OT: Baby Bjorn?

[ryan840]

Are they worth the money? For those of you that have them, did your baby seem to keep cool in the summertime? They have a new air carrier designed to keep baby cooler and I'm trying to decide if I should get that or if the regular one will work for us (it would also save some money). We'll be using it in WDW in May and throughout the summer, so I want to make sure my son won't over heat... Those of you who don't have one, what do you have and do you like it? I bought a sling carrier for my new son and he hates it! TIA!

 

[clori]

I loved my baby bjorn. I don't know anything about a new model since my youngest is now 21 months and mine was purchased for my dd5.5. I would absolutely not recommend the regular baby bjorn for disney in the summer with heat/humidity. It will make both of you hotter/sweaty. Have you looked into a mei tei type carrier. I only have the mei tei hip carrier which is a dedicated hip carrier but your son may like the regular one better than the sling and it is most likely cooler than the baby bjorn. I used a solarveil sling when dd was little and had to be out in the sun.

 

[tracilicious]

Because for some odd reason I feel obligated to educate about this, I will post this again.

Bjorns are bad for babies spines and hips. They are basically hanging from their crotch. I would get an Ergo, Sutemi, Mei Tai, or any of the many many sling type or pouch carriers. The sling definitely takes some getting used to, or at least it did for me. We love it now though.

 

[stacy6552]

L-O-V-E Loved my Baby Bjorn! It was wonderful! We used it at WDW in August just before his first birthday and I dont remember him being any extra hot. We used it again when he was 20 mos at WDW, even though we had pretty much stopped using it at home.

Worth every single penny!

 

[nicdanh]

LOVED my Baby Bjorn. We used it in May for our son when he was 4 months old. I tucked a white hand towel on the front to keep a bit cooler. I mainly used it for waiting in lines for rides or on the buses so my hands were free. Worked well in the airport too. I just used it again in November when our daughter was 13 months old and she loved it!

 

[sara74]

Loved the Bjorn, used it with DD all the time. I did a lot of hiking with her in it and lost the baby weight really fast. I used it all summer here in CT, so I guess August here may be almost (ok, not quite) as hot at Florida in May. DS was heavier and I wasn't as comfy using it with him - looking forward to getting it out again this summer. Really need to take the weight off after #3!

I'd ask the pediatrician about the dangers of using a Bjorn carrier. No one ever said anything to me about them being bad for the baby. I never thought of it, but I will ask my Dr. with this one.

 

[Nikel]

For the money, I prefer a Mei Tai. It's much more versatile IMO and can be used much longer. I can still wear my 37 lb 2.5 year old. Also not all slings are equal. My dd never liked a ring sling but LOVED being carried in a stretch pouch.

 

[Desnik]

I've never seen those Mei Tai's before! How practicle are they for someone with back problems? And they don't look too comfy. The pics on the website the babies were in it like a Bjorn carrier, if they are hanging by their croch, they are hanging that way in both carriers? I'm not trying to stir the pot. I've just never heard anyone say that the Bjorn carriers were bad for babies?

To the OP: I totally thought the Bjorn was worth it! It was the only carrier that was comfortable for me because I have back problems. DS loved it too. We took it on our trips to WDW and used it in line and on some rides. It was great. I haven't seen the new one you are talking about. I have used the Bjorn in all types of weather and the heat really didn't bother us.

 

[ryan840]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I am thinking I'm going to get the Air Carrier version, but I'm still looking around (and I will also ask my ped if his opinion of them as far as being bad for baby). A couple of other questions- is it easy to get the baby in and out of, even as they get bigger or are sleeping? Do they hurt your back/shoulders after a certain length of time? Is it easy to adjust? Thanks again!

 

[Kahana-ri]

We paid the $$$ for our Baby Bjorn, used it twice and returned it for a full refund. DS had no interest in being suspended in the carrier and it was not easy to get on and off.

 

[ceiligh1]

We had a big baby boy so we were only able to use our bjorn until my son was 6 months old. I found that after long periods of time my back would hurt with him in it. HOwever I did use it for baby arobics (sp?) and hiking with no problem. He never really fell asleep in the bjorn but that might be because he never was in it for long periods of time. It was only toward the end that I realized that you could unclip the straps from the bottom of the carrier. This made getting into it much easier. Before that we were just putting it on over our heads. We now have a REI backpack for him which he just loves. He can play with my hair, play with toys while we walk. If I go to slow he starts jumping up and down, he is going to whip me back into shape really fast. I would try on a bjorn and see if it feels comfortable to you. But I think a baby carrier that can be used in the front or the back of the parent is the way to go.

