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.

Getting your Husband into baby wearing can be a challenge, most men prefer to carry their child in their arms or else lug around an infant seat. My advice as a man and as a staunch supporter of baby wearing is to find the right type of baby carrier. While some men have no problem wearing a sling or wrap quite a few will be a little hesitant about donning a piece of fabric.

Try going with a soft structured carrier like the Ergo Baby Carrier or a framed carrier. If you choose a framed carrier be aware that most likely he is only going to wear it outside on long trips or hiking as they can be rather bulky. Soft structured carriers like the Ergo are easy to master and can be taken off and stowed away easily when not in use. The Ergo Baby Carrier comes in a variety of gender neutral colors so you don’t need to worry about him balking at wearing emasculating colors. One of the favorite choices for men in the Ergo line-up is the Ergo Sport Carrier. My Favorite Baby Carrier offers a 90 day money back trial period. This gives both parents ample time to try the carrier out and see if it is the right fit for their family. Baby wearing is a very rewarding experience and Dads will become major fans if they get the chance to try a baby carrier that works for them.

Yesterday I came across this article “ER Docs Urge Kids to Skip Texting While in Motion“. The article got me thinking about how often I have been guilty of texting while walking down the sidewalk. Yes, I have run into people and things. I am one of those people! I think I need to follow the example set by the scores of Moms I talk with every week. They are ordering our Ergo Baby Carriers, because they want their baby close to them so they can talk to and focus on them.

The more I learn about parenting from my work and from my reading (I’m not a parent yet), the more I believe in the premise of attachment parenting. It makes sense to me that one of the most mindful things you can do for your child is to carry them, not as luggage (in their carseat) that gets set on the floor so your baby can look at your feet, but in a baby carrier that allows them to look at your face (not the faces of strangers)in a comfortable seated position (not hanging by their crotch) which allows them closeness to you and space to nurse.

Check out The Ergo Baby Carrier and its many colors and accessories. And pay attention to your baby with them close to you, not under the table. Oh, and please don’t text while you walk with your baby!

These days we are often spread so thin getting our kids to their activities and helping them get all their assignments completed, that any hint of mindfulness – paying attention to the here and now – is right out the window.

If there is one thing I have learned about kids, though, is they are all about the here and now. They are interested in what they are doing now and would like your attention now. We can tell our kids they are the most important people to us in all the world, but we have to demonstrate it as well. Two easy things my husband and I do to get this message across is 1. NEVER answer the phone during dinner and 2. NEVER answer the phone while reading to the kids. This makes our parents crazy. Of course when they visit and their cell phones ring, they run to answer it as though it were a national emergency, no matter what is going on. I personally love answering machines and caller I.D. Some people think that screening calls is awful, but I like it less when I call my sister (for example) and she tells me she can’t talk right now, because they are in the middle of dinner or in the middle of watching a movie – then why did she answer the phone in the first place?!

There is a wonderful children’s book called The Three Questions by Jon J. Muth. In it a young boy is trying to find the answers to these three questions: When is the best time to do things? Who is the most important one? What is the right thing to do? By the end of his adventure, which involves saving a panda and her cub, the sage (old turtle)says “Remember then that there is only one important time, and that time is now. The most important one is always the one you are with. And the most important thing is to do good for the one who is standing at your side. For these, my dear boy, are the answers to what is most important in this world.”

If you are new to parenting and need a baby carrier which will allow you to have your hands free, and your back/neck comfortable and unburdened, so you can be present with your older child, try the Ergo Baby Carrier. With our 90 day money back guarantee, you can try it and find out why Mom’s like it so much that we have very few returns.

After reading this article, I realized how different my reality is from that of other Moms – or at least this other Mom. She talks about how her 4-year-old is so addicted to their Wii video game, that it is basically ruling his life. Then, she finally gets smart and stops his use of it altogether (because he gets so upset when he can’t play it) and he ends up being fine with that. At the end of the article, she talks about how to reintroduce the Wii games to him, without him getting hysterical when he can’t play it all the time.

Aren’t there other things he could do? It sounds like she wants him out of her hair (she has a 2-month-old too) and this is her way of doing it. She rationalizes that she and her cronies grew up playing video games and they all turned out okay. I guess I am older (36 when I had my first and 40 when I had my second) and did not grow up with video games. And as to turning out alright — ummm, you let your 4-year-old play video games!!! She also argues that even if he isn’t playing that, he does other things, like use a stick as a gun, so he would find violence elsewhere. Yes, but at least he would be outside with that stick and using his imagination.

