Ergo Baby Embrace Review

December 3, 2019December 15, 20193 Comments

The Embrace is the newest carrier from Ergo Baby. Unlike their other carriers that work best from 2 or 3 months ish right through to 2.5 years… this carrier is designed to really fit that newborn and younger baby stage. It works really well right from birth and will last you till around 1 year ish give or take.

One of the reasons this carrier works so well for newborns is it’s made from very soft, slightly stretchy jersey material. The whole carrier is very lightweight and is designed to mold around both your and babies body… like a stretchy wrap or Caboo but with buckles. Because it is so lightweight it folds down into a really compact bundle, perfect for popping into a changing bag or under the pram.

The other reason it works so well right from the beginning is that this carrier has 2 height and width settings. This comes from simply rolling the waist band 2 turns towards you (as shown in the video below), which both shortens the carrier height and brings you to a narrower part of the panel. The adjustment isn’t smooth, just these 2 smaller or bigger settings but because the material is so soft this smaller setting does work really well on almost all newborns. Ergo recommend the Embrace can be used from 7lb (3.2kg) and I have certainly got a great fit on several babies who were just a few weeks old even as low as just shy of 6 lb (2.7 kg). Then as baby grows the waistband can be unrolled to the larger setting, typically around 2 months ish.

The Embrace offers 3 carrying positions. On the front facing inwards toward the parent, on the front facing outward toward the world and on the hip. Interestingly Ergo haven’t included the hip position in their manual, but it is actually a position this carrier does really well! The front facing inwards position can be used right from birth, and is really snuggly, a good position for a sleepy baby and comfortable enough for a long nap! The Hip position can be used from when baby has some head and neck control but it needn’t be as reliable as needed for the outwards position, this can be a really great position once baby goes through that big developmental leap around 4 months and transitions from being a baby who is quite sleepy interspersed with periods of ‘quiet alert’ to a full blown ‘nosy’ baby who wants to see anything and tries to resist sleep where possible!! Because it is a position that allows them to see more while still supporting them in a position where they can tuck in a sleep and support their neck as they start to tire! The front facing outwards position can be used once baby has really strong head and neck control. Which is typically anywhere between 4 and 5 months depending on the baby – you can read more about how to tell if your baby is ready for this position here.

While I think the hip and the front facing inward positions are really great, I can’t help feeling the facing out position on this carrier is more of a gimmick/marketing trick than anything else. It does work pretty well with a plastic doll, but I have my reservations about how well it works on live wiggly babies. The reason for my reservations is that facing away is a position that puts more strain on the parents back than any other position because babies centre of gravity is pulling away rather than toward parent… this is true of any carrier but this is likely to be exacerbated in the Embrace because its made from stretchy material… so as baby wiggles and bounces and strains to one side etc this additional strain is going to be magnified by the fact the material will stretch with baby. Personally, I wouldn’t buy this carrier to forward face. I would buy this carrier if I wanted an buckle option for a new newborn. Then as my baby grew I might use the forward facing position to see if baby liked being carried like that, then if they did I could buy a bigger carrier (something like the Ergo Omni or other such forward facing buckle carrier) that would offer me support, and if they didn’t when I came to upgrade to another carrier I could instead look at the huge range of amazing carriers that don’t offer forward facing safe in the knowledge that I wouldn’t really use it anyway.

You can see these positions in action here:

The position this carrier doesn’t offer is the back carry. Sadly this carrier isn’t really designed to be used on the back as there isn’t a chest strap. Added to the fact that the weight limit is 11.3 kg (25 lb) and that the stretchy material won’t feel as supportive as the child gets heavier this carrier this is definitely a carrier that most parents will move on from within the first year. However, if you are looking for an buckle option to use right from the beginning this is a pretty good option.

So what are the cons? Firstly, the extra soft jersey material is prone to bobbling. I have two of these in the library and one has gone a little bobbly and slightly worn looking already after only 6 weeks worth of hires. Doesn’t affect use but might bother some people! The other thing worth considering is that because this carrier works best for newborns to the first 6 or so months, it doesn’t actually add a lot more longevity or functionality that a Caboo or a Stretchy wrap but is a bit more expensive than either of these options. At time of writing the Embrace costs £79.90 verses £40-45 for a good quality stretchy wrap or £55 for a Caboo Lite.

