by Contributing Blogger Maytal Wichman
As a mom of three I’m all for making my life easier. Schlepping a stroller everywhere does not make life in the city easier, especially when you have lots of staircases to use. Ever since my oldest was born, babywearing has been my favorite means of “transporting” my kids. Not only is it more convenient, it helps bond with your baby, its helps calm a fussy baby and also makes a great place for babies to take naps. There are dozens of baby slings on the market today.
I live in a city and don’t use a car, so the subway is my main means of transportation. Every afternoon I take my three year old and my 3 month old on the train to pick up my oldest from school. There are no elevators and the baby can only go in a car seat that’s attached to a stroller. Taking a stroller with the car seat attached, relying on people who can help me with the stroller go up and down the staircases (while helping my toddler) is a huge inconvenience to me. That is one of the reasons I use a baby carrier.
It’s also easier to wear my baby while I make dinner. I feed my baby with one hand, and prepare meals with the other. I also use the baby carrier for hikes; as a place to nap in when we’re at other people’s houses; when I want to take a quick stroll outside and don’t want to start buckling in the baby in the car seat; and when I want to go out and there is too much snow on the sidewalk for the stroller. I’ve even taken a baby carrier overseas on a trip to Spain when my oldest was 10 months. She basically lived in the baby carrier: she ate in it, napped in it and didn’t ever want to be put down.
My all-time favorite baby carrier for infants is the Baby Bjorn. It’s super-comfy for my back and the baby is totally secure. Baby Bjorn has recently come out with the Bjorn Miracle which has an adjustable belt, so you can lower it to your hips and carry an older baby (up to 15 months, as opposed to the older versions that start getting uncomfortable once the baby is six months old).
If you have a baby that’s clingy and/or fussy and you still want to be able to get things done, like washing dishes, you’ll need the ERGObaby to wear them on your side or back, because the Bjorn is only forward-facing. The ERGO, however, is only for babies ages six months and up (you can use an insert for a newborn but you still can’t put a newborn on your back with the ERGO). The ERGO is perfect for doing chores around the house or even cooking – I can fry things in the pan and not worry about hot oil splashing on the baby.
For people living in remote areas, such as indigenous people, wearing their baby is the only option. For those who live in modern-day society, we get to choose between strollers and slings and as the case usually is, sometimes the simpler solution is the best solution.
Photos of the ERGObaby, Bjorn and Bjorn Miracle are courtesy of Babysling.com
This post is sponsored by Babysling.com.
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Contributing Blogger Maytal Wichman is the owner of Mama’s Bites and has also written for The Huffington Post. She has been living in New York City for twelve years and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature as well as a Law Degree, but blogging is her true passion. Maytal is a stay-at-home mom to three kids (ages 5, 3 and a newborn) and loves finding great products that make her family’s life easier.
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