so, i see you all dissing the bjorn and i wonder...

[chrissy]

what am i doing wrong? i have so many slings but i just can't get as comfortable with them as i am with my bjorn. i want them to work for me but i'm always fumbling and lilah's sliding and it's just not as easy.

i guess i really need one of you guys to live nearby and come over to give me a personal, one-on-one tutorial.

and, just wondering, what is bad about the bjorn?

[Mommy&Will]

First off, those pics of your family are gorgeous. What yummy babies!

Now for the Bjorn.... I used it a lot the first 3 months with my first ds. Then he got so big that the Bjorn just killed my back. That's when I got the Maya wrap, watched the video about a zillion times, and never went back to the Bjorn. My sling obsession began and in addition to the Maya, I collected several more slings and carriers.

Then Jack was born. I found I could use the sling with Jack when he was sleeping but when he was awake he fussed in the sling. Put him in the Bjorn and bam, he was happy. So I did that for a couple months. Once he got older, he was happier in the sling, pouch or Mei Tei. After using slings, the Bjorn really killed my back. I just think slings are more comfy.

But do what you need to do to make everyone happy. Everything will probably change again in a few weeks anyway. lol.

[AngelBee]

:

[guerrillamama]

The Bjorn is supposed to be bad for baby because she is basically hanging by her crotch, which is bad for hip development. Sorry I can't remember where I read this. Might have been Dr Sears. Whereas in a sling, wrap, or ABC, it's more like she's sitting in a chair.

The other thing is she'll grow out of the Bjorn so quickly, but a sling, wrap, or ABC will carry you up through toddlerhood.

Also you can't nurse in a Bjorn.

Can't give you any advice about your slings w/o knowing more about your difficulties. I did like Julie; watched that Maya dvd until I practically had it memorized, and kept at it, and after a couple weeks it was like second nature.

[AngelBee]

Are front facing wrap positions bad too?

[guerrillamama]

I don't use a wrap, so I don't know about that. But I do use a Tai One On (podeagi minus the blanket) in a front-facing, and the straps go under the thighs so there is a little more support there. Plus they say to move the straps forward under the baby's thighs so it's more like he's sitting on a chair instead of hanging by his crotch. That probably didn't make ANY sense, sorry.

[Leilalu]

The Ergo is better than the bjorn but has the same learning curve I think. It is better for the babies spine, hence the name"ergo" You should try one of those if you like the look and feel of the bjornWe have one.

[AngelBee]

My wrap holds baby with a V-shaped wrap and then a pocket goes over babies middle for extra support.

Is that bad?

[Baby Hopes]

When dd was younger and I still wore her in stretchy wraps I would carry her out. Two lengths between her legs and the band, you mentioned, accross her tummy. The one thing that we did differently is I would stretch the band down over her legs as well. Like a kangaroo carry.

The Didymos instructions specifically state not to use their wrap in the manner described. (baby hanging by crotch.)

[kris1225]

according to everything I've read, the baby shouldn't be hanging from anything by the crotch - wrap or otherwise. The baby should be in a sitting position. Now I have also read that brief periods in this position are not a big deal - kinda like when you hold your baby facing out on your hip and you sort of hold him by the crotch.

I didn't like the Bjorn because my first baby outgrew it in one month and it killed my back. My kids didn't mind the cradle hold either, so slings and pouches were great for us.

Have you tried your baby in the kangaroo hold yet? Most babies like that.

[chrissy]

nak

thanks mamas, for all the replies!

what is the kangaroo carry?

i need to see if i can find my maya video. i have a hug-a-bub and i like that one a lot too but i loaned it to a friend.

i have a maya and a new native as well as the hug-a-bub. i just have trouble feeling like she is really secure in either of them. also i feel like i am squishing her legs when i put her facing out. with her legs crossed in the maya.

i like the look of the ergo but it's so $$$$$

is there some sort of idiotproof sling?

[Mommy&Will]

I just orderd a Wise Woman sling and am really excited to try it out!

Unique design.... a pouch body, with a closed tail. Suppose to be super easy to use.

www.wisewomansling.com

I say get your hug-a-bub back. Those look awesome and I would love to have used one of those in the newborn stage....