How does it compare to other carriers? The two carriers on the market that this is most similar to are the Izmi Baby Carrier and the Mamaruga Zen. The Izmi like the Embrace is really designed to support right from newborn, even the smallest babies. Like the Embrace it offers front inwards, front facing out, hip and it does offer back as well. In fact generally the Izmi will last a little longer than the Ergo Embrace as it offers a bit more flexibility. And with its infant seat pad it can be used earlier with smaller newborns even many babies born prematurely too. But it is made of a slightly sturdier cotton so some parents will prefer the softness of the Embrace and the slightly more padded waist band. The Zen Sling is made from a very similar ultra soft jersey as the Embrace, and has a very similar slightly padded waistband too, so is definitely one to consider if you are looking for a carrier like this. The Zen sling has the benefit that it works really well from a couple of weeks old all the way to 2 years of age! Offers front inwards, hip and back carries and has a brilliant system for adjusting the height and width of this carrier giving an absolutely perfect fit for the child as they grow. Unlike the Embrace however, the Zen doesn’t offer the forward facing position and while it does offer a more flexible fit this comes with more straps to adjust and some parents prefer to have less to adjust.

All in all, the Ergo Baby Embrace is a great option for newborns and little babies. It won’t last as long as many carriers on the market but what it does do well is that first bit. Very few buckle carriers truly do newborn well and so is a good option for those looking for a buckle carrier rather than stretchy wrap or Caboo for this first bit. The Ergo Baby Embrace retails for £79.90.

-Madeleine

Lillebaby Complete All Seasons Review

April 19, 2019April 12, 20191 Comment

The Lillebaby Complete, as its name suggests, has and does everything! It has a frankly staggering 6 carrying positions, works from a newborn (or maybe a month old) until at least 3, maybe even 4 years old. Its filled with clever design features and has a emphasis on parent comfort with oodles of padding and lumbar support.

So what’s the catch? …It is not small. All this padding and features means this is a pretty bulky carrier. If your after a lightweight travel sling or something that folds up pretty small to slip into your change bag or under your pushchair – this is not it. However, if you’re looking for something you can wear a growing baby in for hours on end during long Sunday walks or on buggy free day trips this maybe just what you’re looking for.

Like ALL buckle carriers, it’s definitely worth trying this on before you buy. All buckle carriers fit different body types better or worse. In particular, as the Lillebaby is bulkier, it tends to work less well on a more petite frame. More slender parents usually find the level of padding too all encompassing, and find a better fit with a less bulky carrier. The length of padding on the shoulder straps also means that this carrier works better for taller parents, parents below around 5’4” ish or whom are very petite will often struggle to the straps tight enough when back carrying. This is definitely a carrier that works best for more average to bigger builds.

For those it does work well for – it has some really lovely parent comfort features. First and foremost is the lumbar support. This was one of the first carriers to add a lumbar support panel, and I still think it’s one of the best because of how it’s shaped. Its shaped so it sits right in a the middle of your lower back and support radiates upward. I also love the fact its removable!! Because while its fab for front carries, when you move to back carries you might not want a lumbar support panel right in the middle of your tummy. Secondly, the straps can be worn crossed or rucksack style across the parents back according to personal preference and comfort. Again choice is great as often different partners have different preferences and the Lillebaby is a carrier that will often work really well for partners who have very different body shapes and difference preferences. And the straps tighten in two directions so you can either pull forward or backward so works well with different mobility levels and relative wrist strengths! Many carriers tighten in only 1 direction and some parents find tightening backwards a real challenge! So two way tightening can be a real boon. Thirdly, it has a very wide firm waist band that really anchors the carrier combined with firm long padded straps. As discussed above the amount of padding doesn’t suit everyone but for those it does fit well, the firm padding does make for a supportive comfortable carrier.

