project. Many of the craft projects are pretty simple and are great for older children.

Baby wearing can be an asset when you are trying to do craft projects or just do some cleaning around the house. The Ergo Baby Carrier is a hands free carrier so you have the ability to keep your child close while you are busy doing other things. Another great advantage of the Ergo Baby Carrier is that you can nurse your child while wearing him so you needn’t worry about taking him out of the carrier.

My Favorite Baby Carrier offers a 90 Day Money Back Trial Period for the Ergo Baby Carrier and Accessories.

Every so often we get contacted by a parent who is in the process of adopting and is interested in finding out about the Ergo Baby Carrier. So, in order to help parents who are adopting a child learn more about the benefits of baby wearing I went on a quick web search to find some info. from a parent of an adopted child and how baby wearing helped them. The article I found was fairly helpful “Baby Wearing and the Adopted Toddler”.  At one point the author says, “Try several carriers, the first one you choose may not work for you, so be flexible and try several.” Well, I have been in the baby carrier business for several years, and I can assure you that if you are planning on trying a bunch of different carriers, it is not going to be cheap.  My Favorite Baby Carrier offers a 90 day money back trial period so you can test the Ergo Baby Carrier out and see if it is the right fit for you and your family.  Trial Periods are pretty rare in the world of baby carriers.  I can tell you that most of the sites I have looked at usually give 30 days for a refund and only if the carrier is unused.  So, if you do happen to be adopting a child or know someone who is, check out the Ergo Baby Carrier. We are always happy to work with families going through an adoption, so feel free to contact us with any questions.

We posted our Used Ergo inventory online for sale today 02/19/2010. We currently have a wide selection of gently used carriers and accessories available. All of the used items for sale have been inspected to make sure they are clean and in good working condition. Stock is limited and sales are on a first come first served basis. The price is $90 for the used New Generation Ergo Carriers, $90 for the used Ergo Sport Carrier, and $105 for the used New Generation Organic Ergo Carriers. The pricing for the accessories varies and can be viewed on the Used ordering page of our site. While the used merchandise is not covered by the manufacturer’s warranty all items are still covered by our 90 day money back trial period. We are always happy to assist you with any questions or concerns you have and you can reach us by either email or our toll free phone number, contact information can be found on our Contact Us page. We offer free shipping on all orders. Orders are shipped via USPS Priority Mail and generally sent out the next business day after the order is received. Shipping time is approximately 3-5 days.

Learn more about the Ergo Baby Carrier

Arts and Crafts projects are a great way to spend some fun active time with your kids. But finding easy to do craft projects can be a giant hassle. So, in an effort to save you time I will be devoting some of my posts to Arts and Crafts sites I have found.

Maya*Made is a blog that regularly posts arts, crafts, and baking projects. Maya who runs the blog has beginner to advanced projects and has a step by step tutorial section. The focus of many of the crafts is to recycle what would be considered trash and turn it into something unique and beautiful.

Baby wearing can be an asset when you are trying to do craft projects or just do some cleaning around the house. The Ergo Baby Carrier is a hands free carrier so you have the ability to keep your child close while you are busy doing other things. Another great advantage of the Ergo Baby Carrier is that you can nurse your child while wearing him so you needn’t worry about taking him out of the carrier.

My Favorite Baby Carrier offers a 90 Day Money Back Trial Period for the Ergo Baby Carrier and Accessories.

