My Favorite Baby Carrier's Blog

I often read articles about parent guilt – is my second child getting gyped? I remember feeling concerned about how I could possibly love my second child as much as my first.  Once the baby was born though, all those fears vanished – I was totally and completely in love with her from the get-go.  I discovered the Ergo Baby Carrier when my oldest was about two.  It was so great for her (she could be near my and ride or easily get out and walk) and I wore it all through my pregnancy with the second.  But I never knew how fabulous the carrier was until my second was born.  I wore her in it ALL the time.  She never had a feeding schedule – if she was hungry, I could feed her in the Ergo and she never had a sleeping schedule – if she was tired, she fell asleep in the Ergo.  She was with me all the time and I talked and signed to her constantly.  By 5 1/2 months (earlier than I have ever read about) she was signing back (her sister signed back at 8 1/2 months).  I could do everything I needed to do or wanted to do with my older daughter, because I had the Ergo Baby Carrier.  I was so enamored with it that I even became an internet reseller myself.  Can you tell that I love this carrier?  And second child … big deal … I was the fourth.  My mother gave me my baby book when I became pregnant with my first.  She thought I could use it, since it still had the celophane on it!

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.

My first daughter was born with a cleft lip and palate and was therefore not able to nurse (no palate – no suction).  I pumped for 14 months though, and at times, I had a great deal of trouble making enough milk.  There is lots of information available about how to increase milk production (La Leche League has tons of info. and support) but I think that I have a little known secret – and it worked well for two of my friends as well (they were breastfeeding, not pumping).

Okay, the basics are:  get as much sleep as possible and drink LOTS of water (there is no substitute for water).  Every hour my watch alarm would go off and I would drink 16 oz. of water.  I constantly had to pee, but since I had to pump every three hours anyway, I was usually up.  But my “secret” is, Thirsty Skin.  My husband bought it for me because ever since moving to the arid state of Colorado, my skin has become super dry.  It’s claim is that it hydrates your body from the inside out.  As it turns out, it really helps with breast milk production as well!  I took it morning and night and if I ever missed a day, it was very noticeable.

Fortunately, things were much easier with my second.  She could nurse and I could produce.  I couldn’t get over how simple life was with her.  I just stuck her into my Ergo Baby Carrier, put a few of diapers and wipes in the carrier’s pocket, grabbed my keys, wallet and older child and we were off for the entire day.  What a difference!  No pump, no cooler back, no bottle heater to plug into the car cigarette lighter.  And what’s more, I could easily nurse my baby while she was in the Ergo, without even having to sit down.  I once even nursed her as I was climbing around in the dark recesses of the Cave of the Winds in Colorado Springs.  I was so glad to have my Ergo baby carrier, because we had just begun our tour of the stalactites and stalagmites, when I noticed her little hand signing “milk”.  It took me just a few seconds to accommodate her and we continued on with our tour.

If you would like to learn more about why the Ergo is my favorite baby carrier and how you can try one for yourself with a  90-day money back guarantee, click here.