It used to be that new moms would drool over a Baby Bjorn and carrying their newborn past the 6 month stage would be the long and short of owning a baby carrier.
Ergo’s better marketing and product placement has brought a considerable change in today’s mainstream baby wearing scene. It’s wonderful to see a mom carrying a bigger baby in their Ergos, and spotting a secret hug shared between the two is even sweeter.
Yesterday while trying to hunt down eye pins at Michaels, I ran into this lady wearing a grey soft structured carrier that looked like an Ergo but was unlike any I’ve seen before. Apparently, Ergo came out with new carriers with appliqués and embroidered designs. They can be found here.
Since many of the new moms now are diving into the more comfortable zone of baby wearing with Ergos, I want to put out some things I’ve learned about making the Ergo work.
The three generations of Ergo:
The company has evolved the baby carrier over the years, improving features as they went.
A comparison of the three generations of Ergos can be seen here.
Finding a comfortable fit on the Ergo:
*In any baby carrier, by rule of thumb we assume that the tighter it is, the more comfortable it would be. With the Ergo this proved to be wrong the few times we gave it a try. For us, it was most comfortable when worn with a loose fit. We assumed we had to have a different fit because of our builts (tall torso, broad shoulders). Later on, while surfing threads on TheBabyWearer dot com, I came across many mothers having experienced the same thing.
*If you’re feeling strain on your hips and neck muscles, go ahead and loosen it up a little. You may find out that it is really a lot easier on your posture and spine.
*The waist band on Ergos do sometimes restrict the parent from sitting down while front carrying. Sitting on the edge of the seat with the legs tucked under or off to the side works for a comfortable seating posture.
*Don’t try to hike up the waist band too high on your torso. The band is built to distribute weight across the hips and that is how the parent will find it easiest to carry their child. Ergo is one of the best carriers for this purpose when worn correctly.
*Don’t forget, Ergo makes waist extenders, so if you’re finding the waist band too tight for your liking, you can attach the extenders for a more comfortable fit.
If you like keeping the carriers clean, think about ordering the suck pads made by Ergo. These can keep the straps from fading and can be washed more regularly than you would the carrier. You can even get custom suck pads here for a more unique look. Solid colored Ergos can get boring after a while, and who doesn’t want to accessorize anything that is worn this regularly? Buy one or buy a few; one for mom and one for dad.
Personally, I liked the Ergo for its ease of use. Monster’s dad was wrap and mei tai incapable and the Ergo was the only carrier he truly enjoyed carrying Monster in. We’ve since then found love with custom soft structured carriers made with taller bodies for toddlers. For the ease of finding in retail stores readily and for its affordability, Ergo is really the way to go.
All hail the Ergo! Crucial for Sunnyside, where I have friends with walkups. I use it on the subway and keep it in my basket even with the stroller in case my daughter becomes inconsolable.
ReplyDeleteMy hubby preferred the Bjorn, said it had more mid-back support. I think he's nuts. The Ergo saved my back and hips!
Great blog, keep it up.
It's funny how some people still consider Ergo to the "cruchy mama" carrier. You'd think baby items only get mainstream status if Brad and Angelina sport them...Who by the way totally need Ergos. You'd think someone who's been to Africa this many times would have picked up a few pointers regarding baby wearing. It'd would have been cool to see Angelina carry a LO in a torso carry =D
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