For the baby, the Lillebaby complete is weight tested from 3.2 to 20 kg (7 to 45 lb) and the manual demonstrates 6 different carrying positions. These are;

Fetal – wide seat setting. Suitable for first few weeks only, if at all. In this position baby goes legs inside the carrier. You start by rolling up a blanket to make a little cushion for the baby to sit on, then sit the baby on it and bring the whole carrier up and around them. Lillebaby suggest this for newborn – 3 months. In reality, I don’t like this position and only very rarely show it to people. I don’t like it because by having the legs in the carrier this can put extra stress on developing ankle joints. Also parents are often confused by the whole blanket thing and essentially making their own infant insert out of a rolled up blanket. Most babies can actually skip this stage and go directly to the second position. It’s only really the very curled up babies who would benefit from this position and usually most parents with a very curled up baby find this carrier too all encompassing for their tiny baby and opt to use something like a stretchy wrap or Caboo until baby is a bit bigger and fits in one of the other positions anyway.
Infant facing inward – narrow seat setting. Suitable from a few weeks old until around 6 months. In this position baby sits directly in the base of the carrier using the narrower seat setting. In this setting the bottom of the panel is tapered, which allows you to fit a smaller baby by putting them in the part that is narrowest and then as they grow you sit them deeper into the panel where it is wider … so that in this way you can get a great knee-to-knee fit for babies all the way from a few weeks old upto 5 or 6 months. Likewise you can alter the position of the neck support to ensure baby is supported upto the nape of the neck but no higher as they grow. So in theory as soon as baby can open their legs wide enough to sit astride this narrowest part, this carrier can be used. This varies from baby to baby but for most this is usually from a few weeks.
Older baby facing inward – wide seat setting. Suitable from 6 months onwards. This is actually the same position as number 2 in that baby sits directly in the base of the carrier with legs out either side, but differs in that now you use the wider setting. The Lillebaby is so wide on this widest setting that babies are not usually big enough to do this until they are around 6 months old – often older. This wider seat position will then go on supporting them until they are at least 3 years old (although many parents will prefer to use the back carry position from a year or 18 months onward for their own comfort). Likewise the infant neck support can be used clipped up to extend the height of the carrier to continue to support a growing toddler. Often parents are worried about knowing when to move from the narrow seat to the wider one – and it’s simply a case of being guided by your child and how long their legs are! Once baby is long enough to sit comfortably in the wider seat without any material passing the backs of their knees they are ready for this position and will find it more comfortable verses the narrower setting as they are better supported. While, if the material does pass the backs of their knees then they will be more comfortable in the narrower seat position.
Infant facing outward – narrow seat setting. Generally from 6 months plus. In theory the forward facing position can be used once baby has strong neck and head control (for more facts on forward facing and how to tell if your baby is ready please click here), however they do also need to physically fit the carrier in that position. And because the Lillebaby is a relatively big carrier, while many babies might be developmentally ready earlier… few actually fit the Lillebaby Complete in this position before 6 months. This can sometimes be frustrating for parents who feel they’d like to forward face earlier and there are other – smaller carriers – where you can forward face earlier. The flip side is that because this carrier is bigger it can be more comfortable in the forward facing position as baby is more contained and thus puts less strain on parents back (as the forward facing position is, for absolutely any carrier, the position that puts the most strain on parent’s backs. The physical size of the Lillebaby carrier can help mitigate this, but the con is baby has to be bigger too which of course means more strain anyway… so it is all a bit Catch-22!).
Hip Carry – either seat setting. Suitable once baby has reasonably good neck and upper torso control. The hip position can be a lovely alternative to forward facing, as it affords the same view for baby while giving both them and you a little more support. It’s a particularly good option for babies who’d like to forward face but are not quite big enough yet. The one downside to this position with the Lillebaby specifically is the firmly padded shoulder straps often don’t sit as comfortably over the shoulder in this position compared to lighter weight/softer straps. If the hip position was one you were using a lot a more softly padded strap would be more desirable, although as this is a position people tend to use more infrequently it’s not really a big critism.
Back Carry – wide seat setting. Suitable once baby can sit independently, roughly 6 months onward and can last realistically to around 3 years or even beyond. Last but not least the back carry position is one where the Lillebaby really shines! An adjustable chest strap and all that padding means many parents will continue to be comfortable carrying their growing toddlers on their back to at least 3 years of age! The one thing to check is that you can get this carrier tight enough! Because the padded shoulder straps are relatively long, more petite parents can find that they simply can’t get the carrier tight enough to be comfortable on their back. It is really worth being aware of this and checking before you buy – parents of young babies must always think I am mad when I make them try this carrier on their back with a doll before letting them buy one but there is nothing worse than shelling out for a carrier for your 3 month old, happily use it on your front and then discover a few months later that it doesn’t fit you on your back!!

