Thursday, March 11, 2010

What I'm (Baby)wearing: Scootababy

Sort of off-topic for today because I have babywearing on my mind...
For benefits of babywearing, read this article: Great things about babywearing

Yesterday morning my three year old son asked my husband, "Why did mommy buy a new carrier?" Response from loving husband: "Because she doesn't buy pocketbooks anymore."

Later that day my sister forwards me an article from the NYT with this quote :
"ON a breezy afternoon last week, a steady stream of women cruised through Metro Minis, an airy boutique on Park Avenue in Manhattan, which opened in 2007 and has since become the city’s hub for young mothers who collect baby carriers the way some women collect handbags."
(The Latest in Strollers? Mom and Dad, March 10, 2010, Jennifer Bleyer)

Ok, I get it. Yes, I recently purchased my 4th baby carrier. How did I get here? I used to peruse the Thebabywearer forums thinking that the moms who owned multiple carriers were crazy.

In 2007, we bought a Baby Bjorn for our first son. Then came the Baby Bjorn scare:

I read some claims that carriers with a narrow crotch (eg. Baby Bjorn, Snugli, etc.) were bad for hip and spine development. In addition, the arms dangling outside of the carrier had the possibility of leaving the baby feeling physically insecure. I could not find any good research on this but after speaking with two physical therapists about the crotch issue, there does seem to be a good theory brewing here if you want to wear the baby for long periods of time and past the newborn stage. Plus, a better carrier will help us wear our second baby past the 17 pound mark.

So I start my search for a new baby carrier. A trip to Metro Minis on Park Ave to purchase one for my pregnant sister convinces me that a mei tei style carrier is the way to go (Sturdy, not as complicated as a wrap, completely adjustable to mold to your body). I buy a Babyhawk mei tei for my sister. I find a Babyhawk mei tei and a Kozy Carrier mei tei selling on Craigslist while searching for one for myself. Two used carriers equaled the cost of one new one, so I figured why not have two different styles to choose from.

Flash Forward to postpartum months 1-3:
I love love love both of my mei teis and not a day goes by without me using one of them (usually Babyhawk), ever since I walked home from the hospital wearing my Babyhawk. Calm baby, hands-free mom. Lifesaver. Especially in NYC with two kids.

Postpartum month 4: My son is in and out of the carrier a lot and he weighs a ton. I find myself adjusting the Babyhawk often to get it comfortable on long outings, and wanting to put the baby on my back but not feeling comfortable to do that yet and his legs were still a little small to use the Kozy carrier in the sitting position. I start to realize that I missed the ease of the Baby Bjorn. I probably should have just learned to use the mei tei better but it was too late... the search begins for a soft-structured buckle carrier (I'm learning the babywearing lingo) as an alternative for when I need something fast and easy:

No time to go back to Metro Minis and not wanting to spend a lot of money, I begin my search online. I knew I did not like the Ergo because I tried it on a couple of times. The Beco seemed too similar to what I own already. I fall in love with the description and reviews of the Scootababy because it wears like a sling in the sitting position but with the support of a structured carrier. Reviews on TheBabyWearer, the gold standard in my opinion, found it remarkably comfortable since it mimicked the natural way a parent would hold their infant. The company seems to have put a lot of effort into creating a comfortable carrier and the owner e-mailed me back to answer some questions. I always favored shoulder bags instead of backpacks so it seemed like a good choice for me. Plus, they recently started selling them on Babies R' Us and I happen to have $100 in gift cards there. How perfect is that?

Day three of Scootababy:
This carrier seems to mold perfectly to my body and makes carrying very natural feeling- in front, side, and even back positions. It is ridiculously easy to put on. Putting it on while a toddler is trying to get your attention, or transitioning the baby from stroller to carrier, or taking the baby out to nurse...all so easy! It's even easy to nurse while wearing it because it swings to the side and lowers down with ease. I wore it most of today and walked about 1.5 miles total and it felt great the whole time. So now I have three great carriers! I am done buying carriers for now.  Note: You can't use the Scootababy until 4-5 months when your baby has head control. I recommend the Babyhawk mei tei prior to that.

Updated June 2010:   Now that my son is 7 months and a hefty 19 pounds, I thought this post needed an update.  While I still love the Scootababy, I have been having trouble keeping it comfortable for long outings.  I have e-mailed with Audra who created the carrier and she has been wonderful and responsive.  I am trying her recommendations but I find that I tend to grab my Kozy mei tei, which is super supportive.  So to summarize...I loved my Babyhawk mei tei until about 5 months, then the Scootababy, and now the Kozy mei tei. So you really do need more than one!  It is possible that the Beco would have solved all of this...but no more carriers for me right now.

Check it out:

7 comments:

  1. You're back! I was sad when you weren't posting. Nice article.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Rebecca! I'm trying... But I am still trying to consider myself on maternity leave:)

    ReplyDelete
  3. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I found here what I am searching for . Really this is a great blog thanks for sharing man

    ReplyDelete
  5. Very happy to see your article, I very much to like and agree with your point of view. Thank you for sharing. At the same time,i love best pram very much .Welcome to look at my website and blog articles.Hope we can become good friends, and exchange and to help each other! Thanks!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thankfully, nature has been kind enough to give you nine months to prepare for having a baby. During this time, you will be able to conduct research and discover the various do's and don'ts when it comes to baby products.
    couches lavables de Christine Bendel

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hey, nice to meet you admin, this is really a nice blog, And i love it very much. By the way, You should know that i have started a new blog and my blog is all about baby and mom, so visit the best baby blog. thanks

    ReplyDelete