help! My baby LOVES the baby bjorn!

[KelliHope]

AK! I was given a bjorn as a handmedown and while cleaning baby's room yesterday I got it out b/c I was going to put it in the "donate" pile b/c I have been preaching against bjorn's for months now and was never going to use it. Well my 9 week old baby was being an absolute ball of fussiness and on a whim I grabbed the bjorn off the floor and put it on, and put her in it facing forward, which isn't even allowed I don't think, but she LOVED it! She quieted down and just hung out for over an hour while I tidied up around the house. She even fell asleep in it!
I try to do that with the wrap and the ergo and she will tolerate them, and sometimes sleep, but never has she been so psyched as she was in the bjorn.
What do I do??? Is there a wrap carry that would mimic the bjorn - and if there is would it *really* be any better ergonomically than the bjorn if it essentially will be supporting her weight by her crotch also? There's no way to face her out in the ergo, is there?
any ideas??
thnx!

[_betsy_]

I think she probably liked it so much because she could see what you were doing, but at 9 weeks, I think it's really too early to forward face her in any carrier. Many babies like their carriers better when they can forward face.

Just wait a bit before trying a forward facing carry for her in any of your carriers.

I think the Bjorn is probably fine in moderation, but not as your main carrier. And I wouldn't forward face a baby until baby has really good head control.

[KelliHope]

her head control is pretty strong, see:

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i2...101_1079-2.jpg

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i2...101_1072-2.jpg

but, also I didn't jostle her around too much, most of what I was doing was sitting and folding/ sorting clothes so her head didn't bobble too much.

[simcon]

I do a forward facing front carry in my bali baby breeze wrap--my lo is just about 3 months and *loves* it too--the nice thing is that it's the same tie as the "pocket carry," so when I think he's had enough stimulation and willl do well cuddling up and napping, I just take him out and turn him around (towards me) without retying. I'm not sure about its difference in physiological terms from the ergo (though there seems to be quite a bit of support on his chest as well, so not all of his weight is hanging from his hips), but I don't keep him in it too long, so I'm not too worried. I can do ff in my kozy as well (though I doubt it's as comfy for him--isn't for me, anyway), but I don't think it's possible in the ergo. The wrap tie is definitely most like the bb.

You didn't ask about back carries, but I also found that at that age he was happier in a back carry in the kozy for longer than the front carry (unless he was sleeping, in which case it's pretty much all the same!). I think it's also because he can see more up over my shoulder (I would have him in the high back carry)--so a bit of the same effect as a forward facing front carry, but ergonomically better, perhaps?

[GardenStream]

Your baby is beautiful! She does seem to have great head control too.

My kids have both liked the bjorn better than anything else. I like how I could position the bjorn so that when they slept (forward facing), their head would fall back on my chest. They seemed to find it much more comfortable that way. I started carrying them FF at about 2 months old. As long as you're careful and aren't putting your daughter in it for 8 hours a day, then it's fine IMO.

[limabean]

We use a Bjorn sometimes. I think sometimes people here get a little too hung up on stuff. "You should babywear, but not with that!!"

It's a minor issue in the grand scheme of things, IMO -- if your baby likes it and it allows you some peace, and you're not using it for hours each day, the risk wouldn't outweigh the benefits, for me.

I think the only thing you're really in danger of is feeling like people might mistake you for a mainstream mama if they catch you wearing it.

[Talula Fairie]

If she likes it, go with it. Just try not to use it every single day or for super prolonged periods.

ETA: have you tried a Mei Tai?

[Lilasmom]

Have you tried the fleece pouches? My babies enjoyed the bjorn, but when I put them in the fleece sling, they loved it AND I loved it. I bought mine at http://www.kangarookorner.com/p-26-a...ece-pouch.aspx but you can probably buy them other places too. They are so easy to use (I just couldn't figure out the wrap or padded slings to save my life -- chalk it up to sleep deprivation or just bad spatial relations) but the pouch saved me. Plus, it's adjustable (with snaps) so my husband could wear it comfortably too. We were in cool climates, so the fleece was cozy. Plus the fleece makes it easy to throw in the wash. We've had ours well used through two children, and loaned it to a friend, and it's still in really good shape.

[KelliHope]

no I hadn't thought of it, DH has been saying forever though that he wants a simple sack of some sort to slip her into easily. Perhaps we'll check it out!

[*MamaJen*]

Originally Posted by limabean

We use a Bjorn sometimes. I think sometimes people here get a little too hung up on stuff. "You should babywear, but not with that!!"

It's a minor issue in the grand scheme of things, IMO -- if your baby likes it and it allows you some peace, and you're not using it for hours each day, the risk wouldn't outweigh the benefits, for me.

I think the only thing you're really in danger of is feeling like people might mistake you for a mainstream mama if they catch you wearing it.

That's so true. We are a bit snobbish here when it comes to baby-wearing, aren't we? DP likes using the Bjorn, and I'm just glad he's babywearing, so I keep my mouth shut.
That said, you could try a face-out carry in a wrap, or you could try a mei tai, or a pouch.

[Quirky]

You can easily do a forward facing out position (FFO) in a wrap. You can get a stretchy wrap, a gauze or hybrid wrap, or a woven wrap. You can also do an ergonomic FFO position in the Pikkolo by CatBird Baby. I think as long as you rotate baby's hips slightly forward so that she's sitting on her bum rather than dangling, it's going to be OK.

That said, I definitely wouldn't do FFO to the exclusion of other carries -- the more versatility you have in positioning, the better, because even with the most supportive carrier, eventually babies get too heavy to be carried comfortably that way. But if that's the only way they've ever been carried, they may protest quite loudly when you want to do things differently!

[maymorales]

you can always try an Obi if she likes forward facing. But you'd have to find them used as they are discontinued.