I for one am very happy to be raising my children along WITH my husband.  Yes, I am still the primary parent and he is still the primary bread winner, but he is very involved.  To a degree, I can  understand where this woman is coming from in her article:  When it comes to parenting how much does your husband do? But I don’t know that it should be a contest.  Some husbands have more time than others.  My husband works at home and is able to spend a lot of time with the kids, but he has a bad back and so I would rather he play with the kids than do the housecleaning (which he does help with).  I know plenty of men who do more housework than my husband does, but should I compare him to them?  I also have friends who are home all day long with the kids while their husbands are away for work – often traveling.  So when weekends come, the women are off and the kids are with Dad.  I tend to be the one with the kids for the bulk of the week.  I drive them to all their activities, I do the lion’s share of the homeschooling, and there are days we don’t see Daddy from breakfast to dinner, however, we try to be together on weekends.  My husband and I don’t really see it as, “your turn, my turn”.  We are raising our children, not just babysitting them till they grow up.  Most men today, that I see at the zoo or in the mall, seem much more involved than my Dad was.  These men are using the changing tables in the Men’s rooms, burping the babies, and wearing their babies.  In fact these days, the Ergo Baby Carrier, as well as other carriers, are specifically designed to fit men and they even come in colors which men won’t mind wearing.  My husband wore our daughters in the Ergo Baby Carrier all the time, despite his back issues – that says a lot for that carrier!  I am excited that my kids spend a lot of time with their Daddy.  My Mom didn’t really trust my Dad with us – there are stories of him forgetting to feed us, losing track of us, and then there was the time that my brother,John fell out of the back of the pick-up truck as we were driving down the road.  The few times he cooked dinner for us, are memorable.  Anyone else ever had johnny cake puddin’?  It’s mashed up corn bread (called johnny cake in Maine) with milk poured on top.  Oh, and chocolate fudge for dessert!  Of course we should be appreciative for all our husbands do, and vise-versa.  I am surprised that’s even a question.

Like a lot of Moms, I tried several carriers before finally finding one that works for me. I immediately shared my find with my friends and they are thrilled with it as well. During my carrier discovery process, I feel like I learned a lot. And since I wish I knew then what I know now, I thought I would share my experiences with you. Because it was these learning experiences that led me to the carrier that I love – The Ergo Baby Carrier.

Here’s what I’ve learned:

1. Not All Carriers Are Comfortable to Wear

I learned that even a tiny baby can seem pretty heavy after carrying her around for a while. Personally, I didn’t think that carrying my daughter in a sling, with all her weight on just my one shoulder, was very comfortable. And by the time she was 16 lbs. I found that carrying her in the Baby Bjorn was causing pain in my shoulders and upper back and even a tingling sensation in my neck. I now realize that a truly comfortable carrier, like The Ergo Baby Carrier I now use, has two padded shoulder straps and a padded waist/hip belt. This configuration distributes the baby’s weight in a way that our bodies can handle it. When you think about it, it is not unlike what a hiker would look for in a good back pack.

2. Carriers That Have Your Baby Hanging By His Crotch May Be Unhealthy

I had heard that jumpy seats and walkers can be bad for babies’ developing bodies, but now there are claims that certain carriers can cause spinal stress. A friend of mine told me about this concern and once I started reading about it, it made sense to me. Apparently the main concern is using a carrier which has your baby dangling by his crotch, e.g. in many of the front infant carriers and even some back framed carriers. Apparently this position can put stress on the spine affecting the development of the spinal curve and possibly spondylolisthesis (slippage of the vertebra). Most of the ones that allow the baby to face forward in front, e.g. the Baby Bjorn, have them dangling this way. Even though this doesn’t seem to be a widespread concern yet, it does make sense to me that this position is not a natural position for a baby to be held in. And that’s why I like that Ergo Baby Carrier positions newborns in a sling-like position, until they are able to control their own heads, then in a natural seated position.

3. Carriers Should Be Easy to Use

I just assumed that if I had a popular carrier that everyone else seemed to be using, I should be able to figure it out too. To be honest, I probably just didn’t get enough practice with the sling, since my baby didn’t like it. And I did find the Baby Bjorn fairly easy to put on and take off. But the Tough Traveler framed back carrier was another story. It just always seemed like such an event to load and unload my daughter. First of all, she didn’t have a lot of patience while I was buckling her in and that made the process take even longer. Then, once she was in, I had to heft the whole thing up onto my back which was sort of tricky, especially when we were traveling and I put everything under the sun in that massive storage pouch. Once it was on my back, I was okay, but as she got older, my daughter wanted to get in and out more often and that became rather frustrating for me. I love my Ergo front/back carrier, made of soft fabric with no frame, because I can load and unload my daughter quickly and easily without ever taking the carrier off. And when she is not in it, I can wear it like an empty knapsack – very light.

