Baby wearing

Now that I have two children, one of whom is very mobile, it is essential that I have at least one, if not two, hands free to manage both children.  If I cannot use my stroller/car seat combo, I must be able to wear Emma so that I can take care of Molly.

With my first child, I had every intention of using a fabric baby carrier.  After reading various reviews, we purchased the Baby Bjorn Active carrier.  As soon as Molly weighed more than 10 or 15 pounds, it was difficult for me to wear Molly because it made my back sore.  My husband, who has a much larger and stronger frame, was able to use it without complaint.  This go around, I skipped the online reviews and went straight to the source....my local breast feeding support group's facebook page.  The responses quickly narrowed my choices down to two or three choices.  I finally settled on the Lillebaby Complete Carrier.  Not having success with my first carrier and given the expense (roughly $125), I was apprehensive that my second choice would work. 

The first test was the local farmer's market/sidewalk sale.  I carried Emma for nearly an hour with no back pain whatsoever.  The Lillebaby has a waist belt and lumbar support that put the baby's weight on my hips and not my back.  I quickly learned to wear her even when I am at home because I can pick up the house while holding her.  She also quickly falls asleep while sitting against my chest.  I am also figuring out how to nurse Emma in the carrier.  Check out YouTube for how to videos.  In sum, I highly recommend the Lillebaby. 

If you are in the market for a baby carrier, I highly recommend that you see what your friends have.  Ask your friends if you can borrow one to test drive.  Ask mommy groups on Facebook.  Nearly every community has some sort of Facebook group.  There are even groups that serve as lending libraries where they will show you how to use a particular carrier and let you borrow it. 

Even though the Baby Bjorn did not work for me, it does work for my husband.  He now uses exclusively.  This has the benefit of not having to adjust the carrier each time one of us uses it.  The Baby Bjorn is always set for him and the Lillebaby is always set for me.  It is wonderful.