If I were this woman (and I was this woman several years ago – I mean I had an infant and a toddler) I would stick the infant in my Ergo Baby Carrier, and actually DO something WITH my toddler – everyday! Go to the mall, go to the zoo, go to a museum, go to the park, walk outside, play outside, bake, read, paint, the possibilities are endless. This age doesn’t last forever. The great thing about the second child is that I found I could be more relaxed and sure of myself. If I had her in my Ergo, I could just stick in a few diapers and wipes and be on my way. I could nurse her in the Ergo and she could fall asleep when she wanted to. Otherwise, she was content being close to me and I had both hands free to play with my toddler.

My older child (8) recently tried out Wii at the mall – during a Christmastime demonstration. My Mother-in-Law suggested she get it for her, because she was enjoying it so much. Yes, my daughter was having fun, but there is no way I would get such a thing for our house and it would never even cross my daughter’s mind to have it. I hope that notion lasts for a long time.

I just read the startling statistic that 8- to 18-year-olds spend an average of 7 1/2 hours per day using entertainment media. According to this survey, the kids are even “media multi-tasking” (watching t.v. while surfing the web) which they count double. I remember the days when I came home from school and knew exactly the line up of shows — The Brady Bunch, Gilligan’s Island, The Munsters (really top notch shows!). Back then my parents didn’t say much about television as long as I got my homework done and I didn’t watch anything scary (Dark Shadows). These days, however, parents ARE (or should be) informed that t.v. is not good for our kids (for any number of reasons) and that there are real dangers with all the other technology – inappropriate websites, radiation from cellphones, video game violence, to say nothing of the lack of exercise they induce.

My husband and I have decided to go another route with our kids. Of course they are still young (8 and 5), but so far it’s working. They never have watched television (except for sports – and my husband does not watch religiously by any means). They get a movie once a week on Sunday mornings. And they only have access to the computer if we are right there – usually for educational purposes (looking up the answer to a questions we can’t answer). I have never heard either one say, “I’m bored”. They use their time to do creative things or just play together.

I have to say that I was pretty sure that keeping my kids from t.v. would make things different in our house than it was in my house all those years ago. I will never forget my brother sitting transfixed by the television – you couldn’t even get his attention. There were times when I went to call him to dinner and in order to get him out of his trance, I would shut the t.v. off. It always amazed me that it seemed to take him a full second to realize it and start yelling. Then, of course, he was in a bad mood. I remember being like that too, when I had to stop watching a show (probably a re-run). So yes, I thought things would be different with my kids. Instead, my oldest gets so involved in her reading that her younger sister screams at her to get her attention – often to no avail. And when I tell her she has to stop reading to do something else, she is oh so grumpy. So, maybe this is just how it is with kids. The thing I hold on to is that at least she is reading (generally of good literature) and that beats even the so-called “educational television” any day, in my book!

For those just getting started with their family, check out our selection of Ergo Baby Carriers — we offer a 90 day money back guarantee.

We have had a lot of customers buy the ERGO for the baby or toddler they were adopting. And so many of them have told us how pleased they have been with it, I thought I should write a Blog entry on it. The reason the ERGO works so great for these families is that usually the baby is not an infant and therefore too heavy to carry in a Bjorn-type carrier. The hip belt on the ERGO allows them to carry a heavier child on front without neck, back or shoulder strain. And they can always use the back and hip carry options as well. Because many parents of an adopted baby feel that increased body contact can aid in bonding between them and their new child, they like to be able to carry them around as much as possible both in the house and out. The ERGO is great for this because it is ergonomically designed to be comfortable for both the adult and the child and since it is a frameless carrier, it isn’t big and bulky either. Speaking of which, many families have to travel to pick up their child and it’s nice to have a carrier that folds up and tucks into a bag when traveling by airplane.

I recently went on a 2 hour hike with several other families. I had my ERGO front pouch that held sunscreen, a small digital camera, Kleenex, and a couple of snacks. In the zippered pocket of the ERGO itself I had a diaper and wipes, and on my back was my baby. I had my Nalgene water bottle clipped with a caribiner onto the black webbing part of one shoulder strap, we both donned our sunhats and we were ready to go.

Other than my water bottle, I had no added weight. The framed carriers that many people were carrying looked so heavy – especially those who filled up the ample storage area. And because it was a wide gravel trail, a few people opted to use jog strollers. One Mom was having a terrible time, because her daughter wanted to be carried, not strolled, and her stroller was so full of stuff that it was had to push.

When my daughter wanted to walk for awhile, I just unbuckled the chest strap and slid her down my back. Later I swung her back up in. It wasn’t a big ordeal, like with the framed carriers and when I wasn’t carrying her, I didn’t feel like I was carrying a thing.