Does anyone have the ERGO baby carrier, and do you like it?

[JFTB1177]

I am PG with baby #3, due in Jan. I had the BJorn baby carrier with DS1 and HATED it! Didn't really use a baby carrier with DS2. Now with baby #3 I would like to have a baby carrier once again... I gave my BJorn to a friend who recently had a baby. I don't want a sling, just too much work (for me). I saw some ads for the ERGO and it looks soft and comfortable, and I like the fact that you can use it with older babies. Anyone here have one, and do you like it?

[Super~Single~Mama]

Post in Babywearing - LOTS of info there.  Anyway, I had an Ergo, and LOVED it for a time.  It was great when ds was younger, before I lost the preggo weight.  Once I lost the preggo weight I could no longer tighten the waist belt enough.  I also had a Mei Tai, which I LOVED as well - I had a Kozy Carrier.  Then I got the Beco which is also amazing!  The Beco is super comfy on my tiny frame (I'm 5'4ish" and weigh no more than 125, I wear size 2pants), but I don't think it would be comfy on a larger person necessarily - although I do have an older version so the newer ones might be better. 

The Ergo was super comfy though when it still fit.  LOVED it!  My ex still has it though, and said that he had to put it away b/c ds doesn't fit in it anymore (23mo, 25ish lbs).

[ASusan]

I would have paid for mine several times over, although it was a gift.

DS spent a LOT of time in it his first year, until I had back surgery. We didn't even have a stroller until my surgery was scheduled.

Even when he was 2, I would still break it out when he needed it.

[Knitting Mama]

I found the Ergo to be too bulky for me. As well, my daughter went through a phase of only being happy if she was worn forward facing, and you cannot do that in the Ergo. But, I have done my research and didn't want a Bjorn because "crotch dangle" style carriers are not safe for extended use for babies. So I went with a Pikkolo. It is similar to an Ergo in that it is an easy to use soft structureed carrier (SSC). However, it allows for safe forward facing, where the baby's legs are supported all the way to the knee. And, it can be used with a chest strap like the Ergo which is great for back carries or crossed style, which is great for front carries. Finally, there is a support belt you can get to go with it to make it more comfortable when the baby is over 18-ish lbs.

Also, I would highly recommend shopping at PAXbaby. She has a rental program where you can try a carrier first to be sure you want to buy it. And she has a 90 day no questions asked return policy.

[JFTB1177]

THANK YOU so much ladies for all the info and suggestions!!! Looks like I will be doing some more research lol!

[whozeyermamma]

I have an Ergo and I'm a little mixed on it - DS hated going in as a newborn - he doesn't like facing me at all - we do use the bjorn on occasion but it kills my back. The problem with the Ergo for us is that DS hates the straps in his face - that might change as he gets better head and torso control but for now it's only good for short trips. It also could just be his personality - I see tons of other babies who don't seem to care.

One thing I will say that was good advice I got was that you really often do use different carriers for different purposes. I use the Ergo and the Bjorn for walking to get older DD to and from school and for grocery shopping and the ring sling for in-arms napping when we're out and about or if DS is just fussy and won't go down.

I would not write off the sling so fast - I never thought I'd like it but LOVE it. We have a maya wrap ring sling. (DS is snoozing in it as I type ...)

[AmyBP]

I have and love the Ergo carrier! I started using it with my son when he was about 2 weeks old (he's 10 weeks now) and it's wonderful. I'd had a Lovey Duds, which he also liked - it's soft and cozy - but I felt it was more dangerous; the stretch allows him to curve over to the point where his chin touches his chest, so even if he was in a good position I was constantly checking his breathing and worrying about him. I also found it too fussy to tie. The Ergo is easy, snap on, snap off. whozeyermamma, did/do you use an infant insert or something similar with your son? I used a thick folded blanket with him when he was tiny... no more straps in the face!

[PatioGardener]

Have it.  Love it.  DS is in it as I type this!  We've been using it since he turned about 4 months.  The only problem I have found is if you are, ahem, well-endowed, it may give you plugged ducts.  I can only wear it for about an hour at a time for that reason.  I use it as a quick go to carrier - great for immediate use, running errands, etc.  Much easier to get DS in and out with winter boots on than my moby wrap or gauze wrap.

[Unlikely Mama]

I have an Ergo (DD is now 8.5 months old) and I don't think I would have survived until now without it.  That being said, like PP's have said, sometimes the fit is dependent on body-type, size, etc. I'm 5'6", 125lbs and it fits great.  My baby has spent countless hours napping in the Ergo and it is so convenient for any shopping, hiking, out-and-about activities...Highly recommend it!

[superlove]

I also love my ergo!  didn't use it before around 4 months, because the infant insert was awkward and to hot, but now it's great, easy to get on, DS falls asleep easily and now that he's 5 months, doesn't mind facing in.  It fits me great, i'm 5'3 and 115 lbs.  I did get a mastitisy/plugged duct issue once, which i saw mentioned above and wouldn't have thought it was due to the ergo, but reading the post above makes me think it was from the sweat and compression.

