International Babywearing Week: Loving My Ergo!

This week is International Babywearing Week, so to celebrate, I'm going to tell you about my favorite babywearing device.

About a month ago, I told you all about my baby wearing collection, which consists of a sling, a Moby-style wrap, and an Ergo, which I had not used yet.

I finally used it for the first time a few weeks ago, and let me tell you, there is no going back. 

I love my Ergo. 

Alexandre, 7 weeks old and loving the Ergo.  He fell asleep about 2 minutes after I took this picture, while I was baking cookies and chasing my toddler.

Comfort

The number one reason to love an Ergo is that it will not kill your back.  I find that my sling seems comfortable when I've got it on, but as soon as I take it off, I realize the strain it was causing on my back. 

The Ergo distributes the weight and bulk of the baby evenly.  It has well-cushioned shoulder straps and a wide hip band.  After using the Ergo, I have not used my sling again.  In fact, I loaned it out to another mom last week, because there's just no going back. 

My Galaxy Grey Ergo, with newborn insert.

Safety

An Ergo is designed to prevent hip dysplasia and the seat is wide to protect against the condition.  You can also purchase an infant insert to use those first several months.  I didn't understand the goal of the insert until I used it for the first time, but basically, it has a lot of padding on the bottom to elevate your baby higher in the carrier, so that the baby isn't slumped down into the carrier, which would be a suffocation hazard. 

Quality

This baby carrier is sturdy and well-made, with every detail taken into consideration.  You can purchase teething pads for when your baby is old enough to want to chew on the straps.  It even has a zipper on the front to hold your valuables, and you can purchase a separate pouch as well. 

Ease of Use

I would say that the Ergo is not as convenient as a sling, which takes about two seconds to put on.  But it's definitely more convenient than any type of wrap.  I didn't try it out for a while because I was intimidated by all of the straps, and I thought it would be like all of the other soft structured carriers I've used before--confusing.  But it only took about five minutes to get the Ergo on and adjusted the first time I used it, and I found that I could adjust all of the straps easily with one hand, without help from anyone.  Now that I know how to use it, it takes very little time to put the baby in the infant insert and slide him into the carrier.  I can do it in about a minute or two in the Walmart parking lot, and then load up my big kids and get groceries.  Incidentally, did you know I can get all of my groceries purchased in less than an hour, with three kids shopping with me?  But that's another post.       

Price

At over $100, it is definitely not your cheapest babywearing device, but I do feel that it's completely worth it.  I chose the Ergo because I wanted something better than what I already had, something comfortable and convenient.  I read all the reviews online and found that the Ergo was consistently the highest rated baby carrier around.  And Target carries them on their website, so when I had an abundance of Target gift cards, I used some of them to put towards the Ergo.  And my Ergo is even kind of cute.  If money is no object, check out their Petunia Pickle Bottom collection.  Trust me, you'll be drooling.

I love my Ergo and would recommend it to anyone, especially if you've got several kids.  I don't wear my babies all the time, but when I do, this is the best way to go.  There's no other way to get through the grocery store with three little bitty kids. 

Do you have a favorite sling or baby carrier?