Pros and Cons of Baby Bjorn

[katiegud]

My DH likes the Bjorn, but he hasn't tried any of the other carriers. I think it squishes her into my chest too much, so I prefer slings right now (dd is 3 months). She has fallen asleep in it before, so it must not be that uncomfortable! It might be different for boys though. It also has a low max weight (20 lbs I think), so it probably isn't the best choice for an older baby.

[equin2001]

Bjorns are uncomfortable for the parent and not the best positioning for baby. Also they don't last long since the weight limit is only 25lbs. And you can't do a back carry.

[Midwife@heart]

This could give you the info you need http://www.continuum-concept.org/rea...nalStress.html

You can get a cheap ring sling, pouch sling or save a tiny bit and buy a used Mei Tai on The Babywearer forums http://www.thebabywearer.com/

[alia]

Wait, wait! I have thought of some pros!

Available almost everywhere, and therefore often serve as gateway carriers (parents start using them, then look for more comfortable and longer-wearing options). Because of their popularity, they introduce many parents to babywearing who might not otherwise be aware of it as a parenting option.

Also, many parents -do- like them. They are still almost always better than carrying babies around in their infant bucket seats...and as with other cloth carriers, LOs in Bjorns are more a part of the parents' world, raised higher off the ground than in a stroller (and therefore less exposed to car exhaust, fertilizers in people's lawns, random unsolicited touching from strangers with dubiously clean hands, and random dust from the ground), are less likely to be left on a surface and tip off a coffee table, countertop, or overturned high chair, and definitely prevent kids from being left in a bucket for hours (risking positional asphyxiation and head-flattening positioning).

[sh0rtchica]

we got one free from a friend and i used one when DS was really little. couldn't wear it for long periods of time, but i liked it OK. however, i LOVE my other carriers way better. we have an ergo, beco, RS, and MT. all of which i bought used for very decent prices. the RS was my favorite for a long time.

[eedw9]

We started out with a Born for our first DS, but it got really uncomfortable once he was a few months old. Then we bought our Ergo and loved it, even with a heavier child. The pro for the Born is that you can use it early on without anything else (ie. no infant insert like the Ergo). I found that with our second DS, for the first few months I grabbed the Born instead of the Ergo because I didn't want to have to deal with the infant insert. However, now that DS is big enough, I really only use the Ergo.

[gladahmae]

I found mine to be extremely uncomfortable from the start. If you 'shop around' a little you can find a good used SSC for under $50 and it will/should last into toddlerhood.

[atria]

I believe I am not in the norm in this thread, but I love my Baby Bjorn Spirit carrier. I started out with the Sleepy Wrap when my LO was a newborn, but I didn't care for the woven wrap unless I was using it casually around the house.

So I bought the Baby Bjorn (I think it ran about $80 at Target), and I really loved it with my 15 pound 5 month old. She is probably a bit bigger now, and very long, but she snuggles in there just at the right station for me to hold her feet or hold her hands- it's adorable. She doesn't seem to be uncomfortable at all.

But many moms love the Ergo. I am not sure what I will switch to when she reaches the weight limit. That will be some time though