4. Carriers Should Accommodate a Range of Ages and Sizes

For the longest time I just assumed that there were infant carriers and then toddler carriers and you just had to buy both. I had no idea there were carriers out there, like The Ergo, that can be used for BOTH infants and toddlers. Not only does that mean you only have to buy one carrier (quite a savings), but if you have two kids, you can use the same carrier for either of them and the other can either walk or sit in the stroller – I would much rather push a single stroller than a massive double one.

5. A Carrier’s Size and Weight Can Make a Big Difference

I can certainly understand why avid hikers might want to consider purchasing a serious framed backpack baby carrier – they have very comfortable shoulder and waist/hip belts as well as considerable storage areas. But what are the rest of us doing walking around the mall with a big old framed backpack carrier on? My guess is that, like me, most people aren’t aware that there are other options – namely frameless front/back carriers like the Ergo. I will never forget the day I took my framed back carrier to Sea World. My toddler wouldn’t get in the carrier even once. So there I was, lugging that bulky thing around in the humidity, chasing her, picking her up to look at things, and then, sitting in crowded bleachers at the shows, with no place to store the thing. No longer do I have to make the big decision whether or not to bring my carrier. If she doesn’t use it, it’s no big deal, because The Ergo is not only light (about a pound) but way less bulky (it folds up to easily fit in a knapsack or in the bottom of a stroller).

6. Carriers Should be Adjustable to Fit Adults of Varying Sizes

My husband and I are not that different in size, but he has a rather long torso and I am all legs. Though our framed back carrier would adjust to accommodate both of us, it was not a quick and easy adjustment. Now, on the occasion that my sister, brother, or a friend watches my daughter, it’s nice to be able to easily adjust my Ergocarrier it to fit their bodies which differ greatly in size.

7. Carriers Should Allow Your Baby to Sleep Peacefully

When my daughter was an infant, she fell asleep in the front carrier all the time and it was never a problem, because either she was in a position of leaning into me comfortably, or I could easily hold her head steady. I really didn’t give the sleeping issue much thought when I purchased my framed back carrier, but soon learned it was a problem. I walked quite regularly with friends and though all of us had different types of framed back carriers, we all faced the same dilemma – when our children fell asleep, their little heads got bounced all around, often waking them up and making them cry. We tried using little pillows, rolled up blankets and towels, blow up airline pillows, and nothing worked to stabilize their heads for any period of time without constant readjustment. And, though we could try to help each other’s child to sleep more comfortably, it wasn’t something we could do on our own. So, if I was shopping alone and my daughter fell asleep, I would often have to solicit the help of a friendly looking soul to stabilize her head with a sweatshirt or jacket. The sleeping baby hood that is part of Ergo Baby Carrier is probably my very favorite feature. It cradles my daughter’s head so it doesn’t wobble around and she can sleep peacefully. Best of all, I can attach it without assistance!

As you can tell, I am thrilled that I have now found what I feel to be the best baby carrier out there. I like it because it is comfortable, Ergonomically designed for a growing baby, light and easy to use, adjustable to fit any size adult and any size baby or toddler, and it allows the baby to sleep comfortably while in it. It even has the added perks of allowing the baby to nurse in it, it’s washable, and it has storage compartments. Until I stumbled upon it, I didn’t even know that frameless front/back carriers like The Ergo even existed. Now, as you can tell, I am rather enthusiastic about my discovery – I like it and believe in it so much that I even began selling it!

If you are interested in learning more about Ergo Baby Carrier or in ordering it and trying it out under our 90 day money back guarantee, check out the information I have on my site on the Ergo Baby Carrier — Including my video on Why I Love The Ergo. I hope you will be as pleased with the Ergo as I am.

I hope that the information I have shared with you has been helpful.

Yours, Jane