Say no to bumbos & bjorns? - Page 4

[mother culture]

I think for tiny babies doing some Bjorn time is better that car seat time and I hate to see little babies in an ergo, they really have to spread their legs. I think a Bjorn is fine, at least they can comfortably sit in it without having to spread so wide. In my experience 5 mos is about max for the bjorn. I am not sure what a Bumbo is.

[2crazykids]

I feel like i need to weigh in here with my experiences. I used lots of different carriers from day 1. I had the Maya Wrap, which was great but I never got the hang of using it with a newborn, I felt much more comfortable with the Bjorn at that stage. The babe was pulled nice and tight next to me, I felt that very little weight was put on babes crotch. I think my babes maxed out with the Bjorn around 4-6 months or so. It was really handy! My DD loved her backpack. She was in that thing for 4-5 hours a day. She had a great time. When they got to be 6 months the Maya wrap made so much more sense. I used it as a kangaroo carry, hip carry, back carry, shoulder carry...I loved it!

I think that if we use moderation with any device we use, whether it be a wrap, Bjorn, etc., everything will turn out just fine. Using any device too much, no matter how wonderful, is not healthy for any body or baby. Moderation is the key.

[USAmma]

The Snugli/Bjorns are really great for reflux babies. I know they are not ideal carriers, but refluxers cannot be held in a cradle position and they can't be tummy to tummy with the sling pressing them into mom, either. The Snugli/Bjorns don't put that same pressure on the baby's tummy.

That being said, you all know slings are the best. And really, I am so happy to see moms with their babies in Bjorns vs. the stroller travel systems. A lot of those moms don't know about slings at all.

[DQMama]

Originally Posted by kidspiration

and ...my senior title is working!!

Can you change it to "Say no to Bumbos, Bjorns, buckets, bouncers, and buggies?" Or maybe we can do a thread with that title?



(I do own a bouncer and stroller, I just thought the alliteration was funny.)

[Mrs.PhD]

I just thought of one important thing I liked about my Bjorn. My DH liked it. He would wear her in it all the time, especially when we were out for the day. We tended to take both the stroller and the carrier with us.

My best friends DH was the same way too. Men can be intimidated by alternative carriers. DH did like the hip carrier at all, that is what I used. Both men were good the Bjorn, in fact they loved it.

What do people mean by buckets? Car seat carriers?


I agree with 2crazykids, moderation is the key and listen to you child. (and your own body too.)

[DQMama]

Originally Posted by Mrs.PhD

Men can be intimidated by alternative carriers. DH did like the hip carrier at all, that is what I used. Both men were good the Bjorn, in fact they loved it.

What do people mean by buckets? Car seat carriers?

My dh is definitely intimidated by anything he considers to look even slightly "crunchy," like my Mei Tai or sling. So he will also only use the Bjorn. He used it w/ ds, but we haven't used it w/ dd, for the reasons listed above, plus it's just not as comfy as my other carriers.

Yeah, bucket is the term sometimes used on here for car seat carriers. I had one until dd outgrew it. Again, something else to be used in moderation IMO.

[Quindin]

Originally Posted by Mrs.PhD

I just thought of one important thing I liked about my Bjorn. My DH liked it.

OMG! So true!

My DH did not even have to be asked to wear our first two children when all I knew was the Bjorn. He has never wanted to wear any of the nice carriers I have now though Maybe if I had an Ergo??

[North_Of_60]

Originally Posted by paxye

This is the way that I do it....

http://www.mamatoto.org/videos/bwwnochestbelt.MPG
http://www.kantoliinakanava.fi/sidon...kietaisuxreppu

with a stretchy wrap like the moby (I have a cuddly and a Maman Kangourou) you have do it tighter then you would think to get it to feel really secure... (unlike a woven that doesn't have much stretch to it)
Make sure that the fabric (the middle of the wrap) is really high on the back and when you are doing to the cross make sure that the fabric is high on the babe's back also... that will make it feel a lot more secure since babe can't try to lean back as much...

It does take a while to get to get the hang of it but once you do it is really easy and it doesn't take long to get into... it is SO comfy!!

Now I remember why I had such a hard time with this carry. Me have ginormous boobies. They either get squished (not good for the milkies) or they stick out (not good for out in public).

It certainly is more comfortable - she's on my back now - but it's gunna be a "'round the house" thing.

[runes]

when it's all said and done, everyone does their own risk-benefit analysis and figures out for themselves whether a certain device is safe and appropriate for their own use. my contention is that bumbos should not be an item on every baby's registry and certainly shouldn't be as popular as they seem to be getting. of course there are situations where it is appropriate to use them. but imho it shouldn't be as common as it is.

same thing with the bjorn. with my professional background as well as my addiction to babycarriers :, i would never put my own children in a bjorn as i feel as if there are better, more comfortable (for both mama and baby) and certainly more beautiful baby wearing options out there. if you have a baby with reflux and have no other options...by all means use the bjorn of course!! and if you have a dh that wouldn't be caught dead using a maya wrap or meitai, then the bjorn might be an option. i'm lucky that i have a 'reversible' meitai so that when i wear it, i can do so with the pretty embroidery facing out, but when dh wears it, he can put the plain black side facing out. that's the only sling he'll wear, though...he won't come near my blue silk zolowear ring sling. point is there are better options that don't put nearly as much stress on the baby's developing spine and don't put any pressure through the crotch area at all.

anyways...

dqmama-

[rzberrymom]

Originally Posted by ccohenou

Not so much interested in 'information' as in the personal opinions of mothers or chiropractors, but actual medical research showing that these problems actually happen due to carrier/seat use?
Most if not all of those articles just quote the same (nonscholarly) essay from the continuum concept site by way of documentation.

This is often referenced:
http://www.storchenwiege.com/babycarrierresearch.htm

And here's the explanation I've seen on thebabywearer.com:

"This is the basic argument:
1. Certain Eskimo and Athabascan populations use babycarriers that resemble the Baby Bjorn for carrying their babies
2. The adult populations of these groups have a high incidence of spondylolisthesis, a spinal problem that can be quite painful.
3. Researchers who have analysed these cases believe the causes are most likely a mixture of the genetic and the environmental.
4. Casses believes that the position in which a baby is held in a Baby Bjorn style carrier is not developmentally sound.
5. Therefore she surmises that the cause of the spondylolisthesis in these populations is most likely environmental and specifically, due to the use of these babycarriers."


But, I don't have a link to the research on Inuit populations. Someone at thebabywearer.com must have it. This is a topic that's discussed quite a bit over there. That is the only population-based study I've ever seen. Obviously, more research needs to be done, and all we can do is use what information we have for now to make what we feel is the best decision for our kiddos.