[edamommy]

I LOVED my baby Bjorn. I tried every sling made, I swear! My son is a preemie, and was on oxygen for 3 months to boot. And was high needs. He HATED to be contained in anything anywhere anyhow. EXCEPT the bjorn. So, It helped me get a break from feeling "over touched", if you will. And I could wear him on my front and the o2 tank on my back or shoulder without konking him out with it (which happend often when he was in a sling). Just my 2cents!

[thismama]

AngelBee - Ya, my understanding is being in the wrap in the wrap cross carry facing out with legs hanging down is not optimal for hip development. If you want, you can tie the wrap cross with the pocket on the outside by tucking the crosses into the part that goes around your torso. Then you can use the pocket to tuck baby's legs into so they are in a better position.

Re Bjorn - My best friend used it for ages with her little guy and loved it - found it to be much easier to get on/off than the Babytrekker. But once he got to about 16 lbs she found the weight intolerable.

I also found early on that an upright carrier was much more workable than the sling, so I hear what you are saying OP. You might find you like the sling later on.

The only thing I really hate about the Bjorn is the low weight limit, and the fact that this leads parents to stop babywearing too early. You've spent tonnes of money on this carrier so assume it's "the best," then once baby gets too big people are reluctant to dish out more money and figure that if this wonderful carrier has reached its weight limit, baby must not need to be worn anymore. I see this all the time with the Bjorn and that's my biggest pet peeve with it.

[guerrillamama]

The Wise Woman is great, it's my favorite sling! It's pretty close to foolproof.

About the kangaroo carry -- that's when baby is sitting cross-legged like a little buddha in a hammock, kwim? I know that it seems very scrunched and cramped, but if the baby doesn't mind, don't worry about it! Don't forget, not long ago she was even more scrunched and cramped in your womb. My kiddo loved the kangaroo carry even tho it looked very uncomfortable to me, as an adult. But then I'm not used to hanging out in fetal position all the time. It's the same theory as swaddling, most small babies don't need or want to stretch out and flap around.

As TBone got older and did want to stretch out more, we switched to the hip carry. Now that he's even bigger and heavier, I usually carry him on my back. See, you can't do all that w/ the bjorn.

Also, you can use your sling for so many other things... It's a baby blanket, a cover to protect from rain, sun, or wind, a leash, a high chair, and a burp rag. And try nursing a baby to sleep on a cramped airplane in a bjorn?

I slings!

Oh, as for feeling secure -- that's just practice. Just keep practicing, walking aroudn the house and keeping one hand on her until you feel secure. You and she both will get a sense of what works for you.

[tug]

we have a bjorn and i love it. it doesn't seem to me that ds hung or dd hangs by the crotch -- they hang by their bottoms (where the weight is in the bjorn) but i dunno. i also have a pea in the pod pouch that i like -- esp when i don't want to have baby out and visible for manhandling etc.

[chrissy]

okay, thanks mamas. 1 stretch twill wise woman sling is on its way to my house. i'll be back with questions when it arrives.

[AnnR33]

Love my Wise Woman too-I think you'll love it! I use the Kangaroo carry in this alot since it has a bit more rm than my pouches. I'm thing of getting another one already-good lord-this may be as bad as my Hotsling obsession! LOL
Ann

[Mrs Dimples]

I didn't see how old your babe is, but if you're still using the Bjorn he can't be too old. The kangaroo carry is really good, and most kids like it. It seems to me, in my experience helping moms wear their babies, not all babie slike the "newborn" holds like the cradle hold, but most babies like the kangaroo carry and then the hip carry. I know it looks like he's all squished up in there, but if he doesn't like it, he'll let you know. You just have to practice until you feel confident. I promise it will come, you just have to get over the hump. I have heard really good things about the Wise Woman being very user friendly, I hope you love it!

[MommytoTwo]

The Bjorn isnt all that bad IMO. We used it till DD got too pudgy. LOL It was easy to use and she liked it. She never liked slings. We have a Mei Tei now and she likes that, but thats very Bjorn-like for her.