I like the idea of carriers and tried a sling with my newborn. However, she didn't really care for lying horizontal after she was two months old. Next, I tried this carrier. I wasn't quite ready to sink the money in for a baby bjorn and found that this carrier was about half the price.
WHAT YOU GET
This carrier is similar to a lot of front carriers. Baby can ride facing in or facing out. To ride facing out, baby must hold her head very securely. This will occur around six months old. The instructions state that sleeping babies must sleep facing in.
The carrier has plastic buckles that fit the carrier around your upper waist. The buckles can also be used to adust the height of baby. According to the instructions, baby should ride so that you can easily kiss the top of her head.
There is a round plastic piece that fits between your shoulder blades so you can adjust the straps and the way the weight is distributed across your back. However, even with the adjustment, your upper back does most of the work. This could be tough for those with lower back ailments.
The carrier has to be opened to put baby in. The carrier has 4 points to secure. There are two hooks up by baby's head. There are also two plastic buckles down by baby's tushie. These buckles have velcro under them. To get baby in and out, you have to undo the hook and buckle on one side of the carrier and then slide her out. To remove a sleeping baby, you could carefully lie baby down on the bed and undo all of the hooks and buckles. The buckles are easy to operate. However, I really struggle with the hooks and it takes me two hands and some real effort to undo them.
The carrier is made of a plastic-feeling material that is easy to wash and cleans up well. The carrier is padded and baby seems very comfortable in it. It also has a teeny strap with a snap on it to secure car keys (I put them in my pocket). You could also use this teeny strap for a small toy. The back of the carrier has a small zip pocket but it is too small and flat to hold anything worthwhile except maybe a credit card or some cash.
The instructions say the carrier can be used for babies 8-26 lbs. For small babies, their arms go out the sides, under the hook closures. Older babies can put their arms over the hook closures but this doesn't look too secure to me.
GETTING STARTED
It was a bit of a struggle to get the carrier set up. There are instructions but you can't really adjust it until you strap it on your body and play around with it for a bit. It took me several tries putting it on and taking it off before I felt comfortable. The first time I tried to put baby in, she howled. I just wasn't comfortable holding her with one hand while I buckled and hooked the carrier together. After a few tries, we both got used to it and I became better at it and more confident so she didn't fuss as much. We also took a few test spins around the house before going outside.
MY EXPERIENCE
Baby did not like this carrier at all until she was two months old. Before that she was so smushy and squishy the carrier did not provide enough support. Starting at around 8 weeks, she really started to like it.
I think this is a great carrier for short outings. For longer trips, it can be hard on my back. Plus, I have to carry a fully-stocked diaper bag along with baby. For those longer walks, I take the stroller.
I have gotten pretty good at getting baby in and out with minimal fussing. However, baby almost always falls asleep in the carrier. It is a little trickier getting her out so she doesn't wake up but, with practice, I am pretty good at it. The hardest part is that the velcro closures under the buckles are quite loud when you peel the velcro apart. This might jolt sound-sensitive babies.
I considered other more expensive carriers but didn't want to sink a lot of money and have the carrier turn out to be something my baby hated. As it turns out, this carrier is pretty good although I think the life span will be limited. I can't imagine holding a 25 pound baby in this carrier because all of the weight is really put on your shoulders and upper back. I will need something like a back carrier to put the weight on my hips once baby gets a bit older. As it turns out, this was a good purchase but the life span, from baby's second month to about her sixth month, is very limited.
FINAL RECOMMENDATION
I like this product a lot and find it useful for short jaunts. When I carry the diaper bag and the baby in the carrier, I feel like a pack mule, so the stroller is still necessary for longer trips. My lower back gets sore, so I expect I will eventually have to trade this in for a back carrier that can distribute baby's weight across my hips.
NEW BABY? HERE ARE SOME BABY PRODUCTS I HAVE REVIEWED:
GEAR:
Maclauren Techno Stroller;
Graco MetroLite LE Stroller;
Skip Hop Diaper Bag;
Evenflo Snugli Baby Carrier.
SLEEPING:
Pali Sabrina Crib;
Sozo USA bedding.
NURSING:
Bravado Nursing Bra;
Lansinoh lanolin;
Lansinoh nursing pads.
BATHING:
The First Years Bath Tub/Bath Seat Combo
BABY BOTTOMS:
Burt’s Bees Diaper Ointment;
Desitin Creamy;
Balmex;
California Baby Diaper Rash Cream.
BABY SKIN:
Mustela Hydra-Stick for lips and cheeks;
Burt’s Bees Apricot Baby Oil.
TOYS:
Tiny Love Symphony In Motion Mobile;
Soft Teething Beads;
Sassy Teething Wing Butterfly;
Lamaze Freddie the Firefly.
BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Baby’s Here Birth Announcements.
France
Germany
United Kingdom
Australia
USA
