Safe forward facing carriers or wraps?

I have a friend who's a new mom who wants a forward facing carrier for her baby. I feel comfortable passing on what I know, which is that forward facing carriers are harmful both for the baby's hips and for the parent's back, but before I do that, I want to make sure that's accurate. You guys would know, so I'm asking you. Are there any safe ff carriers?

I don't think they are horrible in moderation and I used a Beco Gemini forward facing for short stints while watching older DC at lessons. That said I would never buy a forward facing only carrier because they are uncomfortable for long distances and heavier babies and they don't seem to be thoughtfully designed given the health aspect. Maybe steer her to one that can do both like the Gemini or have her start with something like the moby wrap?

Pikkolo will do front-facing carry, and that's one of the reasons i bought it..it will do front-facing as well as the other way, and i even think you can use it on your hip. but i never used it that way. by the time i got one my DS was huge and figured out he was happy to face me, and plus the best thing of all was that i could nurse him in it :)

i'm not so sure if it's unsafe foir baby more than it's bad for the mama's back.

Another vote for Pikkolo!


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I third the recommendation for the Pikkolo because it's got a wider base, allowing for a more open hip position, vs. a harness carrier that holds the hips in a more vertical position.

I also want to point to this blog post from Rachel at QuirkyBaby that I've linked before in other threads about FFO in a carrier. Rachel points out the concerns in a very neutral way from a babywearing educator standpoint that I think is very helpful to people who might not be aware of why FFO isn't ideal for every babywearer:

http://blog.quirkybaby.com/2013/01/1...n-babywearing/

Also, technically I guess you can FFO in a wrap-carrier, but, personally, I wouldn't do it from an ergonomics for mama standpoint. Also, I'd be cautious about recommending a wrap-style carrier in FFO positions simply because it's a piece of fabric with very little support and you could, theoretically, have it tied in such a way where it's difficult to monitor Baby's airway ... and you could potentially choke or strangle your baby. So, yes, you can, but I prefer to err on the side of caution and say you probably shouldn't.

Does that make sense?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lizzywednesday

I third the recommendation for the Pikkolo because it's got a wider base, allowing for a more open hip position, vs. a harness carrier that holds the hips in a more vertical position.

I also want to point to this blog post from Rachel at QuirkyBaby that I've linked before in other threads about FFO in a carrier. Rachel points out the concerns in a very neutral way from a babywearing educator standpoint that I think is very helpful to people who might not be aware of why FFO isn't ideal for every babywearer:

http://blog.quirkybaby.com/2013/01/1...n-babywearing/

Also, technically I guess you can FFO in a wrap-carrier, but, personally, I wouldn't do it from an ergonomics for mama standpoint. Also, I'd be cautious about recommending a wrap-style carrier in FFO positions simply because it's a piece of fabric with very little support and you could, theoretically, have it tied in such a way where it's difficult to monitor Baby's airway ... and you could potentially choke or strangle your baby. So, yes, you can, but I prefer to err on the side of caution and say you probably shouldn't.

Does that make sense?

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Yes! Thank you! I'll pass on the link to my friend.