Ergo Baby Carrier Review

Next to  nursing, nothing calms a fussy baby faster than being held safely in the arms of a loving care giver.  In fact, according to Jean Liedloff, author of The Continuum Concept; babies are born expecting some form of human contact almost constantly until the reach the crawling stage.  Of course, their expectations don't stop there but may be suspended momentarily while exploring a little of their environment.  Now, I'm a small woman and both of my sons were almost 25% of my body weight before spending more of their time exploring than in-arms.  I would not have been able to offer my children the in-arms experience they desired without my one indispensable baby necessity: the Ergo Baby Carrier.

First the eco-points:

• The Ergo Baby Carrier is made of all natural cotton, and available in organic cotton as well.
• (Unlike strollers which are made of plastic, metal or other resorce intensive materials.)
• The Ergo Baby Carrier is of a high quality which is able to be passed for use with multiple children.
• With the Ergo Baby Carrier you can take your baby along with you on earth friendly activities such as hiking and camping.
• The Ergo Baby Carrier makes it easy to keep your baby with you during daily activities such as doing dishes or folding laundry which reduces the need for costly baby entertainment toys such as bouncing gyms and swings.

Now the mama baby benefits:

• Babywearing reduces stress on the baby which reduces stress on the mamma, (or daddy, or other caregiver.)
• Baby's who spend much of their time in arms naturally feel more included in the rhythms of their environment which creates for them a sense of being included and respected. (my own observation)
• Children who have enjoyed the benefit of babywearing may learn to talk sooner, according to Dr. Sears; The Baby Book.
• Baby's who experience emotional stability in infancy by being held in-arms instead of being left to cry for long periods of time may have a more stabile emotional center throughout life.  (Based on the theory that our bio-chemistry patterns are set up early in our childhood.)
• In-arms is a safe place for baby to be, especially during the crawling stage or in unfamilliar surroundings.
• There is no more  stimulating or interesting pattern for baby to look at than the face of a loving parent or caregiver.
• Daily weight bearing activity (not milk) builds strong bones.  (Got Ergo?)

I could go on and on with the benefits of babywearing (and please leave your own observations in the comments section!) but getting back to the Ergo, I have personally used the Maya Wrap, a wrap sling, the Snugli, and the Kelty Carrier.  They all have their good points: the Maya wrap is great, but not ergonomic and did hurt my shoulders when the kids got over 15 lbs., the Snugli was great for my husband so the baby could face out but only good up to 20lbs or so, the Kelty is great for my husband to go on hikes with an older child in the pack, but absolutely nothing was ever as comfortable as my Ergo Baby Carrier.  Husbands can wear the Ergo Baby Carrier too as it's adjustable for any body type. I wore both of my sons in it from the day they were born until ... well Micah was 2 years old and would fall asleep in the car during errands and I would take him out and put him in the Ergo on my back and continue with my day; Meric is 16 months old and still goes in it every time we go into any place that I don't want him running around. 

Where to buy:
Ergo Baby Carrier at Baby-Wise
Ergo Baby Carrier at Buy.com

I hope this review of the Ergo Baby Carrier has helped you look forward to spending a lot of time holding your baby, or find a gift for an expectant mom!  Either way, thanks for reading and please share your experiences in babywearing below!