 

[KristinU]

Another vote for the Mei Tai style here. If you can sew you can make your own and make any sort of customized comfort adjustments. Here's a link to directions for several styles of carriers: Do-it-yourself Baby Carriers Personally, I found these a lot more comfortable than the Bjorn with the distribution of weight, and much longer lasting - I can still carry my 29 lb. 2 year old if he's feeling icky and clingy (any time other than illness he's off and running!)

FWIW, here's an article on the spine issue: Infant Carriers and Spinal Stress

Happy Baby-Wearing!

 

[stacy6552]

Two of the best features are the comfort and the ease of getting baby out. Like I mentioned earlier, we toted him around WDW at 18 mos, pain free. It is also easy to undo one side to take baby out, all by yourself.

 

[ryan840]

I bought the Bjorn yesterday and tried it out, it was nice and he liked it for a bit but then I think he got sick of being so constricted (the same reason he hated the sling). I will be returning it tonight and I ordered a Mei Tai because it looks a little less restrictive... Thanks again for all the replies!

 

[Marmus]

Hi! I have had them all! Did not use the Bjorn much due to the spine thing. I have a Hotsling and a Peanut Shell. DS did not love being squished, as he has high level reflux. But in the hip carry position, he was good to go. Took the Peanut Shell to WDW the last time and wore him on my hip a lot. I cant say enough nice things about thebabywearer site. Lots of great pictures and reviews. We have now graduated to the Mei Tai and love it.

 

[alloyd1170]

I absolutely hated my Bjorn. It hurt my back and my son did not look comfy with his legs being squashed and hanging out (he was 12 lbs+ at birth). With my daughter Ive been using a Hotsling and we both love it. I have a sateen (nice and light), a hemp (cool and soft) and a solarveil for swimming and being out in the sun (the coolest of the bunch too). As an infant my daughter would sleep all day in it if I let her. We then switched to the kangaroo carry as she got older and now we are doing the hip carry. From time to time she will still fall asleep in it and I just slide her into the cradle carry, which is getting tight. We use it all the time, even in the movies and on cruise tours. My back never bothers me for the first few hours (I have back problems). The key is a good fit (nice and high, not low like some slings, which pulls down on your shoulders and back). I would try something else before going with the Bjorn. Ask your friends to try out theirs, and check out the babywearer (I think thats it) for the many styles, fabrics, and reviews that are out there. For WDW in the summer, a solarveil fabric would be best-airy and protects from the sun.

alison

 

[KristiKelly]

I have the new air carrier, the grey one. We used it last September in WDW. DD was 3 months old. We loved it. She never got too hot (and it was hot!!!), I think having the breathable fabric and the lighter color really helped. I had used a friend's Bjorn carrier, the navy one before I purchased the air carrier. Everything was the same except the fabric. It was worth it for us to spend the extra $20 or so, we've used it for WDW and many soccer & football games. Hope this helps.

 

[reggiemcp]

Hi

We purchased a new baby bjorn on ebay, saving ourselves some money. I loved it, especially because once we figured out how to adjust it, both hubby and I could use it, he is 6'3 and I am 5'2. We used it all the time, made it easy to travel, shop, etc. It was really great once his neck got strong enough so he could face forward. He loved being up high and seeing everything. I also could throw it in the washing machine and it looked great after many washes. It is good until they are about 25 pounds so you can get a lot of use out of it. Very comfie on my back and did not dig into shoulders and such. I say shop around, look for last years model on their website, ebay, other discounters and go for it.

 

[WisconsinDisneyGirl]

I liked my Baby Bjorn. I just sold it on ebay as my daughter was too big for it. I just got the ERGO!!! Just love it. It is 3 carriers in one!!! It carries in the front, hip and back. You can use it from newborn to 40 pounds! This could be the only carrier you ever have! My daughter is teething and is crabby! I put her in the ERGO in the front and she is happy for hours. It is way more comfortable than the Baby Bjorn! My back hurt with the BB and NOT the ERGO. I would take the ERGO over the BB. Look into it. I think you will be happy that you did.