[megapeg]

Another chime-in for "couldn't live without it."  I have a 25 lb. 6-month-old hugeling, and it is absolutely my go-to carrier.  He's long outgrown the stretchy wrap (which I LOVED and couldn't have lived without during the newborn stage) and he's too heavy and squirmy-wormy for me to comfortably wrangle him into most woven wrap positions at this point.  I don't have a mei tai, but I'd like one... I just feel like the 6(!) baby carriers that I already own are plenty of an investment for the moment.  Maybe Christmas?

[evabea]

My Ergo was also a gift, and I've used it since week 2, but it was summer and the heavy material, padding and infant insert were pretty stuffy for both me and baby during the summer heatwave here.

Also, it seemed way too much for a little infant, even with the insert. I think it will work great when she's heavier and can stick her legs out. I've had them froggied in lately, with a small blanket underneath her. The Ergo is also very easy to put on and off, a big plus when I was just figuring out all things baby. It's also the only carrier her dad will use so far, men seem to like it a lot. 

I got a mei tai from obimamma on etsy, and it's lovely but my daughter didn't like it until into her third month when her legs could hang out, she'd cry otherwise. I had a hotsling, and 2 woven wraps--one pretty light that worked in the summer.

[katelove]

I'm going to be the voice of dissent here and say that I don't love our ergo. I like the way it fits on me (although I find the shoulders a tiny bit bulky) but it doesn't seem to fit our gilr very well. The base is too wide, so it extends beyond her knees which makes her little legs stick out straight and she will only tolerate it for a very short time. It also seems really baggy around her not snug and supportive. I also find the chest strap hard to do up at the back and then hard to loosen so I can release it for removal. I'm hoping she will like it more as she gets bigger (6 months and 8kg at the moment) and that I will find it easier  to get on and off with practice.

At the moment we are in *love* with out Beco Gemini. Comfortable for both of us, easy to get on and off, fits snugly around her, base is just the right width, can be used forward-facing if desired.

At the moment our ergo is with a friend who wanted to try one so I haven't had it for a couple of weeks. I do plan to try it again when we get it back. I'm hoping it will be good eventually.

[tzs]

the carrier is such a personal thing. everybody LOVES the one they love.

i personally didn;t like the ergo because it was to much for a newborn (one time her legs had even slid out the bottom) so i ended up with a stretchy wrap which i loved. problem is, they get big and it starts to really stretch. i ended up finding a mei tai that had the same wide fabric shoulder straps that a wrap would have (so supportive!) from maya wrap (the "maya tei")

but again....it's all a matter of taste. when i was preggos i thought for sure i'd be a sling-lady but nope.

try to borrow if you can...or some places have a babywearing "library." the website that lets you rent sounds great.

[akind1]

I love our Ergo, but I would love a Boba carrier more! DH and I are both larger people. With the Ergo, I wear it just fine without the extension piece, but DH needs the extension. With the Boba, it fits both of us comfortably no need for an extension. Also the Boba is a little wider and higher, which the older DS gets, is better for back carries, as it would hold him more securely, and it has stirrups for his feet.

I don't yet have a  Boba, but I want one! DH and I tried it on at a local store, and we are in love!

[LittleBirdy]

Loved our Ergo, especially with the newborn insert when DS was tiny tiny.  Really comfortable for both me and DH and easy for us to switch back and forth.  The only thing I don't like about it right now is DS is at an age where he wants to look OUT and he's not tall enough to see over my shoulder in a back carry.  But I bet I will go back to loving it again when he's a bit older.

[Perdita_in_Ontario]

I loved the Ergo when DD was little. I swore by it. We were still using it when she was 3 for back carries. Actually, I think at 5, she'd still *almost* fit in it.

But - she's thin and short for her age.

DS, on the other hand, is 90th percentile for height and 21lbs at 9 months. Although I do still use the Ergo with him daily, I prefer our Pikkolo (with the add-on waist strap) because it's longer in the body. DS spends a lot of his time in the Ergo trying to throw himself out of it backwards (for fun - he's a daredevil). That's not much fun for me. He's definitely more comfortable and snuggles down in the Pikkolo.

[gardenmommy]

I have an Ergo, a Maya wrap ring sling, and a Babyhawk.  I love them all, but didn't start using the Ergo with DD until about 6 weeks ago, because she didn't like it so much.  I think it just felt too "much" for her.  Now, at 8 months, she loves being in the Ergo on my back.  I found the Babyhawk to be very useful for both front and back carries with her as early as 4 months.  I used the Maya from about 2 or 3 days.  DD really liked being in the Maya Wrap, slept in it, etc. for a long time.  I prefer that for newborns, and the other carriers for older babies.  

Like a PP said, everyone loves their carrier; you probably just need to try a few to see which one you like with your new baby.

[Knitting Mama]

I definitely agree with a wrap for tiny babies. I wore my Cecilia (who was itty bitty-- 5 lbs 10 oz when I took her home from the hospital) in a non-stretchy gauze wrap from about 10 days old until we got our Pikkolo, which was when she was around 4 months old. Wrapping a newborn is a great way to ensure that you have the perfect fit. Soft structured carriers, even the Ergo with the infant insert, just aren't always made for the littlest of littles.

[blue butterfly]

I LOVE my ergo, one of my must haves!  i will say that the first month or two i prefer the moby and maya but after that, i'm an ergo mama all the way