What's the best???

I am about to get a baby bjorn (first kid due in november) and just want to make sure that I am getting the best for my little dude. Is that the best carrier out there? What are my options?

thanks!

kelso

Some people here are fans of the Bjorn and others are not. I didn't really like mine. I had a small baby and couldn't use it right away b/c she was too little. But by the time she was only a few months old, I found her way too heavy to carry it in without hurting my back. This seems to be a common compaint. I also don't love that you can only use it on the front (no back carrying or hip carrying) and only dangling vertically (versus a cradle or nursing hold).

If you like that kind of soft pack carrier, there are some others more widely recommended on these boards. Or you may want to consider a sling which is ofter more versitile in terms of positions. For my upcoming little one, I decided to try a sling instead and got a Zolo and a Mom and Me hemp pouch.

If you do some reading on the boards, you can get some more options. You might also want to do a search on Baby Bjorns so you can see some feedback. It is definitely a "love it" or "hate it" type of carrier.

[egoldber]

There's not really any "best" carrier. I had a Bjorn, and like the other poster said, I loved it while she was small, but by the time she was 18 pounds, it killed me to wear it.

The best carrier is the one that fits you the best and that you are comfortable using. That being said, something like the Wilkinet is similar in style to the Bjorn, but with a better design and you can use it longer.

I have come to prefer slings. They are more versatile and you can use them well into toddlerhood. They do, unfortunately, have a much higher learnning curve than carriers like the Bjorn, which is very simple to use from the get-go.

HTH,

*thread hijack, but sorta pertinent*

So, Beth...anxious readers want to know, did you make a sling decision? ;-)

[egoldber]

Shhhh!!!

DH hasn't asked about the other sling yet! I've decided to try "don't ask, don't tell" and see how it goes! :)

[deborah_r]

I agree with what Beth said about the Wilkinet. I saw dcclerk's Wilkinet and it looked cozy for both her and Caleb. Her DS did not seem like he was "hanging" off of her, but more like the carrier was pulling him toward her.

Many of us have found that, like strollers, unfortunately one does not usually meet all of your needs; or one works for newborns, but not for older babies.

If felt the same way about the bjorn. DD was too small in the beginning and by the time I started using it, she was already getting too big. I now have a mom-and-me hemp pouch that I love. I got my Bjorn at a yard sale for $2. I would try and get one used as most of the used ones aren't used much at all:) The Bjorn is way overpriced if you ask me!

~Heidi
Mom to Kailey Ashlin
4/27/03

Of the Bjorn-type carriers, I've heard from a lot of people that they are the best. Another mom in my playgroup has tried a lot of the cheaper imitations and didn't like them nearly as well.

Mary & Lane 4/6/03
http://www.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=...21b3524e54e42d - New 10/3

[egoldber]

Just FYI, here's a link to the Wilkinet website. The gals on the Yahoo Babywearing group rave about it.

http://www.wilkinet.co.uk/

[stillplayswithbarbies]

For the price of a Bjorn, you could have several slings. The Bjorn is not really versatile, and it tends to be painful to use once they get a little bigger.

If you get one, get a used one. You can find zillions at consignment shops that are hardly used at all. Or look at the Theodore Bean carriers, which you can get on eBay really cheap.

But I really think a sling is better.

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03