...or the joys of wearing your baby girl in the Ergo baby carrier :)Let me try to explain with the following story:
Last Friday afternoon, I just had to get out of the house with the kids. We didn't have enough time to go to the pool, but it was too hot to be outside without being in the water. And I just needed a break. At the end of a fairly long week, I was craving a little bit of "luxury"...A trip to the coffee shop could have done the trick, but I decided to take it to the next level and headed over to the local "finer foods store". My reasoning was that they almost always have food samples, which is such a treat for me (and C loves it, too!), and I could pick up some crackers and dip for a BBQ that we were hosting the next day.
Being a finer foods store, I knew that I would want the kids to be contained, but since we do not have a functional double stroller this means that C rides in the stroller and Maria rides on my back in the Ergo. Because it was so blasted hot outside, I decided to wait until we got inside the air-conditioned store to put Maria into the Ergo. And that's when things got interesting. We headed inside the store and I parked the stroller (with C inside it) to the side, and then proceeded to start putting Maria into the Ergo. Immediately, I felt that all eyes were on me! Two or three very nice older women who work at the store asked if I needed help, but of course I just smiled and said, "Oh, no thanks, it's actually very easy!" But for some reason, this time it wasn't easy. As Maria sat precariously on my back, I couldn't seem to get the second shoulder strap up and into position! I struggled, I huffed and puffed, and the very nervous women said things like "Oh my goodness!" and "Is she alright?!" Finally, one of the women did come to my rescue - she pulled Maria's leg down, untangled my strap, and we were set. And me? Well, I must have been quite a sight - red-faced, both from embarrassment and from bending over for a few minutes while trying to get Maria into the Ergo, hair stuck to the front of my face, and now carrying a very unhappy, crying baby.
So, needless to say, my relaxing trip to the store was less-than-relaxing, but I must say that C behaved very nicely in the store, we did pick up some lovely crackers and dip, and the samples were quite delicious. And, of course, who doesn't need a good dose of humility once in a while ;)
*Just a note: I LOVE the Ergo and would recommend it to any parent looking for a comfortable, easy to use baby carrier (www.ergobabycarrier.com). Despite the above story, for the majority of the time the Ergo is very simple and easy to use, and babies seem to really enjoy riding in them. Although it is a bit of an investment up front, it doesn't cost much more than other carriers or slings and in my experience, it is much more versatile and can be used for a longer period of time. Maria is 9 months old (!) and I envision carrying her in the Ergo for many months to come!*
15 comments:
I have had those same moments with my Ergo. My 9 and 8 yo dd's know how to "spot" me so that people aren't so nervous!
I also recommend the Ergo. I've worn my dd's until after they were 2 (comfortably!) since all the weight is distributed to hips and both shoulders. Slings I can't do because of the weight on just one shoulder--it sends me to the chiropractor.
I even use the Ergo until late in pregnancy--with the belt extender if need be). I put the waist belt under my burgeoning belly and off we go very comfortably!
I'm glad to hear that the Ergo is more user-friendly than our Kelty. While the Kelty is really sturdy and solid for more mountainous ventures, I found it to be *really* difficult to put on at the grocery store or out and about. You really need two people to get it on and off!! The Ergo also appears to accommodate with more storage options--is that a backpack storage component I see?
Another quick question: In the world of slings I've heard a lot of names thrown around. Which is best? I'm curious as we've never invested in one, but I know there are preferable ones out there. Thanks!
I LOVE our Ergo carrier! It's sooo incredibly easy to use, but just last evening I had the same experience at a soccer game. Our 19 month old usually LOVES riding in it, but he wanted to watch the match and wasn't ready to leave. So onlookers shook their heads and pitied my poor baby as he screamed and kicked his way into the carrier. And as for the size/age question ... our now 3 year old still loves riding in it, and it's so comfortable for DH and I, too! Other than my Ergo, I love the basic ring-sling (I have two hand-me-down NoJo slings). But perhaps for #3 I'll get a peanut wrap sling! :)
Renee
B-Mama,
I am one of those young moms still trying to cling to the illusion that kids don't necessarily have to come with the society-promulgated amount of STUFF. However, I am a New Native Slinger all the way. They come in sizes and you would be a medium. There is a nice infant support pillow that is great but expensive (thanks Grandma). I have found that a rolled up sweatshirt works just as well for the first six weeks or so and then they don't need it. I have found them on Ebay for not as much $$, but they are great. You can nurse with the wee one in there too.
B-mama,
I am addicted to slings..i have the Maya wrap, the new native and the Mai Tei (sp)..
although I like them all, the Maya Wrap is my favorite. I like that it is adjustable, and i use the extra material as a cover-up while nursing. I can even be walking around the mall nursing in the maya wrap and no one even knows :)
If you are interested in seeing a comparison chart I recommend www.mom4life.com this is a website store where all the products are invented by moms, they have really cute stuff!! Also, the woman who owns the site is a beautiful Christian mother who donates a portion of her sales to a local Pro-life organization. Check it out there is so much great stuff to see on her site!!!