There are a whole host of other cool features on this carrier too, including:

head support panel attaches via buckles that are on elastics which allows this panel to support gently and move with baby rather than being rigidly fixed into place.
If your not using the head support the buckles neatly tuck away and the panel poppers into place.
There is very soft light padding under the side buckles to ensure that these do not dig uncomfortably into parents side or into breast tissue.
A breathable zip down mesh panel to give the “All Season’s” aspect of this carrier. This panel can be neatly tucked away to help keep baby cool during the summer months then zipped back up to help keep baby snug on cooler days. It’s definitely a nice feature although, how much cooler it is I have never been too sure – I’ve always found padding level and bulk to have more of an affect on overall warmth of a carrier than the presence or absence of mesh.

My one complaint about this carrier, however, is that it is not easy to switch between the narrow and wide seat positions. If your are only using this carrier to face baby inwards this is not so much of an issue as you’ll only have to do this once when baby grows out of the narrow seat position. But if you are using this carrier to carry your baby facing outwards – you’ll need to swap ALL the time. Forward facing is a position best done in short bursts, and I encourage parents to follow their baby’s cues and turn them inward before they get too tired or overstimulated…. HOWEVER, because the Lillebaby requires you to take the carrier off and put the baby down and faff for 2 minutes completely reconfiguring the waist band, this is A LOT easier said than done. It’s a real shame as it’s often this that puts parents off and they choose a carrier where they can switch back and forth more easily.

IMG_20170427_085231 (2)

All in all the Lillebaby Complete All Seasons is a feature packed, long lasting behemoth of a carrier – perfect for those looking to carry for long periods and use their carrier for a long time. It’s well made and very well designed. Like all carriers it’s well worth trying before you buy as it doesn’t fit everyone, but for those it gives a good fit to this can be a great versatile option. The Lillebaby Complete costs around £140.

-Madeleine

Baby Bjorn One Review

November 20, 2018November 18, 2018Leave a comment

There are some carriers I have in the library because they fit a wide range of people, are very versitile and are generally brilliant. And then there are ones that are a bit different and I have because they are good for a specific situation or a particular subset. The Baby Bjorn One definitely fits into the latter catagory. It does not fit a wide range of people, it isn’t particularly versitile but there are some for whom this is the right choice.

It’s also a carrier that is asked for ALOT! Which is understandable, because it’s readily availible in high street stores and one you often see out and about. But it’s also one I see brought to troubleshooting sessions over and over again. Often its possible to tweak it and get a better fit but sometimes it just doesn’t fit well and ultimately something else ends up being better. And of those who come asking for the Bjorn One who haven’t yet bought one, the vast majority opt for something else following trying a range of different options on.

The simple fact of the matter is that the Bjorn One only fits a relatively small range of people really well. There are two main reasons for this

The torso of the carrier is very long. The Bjorn One has a fixed panel that runs between adult and baby between the waist strap and the shoulder straps. The panel doesn’t adjust, only the shoulder straps and unfortunately this panel is very long. Generally if you are below about 5’8” (172cm) and/or have a shorter torso this panel will be too long for you. It’s still possible to wear the carrier – either by scrunching the panel or by dropping the waist belt to your hips rather than your waist but the result will be a less good fit and will be less comfortable for you the wearer. If you drop the waist band this will put more pressure on your shoulders and is likely to give you back ache, while if you scrunch the panel it will be more comfortable except that you might feel the rouched panel material against your (and your baby’s) tummies. Which is a little non-ideal. Consequently, anyone over about 5’8” tend to find this carrier far more comfortable than anyone under this height. In fact this carrier can be good option for the very tall – 6ft and over, because the shoulder straps can go pretty long and accomodate taller frames.
The panel running between adult and baby tends to sit over breast tissue on women. This can be very uncomfortable for new mothers, particularly those who are breastfeeding.

