Mar 21 2008

The Quest for the Ultimate Baby Carrier

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If I could change one thing about the way I parented Gavin from birth, I would have started carrying him in a sling earlier and more often.  At the time he was born, I didn’t know that much about attachment parenting or baby wearing.  I bought a Bjorn baby carrier when I was pregnant and didn’t really research my options in the range of baby carriers/slings that existed in the market.  It wasn’t until I was fully using the Bjorn carrier that I discovered its limitations.

Since then I have tried and tested two other slings and no longer use the Bjorn because my son outgrew its weight limit too quickly.  I found the baby wrap to be the most comfortable for me to carry Gavin around, especially when we went for extended shopping trips.

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Having used the wrap for some six months now, I still find that the wrap is still lacking a few features that would otherwise have made it the perfect carrier.  These were the two main issues I had with the wrap:

1. Being 6 meters long, it wasn’t the most convenient to put on and take off, so I usually had to put it on before heading out.

2. I could only carry Gavin in two positions – facing in or facing out.  Since I had trouble putting him in facing out while on my own, I usually carried him facing in.  This was fine up until some months back when Gavin found it a nuisance to have to crane his neck every time he wanted to see where we were going.  I started to notice that he prefered to be out of the carrier and would reach for others to carry him whenever I put him into the carrier.

I liked the wrap because it was the only carrier I have used that transfered the weight evenly across the shoulders and the hips, making it very comfortable for extended use.  Aside from the wrap, the only other carrier that balances the weight onto the hips is the Ergo carrier but my gripe with the Ergo is that the fabric is very thick and much too hot for a tropical climate.

Recently, I discovered a new baby sling, called Baby K’tan, that combines all the comforts of the wrap with a great variety of carrying styles – 8 different positions to be specific.  What I liked most was the ability to carry baby on the side – a position I find that Gavin enjoys.  Unlike the ring sling that I have taken to using in recent times, the Baby K’tan doesn’t have that annoying ring buckle that digs into my shoulder and presses a nerve that makes my arm feel numb (the rings are behind my shoulder in the picture below).

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Plus, the new baby sling’s side carry still uses both shoulders so you aren’t reliant on one shoulder to bear the full weight of your baby – definitely much more comfortable for Mummy!

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What I really like about the Baby K’tan as well is the funky fabrics they come in and the cute matching beanies.  Check out the camouflage and tie-dye designs:

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Since you can also carry baby from birth with the Baby K’tan, I think I might get one of these for my next baby.  I’ll add it to my wishlist, so hint, hint, anyone, you’ll know what to get me for a present!  And if you want to know where you can get one, check this page.  Oh, by the way, I’d like the camouflage, just in case you’re wondering.

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2 Comments on this post

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  1. Wall dives said:

    I am shopping for a baby carrier for my first child. I have been told that “BabyTrekker” is the ultimate, but I would like to get other opinions.

    June 10th, 2009 at 11:35 pm
  2. figur8 said:

    This is the first time I have heard of the BabyTrekker, but I have taken a look at their website. The concept and design seems quite similar to the Ergo carrier. Based on the fact that I am already quite sold on the Ergo, I think the BabyTrekker would be just as good, too.

    Most important in a baby carrier (IMHO) is comfort for parents and baby. Protection of the back is an important consideration, especially if you are prone to having back pain. It is also good that the carrier can carry heavier loads so that it is still functional when the baby becomes a toddler who still wants to be carried occasionally. The BabyTrekker seems to meet all of these requirements.

    The reviews on Epinions seem to be quite positive with an overall rating of 4.5 stars out of 5.

    There is also a good discussion on this forum on the Ergo versus the BabyTrekker.

    While there are more carry positions available with the BabyTrekker, it still sounds like the Ergo is a better bet.

    June 11th, 2009 at 10:26 am