What soft structured carrier should I buy?

[bijou28]

This is my first post...woo-hoo!

I'm looking for a soft structured carrier for my 3.5 month old DS (who's almost 16 lbs). I've been looking at the Ergo and Beco sites, but besides the fabric and the carrier body length, I can't tell the difference between the two carriers. Are there any other differences? Is one better than the other? Are there any other carriers brands I should be looking at? (BTW, I'm 5'1" if that's a deciding factor.)

Thanks for your help!

[connor_mommy]

Check out thebabywearer.com There's a whole forum just on the SSC. There's a lot more out there besides the beco and ergo. I hae a beco and love it. Someone there just did a comparison of a few of them. So you'll find a lot of info there. Just to name a few, there's a nana's jetpack, moshi pack, angelpack,. There's also a buckle tai, it's a cross b/t a mei tai and a buckled carrier.

HTH!

[katiesmommy]

Don't know about the others, but I'm 5'1" as well, I have an Ergo and I love it. It makes my life so much easier.

[samantha546]

There's also the Sutemi.

ERGO rocks imo. I use mine at least once a day and don't go anywhere without it, despite my 9 other carriers.. ;)

[ktshea]

I've been looking at soft structured carriers too and right now there's a thread on TBW discussing SSCs for petite mamas. I think some petite gals have trouble with the fit on the Ergo and Beco, but there were lots of great suggestions -- the one I remember off-hand was Ten Toes Click. Anyway, no real advise since I haven't picked one yet either, but I thought I'd point you in the direction of the Babywearer. :)

[jniter]

I'm a petite mama also (5'2"). I have the additional problems of having narrow shoulders and a short torso. This is a good review/comparison of SSCs of one of the regulars at thebabywearer.

http://store.attachedtobaby.com/Soft-Structured-Carriers-Review.aspx

After reading a lot about the patapum, ergo, beco, angelpack, etc., I fell in the love with the Yamo. I had to get it secondhand, since there are currently trade issues with Israel (made there), but it fits me very well and I can go on very long walks and errands with my 16lb son with no problems. If I were to pick a more readily available carrier, I would go with the patapum. It seemed like the dimensions would fit me better.

Are there any stores nearby where you can try out at least an ergo? I think those are more common than the others. Have you heard of NINO (nine in nine out)? They are a babywearing organization. If you can find a local chapter to join, sometimes they have carriers you can borrow and try out.

[bijou28]

Thank you everyone for the great advice! TheBabyWearer.com is a great resource and I could read the forum for days and days.

Unfortunately, I don't have a NINO group nearby, so I can't try out a bunch of different carriers. Since the Ergo comes with a 90-day money back guarantee, I ended up getting the Ergo to try out. It seems to fit ok, but I've tried carrying DS a few times and he hates it. Anyone have tips on getting the baby used to being in a carrier? I've always carried him in my arms up to this point.

Thanks!

[JacksMommy]

Tips on getting baby to like a carrier:
The first few times, put him in it when he is in a good mood, well-rested, fed, etc.
Then MOVE! Go for a walk, even just around the block. The motion of walking is soothing.

If you can't or don't want to walk, jiggle in place, bounce up and down, give him some movement. Many babies don't like to be in a carrier standing still.

Make sure that your ERGO is snug and that the baby is held firmly against you, as if you were holding him.

HTH, let us know if you need more!

Laurel
Mama to Jack 6/02 and Maddy 12/04

Babywearing education in Napa, CA

[ljackson]

I started my daughter in the Ergo at a similar age and it took a little while for her to like it as she was not used to having her legs so far apart. I just had her in it for a few minutes at a time and worked up to longer sessions. She was more comfortable in the hip carry to begin with as her legs didn't get splayed as much. She is now 6 months old and is very happy in the hip and front positions.

HTH

[pillysuss]

Some people really love the Baby Trekker (see www.babytrekker.com). I have a gently used one I'm no longer using if you're interested (e-mail me at [email protected]). It retails new for $110 which is why I got mine second-hand.

If you're not sure which carrier to get, I would suggest buying a few used ones off e-bay or elsewhere to try out. You can always re-sell the ones you don't like. This is what I did and it was well worth spending the extra money up front. I was able to find the carriers that worked best for my very fussy baby (Moby Wrap and Kozy Mei Tai), and I have recouped most of the money spent on the other carriers by selling them on sites such as www.thebabywearer.com.

[bijou28]

I'm happy to report that I've been able to front carry my DS in the Ergo for at least 10 minutes at a time! He even fell asleep in it as I was carrying him this morning. Yay!

My next question is: I know that the Ergo instructions say that you shouldn't wash the carrier frequently, but really how often can you wash it? DS is beginning to drool alot and loves drooling on the carrier where the straps meet the carrier body. I'm not sure spot cleaning will really clean it...

Thanks for all the help!

[OKKiddo]

I have an Ergo and a Beco and I love, love, love my Beco. But, I'm in search of an affordable Yamo because I hear great things about them too. And just to let you know, www.thebabywearer.com has a mentor program that you can sign up for (for free) to give you a hand in baby carrying options and advice. You can find it in the introductions area or just posting a question about it--someone will respond. Oh, and I know in my area there's a carrier library where you pay a deposit and submit your request and they send it to you to try out. You send it back after your time is up.


And if you just want to try an Ergo without buying and can't find someone nearby, www.frogmama.com has a rental program for carriers. Don't forget to watch craigs list for good bargains either!

[luvsviola]

I got my Ergo about 2 weeks ago and it has been used EVERY day and replaced all my other carriers. I am 5'2". I LOVE LOVE LOVE it and wish I had gotten it sooner. DD is 5 months.

[JacksMommy]

Did you ever get an answer to this question? Sorry, I didn't notice it before.

Anyway, I think the main issue with cleaning it is the fading of the material. If it's mainly drool you are worried about, then you might want to consider putting drool bibs on him or putting a cloth diaper over the edge of ERGO so that you don't have to worry about cleaning it too often.

Laurel
Mama to Jack 6/02 and Maddy 12/04

Babywearing education in Napa, CA

[OKKiddo]

You think you love the Ergo? Now try the Beco, lol! ;) That's where I went wrong! Honestly, the Ergo is super awesome and I love that my hubby will wear our son in it, but my Beco is lots more comfy for me. I think it has something to do with the waist buckle being adjustable from both sides so that it can stay centered on my back area and not ride on my hip bones (even if my hip bones are naturally padded with fat, lol).