My Favorite Baby Carrier's Blog

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.

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.

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.

I went to a presentation by Susan Stiffelman, author of Parenting Without Power Struggles and was so impressed by it and her book (which I bought there and later read) that I wanted to share it with others.  I like the premise that one of the most important things you need to pay attention to is having a connection with your children.  If you don’t have that, it’s unlikely that they are going to be very interested in listening to you or, more importantly, talking to you when they have a problem.

Doesn’t it always seem to be the couple that has “grown apart” or the kids that “are more into being with their peers” that have the issues?  I know my kids are still young, but I feel so good that they want to snuggle with me and come to me when they have concerns (by age 8 – my oldest daughter’s age – I am pretty sure I was seeking council from my friends on a lot of issues).  One of the things that I think started us off on the right foot, was babywearing.  I used to carry my kids in my Ergo Baby Carrier all the time – when I cooked, when I cleaned, when I shopped, when I walked, when they napped, when they nursed, when they were awake.  They loved being physically near me and the Ergo made that possible.

I think we all wonder … “what if?”  It really is amazing how the complicated sequence of events has lead us each to where we are today.  If I had not been hit by a car, I probably never would have ended up with the husband I have (no, he was not the driver).  And if my daughter had not watched an Eloise cartoon video in which a friend of Eloise’s friend played the violin, she may not have begged me for violin lessons – and she is really doing well with it!

I can definitely identify with a Mom who wrote: For every one thing we choose to spend our time on, there are 100 other amazing adventures and aspirations that are left unfulfilled.  She wonders, as we all do, if we are choosing the right activities for our children.  Of course that is just scratching the surface — are we providing them with the right education? … the right type of parenting? … the right vitamins?… How can we ever know which choices are “right”?

I do know for sure that I made three choices when my kids were small, that I would never change.  And these choices I share with all new mothers:  1. Sign to your baby (it’s not just to help her avoid frustration – it helps you to learn what amazing things are really going on in her mind).  2. Nurse if you can and pump if you can’t. I could not nurse my first, but I pumped and the more I read about health issues and how important breast milk is, I am glad I made that choice, even though pumping was no fun.  3. Wear your baby.  It’s so comforting to your baby to be next to you, hear your heartbeat, and be able to look at your face.  And it can be comfortable and convenient for you if you have the right carrier.  The Ergo Baby Carrier is by far and away my favorite baby carrier.  It allows you to carry your newborn, baby, and toddler.  And, it allows you to nurse your baby and sign to him as you go about your day.

Hindsight is 20/20.  I definitely would make some different choices if I could do it all again.  But those three choices were winners.

I came across an article on Parents.com, “Sibling Harmony: Help Your Kids Get Along” and it got me thinking about growing up with my brothers. I have three brothers and we fought both physically and verbally growing up together. My parents would intervene if it came to blows or if it became a yelling match, otherwise they left it to us to settle amongst ourselves. One of the major things my parents did that I believe is responsible for the close bond formed between my brothers and me was to take regular family trips. We had a camper that we would use to travel up and down the east coast. Portable TV’s had not yet been invented and cell phones were as large as a brick and were only available to Wall Street gurus, so we had no choice but to spend time with each other. These shared adventures helped bring us closer together. I count my brothers and my best friends and rarely a day goes by that I do not talk to at least one of them.

The Ergo Baby Carrier can help you form a nurturing bond with your child in their developing years by keeping them close. If you have a second child the Ergo Baby Carrier allows your hands to be free so you can play with your older child.

Learn more about the Ergo Baby Carrier and our 90 Day Money Back Trial Period.

What is attachment parenting? Attachment parenting is about forming and nurturing strong connections between parents and their children. A great resource for finding information on attachment parenting is, Attachment Parenting International (view the eight principles of attachment parenting).

Baby wearing and baby carriers play an integral role in attachment parenting. In the principle of “nurturing touch” babies need close personal contact with their parent or caregiver. The Ergo Baby Carrier is a soft structured baby carrier that allows the parent to have their child close to them throughout the day without causing aches and pains. The Ergo Baby Carrier does not have any material between you and your child, allowing easy nursing and close physical contact. The Ergo Baby Carrier has three carrying positions front carry, back carry, and hip carry. So when your child is a newborn you can wear them on your front and as they grow you can switch to the back carry, still keeping them close. Many parents start out with a front carrier but as their child gets older they either are forced to quit wearing their child or to purchase a new back carrier. The wonderful thing about the Ergo Baby Carrier is that it is the only baby carrier you will need it supports your child from infancy to toddler.

Learn more about the Ergo Baby Carrier and our 90 day money back trial period.