Oh, great reference to the mom4life site! I've ordered stuff from there before and had a great experience... Love its mission! I will check it out!
With my first daughter I couldn't get the hang of a sling and used a Snugli front-carrier instead. With my son I used the sling (handmade, but the ring type, with padding). And now with my third, my favorite way to carry her has been the Moby Wrap. It's not at all difficult to learn how to use, and she felt so much more snug and secure in it than I ever felt my other kids were in their carriers. She's only four months, so I don't know how long it will last. The Ergo sounds great for length of use.
The Moby is a lot of fabric to take out. I loved it walking around the house and our neighborhood, but didn't take it with me to the store. For that I used a kangarookorner.com pouch. Loved, loved, loved it, and can still put our 40 pound 4 year old in it. Babies go inside the pouch, once they can sit up, you just tuck their buns in the edge and put them on your hip. Reasonably cheap, easy to use, not too much fabric. I can't say enough about how wonderful it is.
Speaking of Ergo moments turned bad, I've enjoyed using the Ergo with the infant insert for about a month with my newborn, but in the last week or so, she arches her back and squirms when I put her in there, which makes her start to slip out and she wails. I try to reposition her, bounce her around and sing to her, but she won't stop the counterproductive arching and crying. Anyone else experience this?
She's only 7 weeks so I'm afraid to try putting her in the Ergo without the infant insert. I gave up and tried the Baby Bjorn, which she seems much happier with at this point. The Ergo (sans infant insert) looks like it would require spreading her legs much wider than the Bjorn, so maybe I'll just have to use the Bjorn for a few months until she gets bigger?
B-Mama,
I am putting my shout in for the Moby Wrap. It is a lot of fabric, but once you get the hang of it, it is simple. I used it all the time with my second...in the house, walks, stores, gatherings...she was a mover and a snuggler and it made it so easy to be "hands free" to still be with my 2 year old. I used it this past winter during events that I didn't want my little one (then 20 months old) to walk around, and she loved it still. I have also been looking at slings for quick trips, since a little one is on the way in January.
Happy hunting, and glad to hear all is still going well! :)
Maybe it's just my short stubby arms, but I absolutely am terrified to try to get my baby (15 months) into the back position unassisted. For me, it is strictly a 2-person job. He loves loves loves to ride that way, though, once he's finally up there. Otherwise, I use it frontways; I've never tried him on my hip.
I swear, I saw a woman the other day in the grocery store carrying a little boy in the Ergo (on her back) who could have been nothing less than 4. And both looked quite content!
H - I didn't start using the Ergo with Maria until she was about 3 months old. We didn't buy the infant insert and I didn't feel that she was ready to spread her legs that far until she was a bit bigger and sturdier. I used a sling up to that point. I also remember that at first I was still concerned about spreading her legs that far, so I would sort-of put her in upright, almost as if she was standing up, and that seemed to work fine for shorter periods of time. Babies grow quickly and soon your little girl will love the Ergo!
B-Mama, I used an Infantino sling - it wasn't ideal, but it got the job done. Pros: inexpensive, fairly simple to use. Cons: not the most comfortable for mom or baby, not as flexible as the nicer slings
When my Maria was less than 2.5 months or so I used the Moby but I do feel like it's a lot of fabric and I didn't feel like I could get it tight enough once she got a bit bigger. I LOVED it when she was teensy, though, she just slept away in it. Now she is six months old and I use the Bjorn all the time. It's not great but I have had the Maya wrap, the Moby and the Bjorn and I'm not buying anymore! :) If anyone wants to try a Maya Wrap, feel free to email me.
I love this topic and I love the Ergo story--every babywearer has one! ;)
When I started babywearing 11 years ago, I found a bright pink and green NoJo ring sling at a children's resale shop. U-GLY :) We also used a Kelty carrier for longer carries.
When the U-GLY sling wore out, I made my own padded ring sling from an Elizabeth Lee Design pattern. Fun and pretty. Then I made an unpadded ring sling and then I made one for the pool. THEN I discovered there were OTHER carriers, lol. So now I have a EllaRoo Wrap and a Baby Mei Tai (that has panels that you can change, I've made an Our Lady of Guadelupe panel to wear everywhere!). I love, love, love them both. I use them every day and I'm sad that I didn't discover these other carriers until our 6th child! ;) I like ring slings, but the one shoulder carry kills my back with too much use. I don't have that problem with the wrap or mei tai. I love babywearing, lol.
I have had to fully wean the Lion due to minor complications with my pregnancy, and I just wanted to share that baby wearing has been a substantial help in compensating for the change in our level of attachment. I have been making an effort to wear the Ergo around the house more, on errands, etc, rather than having him in a bouncy chair or stroller, since often someone else gives him his bottle this ensures that we still have plenty of close contact, and we have both been loving it!
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