Consequently, it is often the case that the Bjorn One works alot better for men than women. This is not an absolute, there are some taller woment who it does fit well and isn’t uncomfortable over boobs and conversely there are men for whom it doesn’t fit at all well… but it’s really not at all uncommon for couples to come to me for help with their Bjorn One baby carriers and for the dad to say he is pretty comfortable, while the mother is experiencing back pain and/or discomfort when her boobs are feeling full.

But for those who it does fit, the Bjorn can be a great choice. In particular parents who love it love it because;

You fit the parent first and then the baby slots in after. Compared to carriers where you do the straps up around you and baby, some parents find they feel more secure getting baby in and out. This is particularly true of those who are very nervous about using a baby carrier.
The Slide and Release buckles. While most carriers use standard buckles, the baby Bjorn have these special buckles that involve overshooting then sliding back. They then have a seperate button that needs to be pressed while sliding the buckle the otherway again. The advantage of these buckles is that because they need very specific movements they can’t be undone by mistake or by a parent who is on “autopilot” … you have to think about it! Again for nervous parents this adds to a feeling of security and safety. Although its worth saying while some parents find these buckles really inutitive to use, others find the sliding past really tricky and can’t seem to ever get the hang of them! So this is definitely a marmite feature.
The straps are not overly padded and not too bulky on the shoulders. Which can be a draw for slimmer taller people who can find more bulky padding a bit too much.

The Baby Bjorn One offers 3 carrying positions. Baby facing parent on the front, Baby facing outwards on the front and a back carry. Although in practise, while the 2 front carrying positions are pretty straight forward, the back carry is a bit more tricky! Because of how the straps are configured, to get baby onto your back on your own you need to first place baby on your front and then get your arms out (walk like an Egyptian method – one over, one under) swizzle baby around to your back then put your arms back in. Its a mega faff, and most babies complain alot during the process! The lower waist band position of the Bjorn One also means this carry is pretty low and so its harder to monitor your little one once they are back there. Consequently, Bjorn don’t recommend the back carry position before 12 months.

However, baby can be carried on the front from 3.5kg. The one contains an built in infant insert which acts to raise the height of the baby within the carrier. The width of the carrier also adjusts through ‘locking’ zips at the bottom. In practise the carrier still feels a little large for the smallest newborns but works for most from around 6 weeks onwards. Then as baby grows the infant insert can be unzipped, and the zippered base can be made incrementially wider so the carrier can grow with baby. Generally speaking it fits baby reasonably well up till about 18 months give or take. However, many parents move on from this carrier earlier than that (more like 11-15 months ish), simply because front carrying becomes heavy and many parents struggle to back carry with the One. So instead they often move onto a bigger carrier than is easier to get baby onto the back with.

The forward facing carry can be used once baby has full neck control and is tall enough that their face fully clears the top of the carrier. Unfortunately, a hip carry position isn’t really possible because of how the straps are configured.

Another thing to consider is the material – Bjorn has a number of finishes for this carrier but the standard one at least is pretty rigid and not entirely soft! Many parents don’t like how “hard” it feels for a newborn. However, this is something Bjorn have improved on and their newest models are softer and they do also offer a mesh which is softer and lighter and some parents prefer for this reason.

Finally – do consider if you think you’d like to breastfeed in a carrier. Because the Bjorn has material running between you and baby, it is extremely hard to breast feed in this sling without taking it off first because part of the carrier sits over the boobs.

All in all the Baby Bjorn One can be a good option for parents with longer straighter/flatter torsos and particularly those who are more nervous about babywearing but it is very worth trying on before you buy, and comparing to a few other brands as it certainly doesn’t fit everyone. It works well from around 6 weeks to somewhere between 1 year and 18 months, which is a smaller age range than many of its main competitors and at a cost of £139 it is maybe not quite as good value for money as other similar carriers from brands such as Ergo and Beco.

