ergo Q

[ferretfan]

hi

i am seriously considering buying and ergo. we own a set of mamababys, which i do like, but sometimes it gets a little uncomfortable and i cant for the life of me figure out how to wear two.

so i thought an ergo would be great - despite the price - especially as we will be taking dd across the pond to visit her UK relatives in may (she'll be 8 months then) and need to pack light i.e no stroller!

my question is can the ergo be worn hip or front so i can also wear a backpack without it getting in dd's way? we will be using public transport to get from relatives to relatives. carrying weight isnt really a problem for me, but i dont want to be too bulked up.

do you think a ergo and backpack are do-able? or is there another type of carrier than you can recommend

TIA

[Spring Sun]

Yep, an Ergo or Mei tai is a good idea. You can wear them on the front and with a mei tai you can wear it on the hip, but I am not sure if the hip carry is possible with the Ergo. Either one is a good choice. Have fun!
Stacey

[Ellp]

A hip carry is definately do-able with the New generation Ergo. I haven't done it myself because Dd's a little too heavy for me to do it with. (She's 22lbs and I'd rather have her in my Hotslings or maya if I do a hip carry).

I do have Dd in a back carry in the Ergo though, with a backpack diaperbag on my front. I do it this way because then I can always put down the backpack easily if I need to do something where I'll have to be close to it, ie. dishes at the sink, writing at a desk.

I favour the Ergo over a MT because you can wear it without having straps dangle, it has a zippered pocket for a diaper and wipes, and its easy-ier to learn on. Also, once you have the buckles set for you, there's no readjusting needed.

I favour the MT over the Ergo because its easier to pack in a diaper bag, and its less bulky when DC and you are strapped together.

Some say that a MT is more comfortable than an Ergo, but I find it about the same.

Good luck with your trip!

[ryleigh'smama]

The hip carry is definately doable with the ergo. I love the ergo, but I find it hard to put on by myself...the straps snap together and when she is in the front and they are in the back I have trouble. I think the ergo is very comfortable though for long trek's. I like my MT for the same reason as the PP, it is easy to fold up and put in the diaper bag. For any long long walk though I am a big Moby wrap fan. The only down fall is that it can be cumbersome to wrap up if you're out and about. I find it to be hands down the most comfortable, and if babe is in front a backpack on your back is totally doable.

[Caryliz]

You *can* wear your Ergo on the hip, but I don't think it's the most comfortable -- and I'm not sure it would work to add a backpack in this position.

I have both an Ergo and a Sutemi (long story!), and although both can be worn on front and back, I think the Sutemi is preferable for a front carry, and an Ergo for the back carry. In short: The Sutemi has straps that cross, which tends to leave you with the WonderWoman torpedo tit look if you are crossing them in the front, though I find them more comfortable than the backpack-style straps for a front carry. The Ergo has a chest strap that buckles across between the backpack-style straps; if you are carrying dd on your front, then you will have to buckle this crucial strap behind you, between your shoulder blades, which I found almost impossible to do once the babe was in the carrier!) And in your situation I think I'd want to be carrying dd on my front, so I could easily sit down on public transportation without having to move her.

A Mei Tai is another possible solution -- and both mei tais and Sutemis pack down flatter than the Ergo, which has curved padded straps -- though I think, as a pp pointed out, that there is a shorter learning curve with the Ergo (or Sutemi) than with the MT. Also, if you are sharing the babywearing with dh or another caregiver, they may be more comfortable with a carrier that can be easily adjusted while dd is inside -- this is possible with both the Ergo and Sutemi, but not a MT.

HTH!

[Hazelnut]

I think they might still have the old version of the ergo on clearance ($50 or so) on their website, but you can't do the hip carry with the older version. I wish I could do it, but the front carry is very convenient too. It's not like the baby's head (mine is 7 months now) is buried into your chest like with the bjorn. It's kind of a seated position and they can look around easily.