what's so bad about...

[moxygirl]

...Baby Bjorns? I get the sense they're the pariahs of the babywearing community.

I really need a sling since my bub HATES my Moby but wants to be carried/walked a lot. Someone gave me a Bjorn but I'm hesitant to use it after reading that it somehow affects spinal development?

Thoughts? I can't afford another sling, not even a cheap one, let alone something like an Ergo. Can I carry him in it for a while? Or should I avoid it like the plague?

Thanks!

[Lauren710]

What carry are you doing with the Moby? It may not be the carrier itself that your LO doesn't like, just the position it's been putting him in.

[tanyam926]

I think the main issues w/the bjorns and similar carriers is that that the baby hang by their crotch and the shape of the carrier causes the back and spine to be in an unnnaturally straight position.

In any carrier the baby's legs should be at around a 90 degree angle.

Also, I have heard that the Bjorn type carriers are really uncomfortable for the parent wearing them.

I say keep trying the moby w/different positions, if you can experiement and get baby to like it, they are amazing. I LOVE my moby. Also, check out *the baby wearer* (all one word and then .com, not sure if we can link other forums here) bc they have a for sale or trade section and I have gotten carriers there for really cheap. A ring sling would be pretty inexpensive on there or a similar site.

Good luck!

[llwr]

I used a snugli which has a similar design for a while, and it was very uncomfortable. I wouldn't think you'd need to avoid it totally, but there are lots better things out there.

Is returning or selling the bjorn an option? You should definately be able to get a sling or even a mei tai if you got close to retail back for it.

[moxygirl]

Originally Posted by Lauren710

What carry are you doing with the Moby? It may not be the carrier itself that your LO doesn't like, just the position it's been putting him in.

Lauren, I've tried the cradle hold - which he absolutely hated. I think it squished him too much. He's a big baby. - and the hug hold. He'll tolerate the hug hold for about 3 minutes if he's in a good mood when I put him in... but then after that 3 minutes he's in a bad mood.

[moxygirl]

Originally Posted by tanyam926

I say keep trying the moby w/different positions, if you can experiement and get baby to like it, they are amazing. I LOVE my moby. Also, check out *the baby wearer* (all one word and then .com, not sure if we can link other forums here) bc they have a for sale or trade section and I have gotten carriers there for really cheap. A ring sling would be pretty inexpensive on there or a similar site.

Good luck!

(Blah, I can't figure out the multi-quote feature... anyway...)

Thanks Tanya. I'll check out that link. Maybe I should try the sling hold....

[moxygirl]

[QUOTE=llwr;15047584
Is returning or selling the bjorn an option? You should definately be able to get a sling or even a mei tai if you got close to retail back for it.[/QUOTE]

Nope can't return it. It was used when I received it. A mei tai sounds nice. Maybe I'll save up for one.

Thanks everyone!

[Michigan Mama]

Try putting your bjorn up on craigslist or ebay? You never know...

[rizzosanders]

The Bjorn hangs the baby from the crotch, and doesn't support their spine the way a good baby carrier should. And, it is terribly uncomfortable for any length of time. If you sold it on ebay or craigslist like someone mentioned, you could get a mei tai or a buckle tai that would be great. I love my Two Mommas Design buckle tai, that way I got the ease of a Bjorn, but my little one is in a better position and we are both more comfortable. Good luck!

[Comtessa]

A (tiny) voice of dissent here about the Bjorn...

When my LO was tiny (i.e., under 3 months/14 lbs), I used the Bjorn on occasion if we were doing something outdoors and I suspected she'd be too hot bundled up in the Moby. She was still too little for the Ergo without an insert, and since it was midsummer it was way too hot for her to be comfortable in there with an insert.

When they're really tiny, IMO, the Bjorn doesn't quite seem to dangle them from their crotch, but rather holds them in a fairly comfortable sitting position with hips rotated in the appropriate direction. It's only when they get a bit bigger that the design gets bad. And, of course, it's a terrible design for whoever's wearing the baby, since all their weight is dangling from your shoulders. But when they're really little, that's not too much of an issue.

So, go ahead and use it while your LO is very little. But then save up and get something better. Sell the Bjorn on Craigslist, save your pocket change, and buy an Ergo. Dollar for dollar, the Ergo was the best Ebay purchase I ever made. Worth every penny.

[babygirlsmama]

Just brainstorming here....but have you tried other carriers? Is there anything your baby does like? I mention it because maybe it isn't the Moby specifically. My little one fusses quite a bit when I put her in the Moby or any sling or carrier at first. I have found the trick is to put her in there and then immediately start walking briskly. When she was younger, sometimes it took a few minutes of brisk walking before she settled down. I have found this is the routine we have to use for pretty much all carriers, then she settles down and we get a good amount of time when she is riding happily. In the end, I love my Moby the best of all, find it the most versatile so far (she is 4 months old now), and most comfortable for the both of us.

[jess5377]

Originally Posted by Comtessa

When they're really tiny, IMO, the Bjorn doesn't quite seem to dangle them from their crotch, but rather holds them in a fairly comfortable sitting position with hips rotated in the appropriate direction. It's only when they get a bit bigger that the design gets bad. And, of course, it's a terrible design for whoever's wearing the baby, since all their weight is dangling from your shoulders. But when they're really little, that's not too much of an issue.

So, go ahead and use it while your LO is very little. But then save up and get something better. Sell the Bjorn on Craigslist, save your pocket change, and buy an Ergo. Dollar for dollar, the Ergo was the best Ebay purchase I ever made. Worth every penny.

I'm in this camp.

[meco]

The Bjorn does not allow the baby to be carried in the optimal position. When they are smaller, you want the legs to be frogged up in the carrier, which the Bjorn does not allow for. When they are old enough to be legs out, the knees should be above the bottom. With the Bjorn, this is not possible as the baby hangs from their crotch, placing all their weight there.

A lot of people find the Bjorn to be quite uncomfortable, especially as your babe gets bigger (and overall, it's usefulness is short lived). The design also essentially makes it where the baby is dangling from your body rather than curved into your body. It pulls at the wearer's shoulders and causes back pain for some wearers.

The cradle hold is also a carry that's not generally recommended. I'd put my babe in the Moby in an upright position in a front wrap cross carry or something similar at that age. The Moby has lots of possibilities, and I'd work with it to see if I could not find a comfortable carry.

If a Bjorn was all someone had, I would not suggest against it. But it's not the ideal or most comfortable carrier.

[MangoMommy]

I used a bjorn with #2, didn't know any different. I only used it when he was little (younger than 6 or 7 mo) and only for short bits of time (like in the grocery store).

With my new little one, I got an Ergo off Craigslist for $45 (a steal!) I didn't use it until she was about 4 mo old, because I never had the infant insert, but I LOVE it now. And it feels so strange to put the bjorn on after using an Ergo. The bjorn pulls my back forward, and is not comfy in anyway. Your baby just kind of hangs there by their crotch. In an Ergo, the baby is more like sitting, in a position you'd hold him/her in naturally.

I also had a Moby and she did like the Joey hold, it's similiar to a carry in the bjorn. I also had to keep moving in the Moby and she did like it.

[moxygirl]

nak... Thanks everyone! Very informative. I guess I'll keep working with the Moby for now. Maybe I'll try him in the Bjorn for VERY short periods of time (like, long enough to get a load of dishes washed!) and try finding a used mei tai or ergo.