Hi Shana,
I have a 5 month old, and I love my Ergo Carrier. It's great because you can use it immediately. Also, it converts for use to hold your child on your hip and eventually on your back. It's a little pricey, but totally worth it!
Here is the website if you are interested. http://www.ergobabycarriers.com/
I bought mine in Davis at Mother and Baby Source. I'm not sure where you are, but I am sure you can find this anywhere or online, too.
I hope this helps!
Annemarie
I loved the Native Baby Carrier when my son was born. At first we would sort of line it with receiving blankets to prop him up more... they just seem so lost in there when they are so tiny.
http://www.newnativeinc.com/?gclid=COK_1JLC0JECFQEpgwodY3d7Rw
I never like the Bjorn, I prefer that they are cradled. As they get a little older you can sit them up more so they can see.. then eventually you can use it to carry the baby on your hip after they have good head control
Hi, i have a 3.5 month old and a friend of mine recommended a Baby-Hawk. they are great! about the same price as the Baby Bjorn but much more "trendier" and safer i find. I have been carrying him in it since about 2 weeks and he loves it, i strap him on and clean the house and in about 20 minutes he's passed out! they come in tons of colors and designs. hope this helps... good luck...
Hi,
My favorites are the Sling Ezee and the Ergo. I'm using the Ergo right now and love it. My little one never liked the Bjorn.
Shana,
Although my son is older now (8) I had a sling for him when he was little and I loved it. I used it from the time he was newborn until he walked. It was close fitting to me so as a newborn he felt comforted. It was great for breast feeding and when he was old enough to sit up, I could turn him around to face forward as we walked and he liked to look around.
We also loved the Moby wrap and used it exclusively until my son was three months old, then switched to the Ergo, which is also wonderful and could have been used from the start with an insert.
My son lived in his sling! We never even used a front pack for him. He slept in it so well. I used until he was about 6 months old and he was so happy in it. The one I used was the New Native Sling.
You can definitely use a Baby Bjorn with a newborn, as long as the baby is at least 8lbs. You put the baby in facing you when he/she is a newborn, with the flap fastened all the way up to support his/her head. If your baby is smaller, or you just want a different kind, I've heard that Moby wraps are great. Good luck!
My favorite was the http://www.babyholder.com/. It was comfortable with a shoulder pad. (used for a pillow when they are little.) Easy to adjust, and has side pillows for them to stay in better. I used it for 3 kids, started early and all of them loved it! They would go to sleep while I walked around and did chores. I can't imagine using anything else.
The carrier that goes in the front works very well, when the baby gets bigger, you can buy one that goes on the back. Either way the baby learns to pull hair while riding in the carrier. There are different types, depending if your breastfeeding. They are alot of fun. Good luck.
we love the ergo carrier! WE tried many many other carriers but were not happy with them. The Moby carrier worked well when he was small but there was too much wrapping involved when we ventured out. The ergo has an infant insert so that your baby is reclined rather than seated which can put too much pressure in their developing hips and spine. when they do sit upright the ergo had a way of positioning their legs so they wrap around your body which is better than them just hanging straight down. It is also the most comfortable carrier for the parents. Or at least we thought so! Ergo has a website that you can learn more from. good luck and try as many as possible before you buy so that you avoid having as many as we do. By the way Haden is 16 months and 25 lbs and still travels in the ergo on the back position. Have fun!
I recently bought a Peanut Shell at DayOne ($50) and both me and my one month old daughter like it. (But she also likes the Bjorn - which can be used for baby's as small as 8 pounds - we use it with her facing us and tighten around the head and use the leg straps for baby's under 11 pounds - her head doesn't wobble)
Congrats!
I love my carrier and so does my little one. I got it at Kangarookorner.com. Congrats.
Are you sure about the baby bjorn- I recall we used it immediately. The baby will face you as opposed to when they are bigger they face out. I loved my baby bjorn.
Hi, my daughter and her husband have the same carrier and used it right away for their son. They faced him toward them and I think they just used their hand to support the baby's head, but he liked being in it. I bet you are so excited, you have such a wonderful experience ahead, enjoy every minute of it, they grow fast!!Kim
The Moby wrap is fantastic! You can use it even through their toddler-dom
Hi,
I would highly recommend that you find a place like Newborn Connections at CA Pacific Med Center or any place that sells them and go try a bunch on. My husband and I had different slings that we each liked-and you'll want one for him FOR SURE. He liked the padded shoulder and I liked a more sporty lightweight one.
There are ones that are adjustable and ones that are not.
Online there is a site for them called Mayawraps and they are beautiful slings with adjustable rings. And depending on how crafty you are feeling- sling rings.com sells the rings and the pattern-which is so easy you barely need a machine. I had a sling-making party with my mom's group and we all had a blast making beautiful Maya wrap style slings. So more than one is good too have-for different moments.
And one more note is that you need to practice a bit to get it right-maybe with a small pillow or baby doll-they can be a bit fussy when you just start figuring them out but then you will never want to be without-the Bjorn is hard on the back.
Also when they get bigger-like toddler size you can sling them on your hip and that is a real back saver.
The sling, when they are newborns is great for having them on you for chores -I even would swing the sling around and have the baby in the small of my back while I cooked dinner.
Slings rule. I have seen many styles so the more the merrier.
Have fun and good luck.
Lisa (Mother of a 4 and 9 year old)
I had 2 carriers that I loved.
I think my FAVORITE sling is a fleece sling I bought at KangarooKorner.com. They call them "pouches". They are adjustable with a series of snaps on the back so as the baby grows you can still maintain a snug fit. She makes them in fleece and a stretchy poplin-type fabric depending on your weather. But I'm in the Bay Area and I used our fleece one year round. I used this one well after my toddler was walking & running, at least 18 monhts.
The other one that I still used a lot when the babies were littler (but not as favorite) was the "over the shoulder baby carrier" which is a ring-type sling. I'm not even sure if they sell it under this name any more. But it came with a little video on how to get the baby in because it takes a little getting used to but once you know, you know. I used it a lot when mine were newborns because you can do all sorts of adjustments. It can be used for all the various holds, too.
I never had much luck with the New Native types... I thought they were too tight for the baby and I couldn't get the hang of it.
The good news is you're looking into slings which are by far one of the best investments you can make to having a calmer baby, calmer mommy, better sleeping baby, all around they are GREAT. And yes, the baby bjorn is great for some uses once they can hold up their head (and my husband refused to use my slings so he always used the bjorns) but I got hooked on slings because they're so easy to use and the babies really like them.
Good luck!
I personally think the Baby Bjorn's are one of the best carriers for infants. They fit in there perfectly and it will really support their head. When they are a little older, I think the Ergo Pack is the best!! It is a soft pack and so easy to deal with and you can put it on your back and carry the child like a piggy back ride. I love mine and can still put my son who is 35lbs in it!! Good luck!
For a newborn, I loved my pouch sling. Examples are peanut shell or hotslings. They are super convenient and easy for the littlest ones and they can lay in a cradle position. I didn't like to use it once my daughter got to be about 12lbs. I recommend getting a used one or making your own, since they can't be used for very long. Peanut shell has a pattern to make them on their website, I think.
-Amanda