Carrying Stories – Juliet

July 13, 2018July 2, 2018Leave a comment

Carrying your baby is such a personal thing – people carry for different reasons and different carriers suit different people. Here is Juliet’s story….

20180101_132833_resized “I knew I wanted to carry my baby when I first found out I was pregnant. It seemed like a common sense thing to do; aside from the fact that we’d be able to keep going to places we enjoyed that may not be accessible with a buggy, I knew that I would want to keep her close and how this would benefit both of us. In advance of Rosa’s arrival, we bought a stretchy wrap and an Amazonas Smart Carrier. I liked the idea of the stretchy, it seemed soft and snuggly, but Rosa’s dad, Tony, was all about the buckles! When she arrived, I found that I alternated between the two. Whilst I did like the closeness the stretchy wrap provided and used this when I was staying local, the Amazonas was definitely more practical when going out and about and for longer walks.

20180607_110833_resized Rosa put on weight quickly and at around 3 months, I packed the stretchy wrap away. We carried on using the Amazonas, but as Rosa grew and her head control improved, we realised the limitations of it. Tony in particular wanted a carrier that could do a front outward carry (as well as wanting a more neutral colour than the purple, green and cream swirls of the Amazonas!). We went along to Sheen Slings library session and chatted with Madeleine about our options. We ended up borrowing 2 different slings to try – a Lillebaby and an Ergo Omni 360. Whilst we liked both, the Ergo was the winner due to the ease of use. After just a few days of having it, we put in an order for our own brand new one using a gift voucher we’d been given.

IMG_20180422_140246 (1)_resized Immediately the Ergo became our go-to carrier. I have explored other options since getting it – I have a lovely woven wrap and a ring sling, but I don’t find either to be as easy, comfortable and supportive to use as the Ergo. Luckily, Rosa seems to love it too! We started with front inward carrying and when she was strong enough, started to use the front outward carry for periods too. As we got closer to her 1st birthday and she got heavier, we started to have a go with back carrying and recently, because I find it difficult to get her into a back carry by myself (need to practice more!) I have started doing a hip carry with it so she can see where she is going but can still snuggle in if she wants to.

20180414_111314_resized Tony and I both love carrying Rosa, I think keeping her so close has really helped us all to bond. Rosa seems to love being up at our level, seeing the world as we do and constantly interacting with us (and others who stop and talk to her, which happens a lot!), which you just can’t do in the same way when they’re in the buggy. Tony was out shopping with her recently and she had a hold of some toothpaste. He went over to the counter, she passed it to the cashier and then passed over the card to pay as well! All that interaction will benefit her language and social communication skills no end! Recently, we’ve done trips to the zoo, farm, aquarium and we regularly go out walking in forests and parks. We only ever take the carrier on these trips and always feel a sense of freedom as a result. Rosa’s always found it easy to sleep in the carrier too and since I have learnt how to breastfeed in it, we can keep on the go whilst meeting all her needs.

20180414_112334 (1)_resized We’re dreading the day when Rosa outgrows the Ergo, but rest assured we will be back at the sling library to find a toddler carrier to add to our collection! There are far too many benefits to stop carrying any time soon!

Beco Gemini Review

May 6, 2018June 21, 20192 Comments

The Beco Gemini is a little bit magic. It’s a carrier that has really grown on me. When I first got this carrier 2.5 years ago I didn’t have a child who fitted it (Tom was too big and Rachel hadn’t even been conceived yet). Trying with a doll I simply thought “yeah, its fine”… but over the years seeing this carrier on other parents and then later wearing it myself with Rachel I have come to realize why this carrier is fantastic… simply put it’s because the shoulder straps and waist band don’t match.

That probably sounds a bit odd, but let me explain… Almost all buckle carriers can be divided into 2 groups based on the thickness of the padding of the straps – a) carriers with light, soft or even no padding and b) carriers with relatively thick, firm padding. Likewise, for virtually all of these carriers the padding level is similar on both the shoulder straps and the waist band. I.e. carriers like the Ergo and Lillebaby carriers have thickly padded shoulder straps and firm thickly padded waist bands, while light weight carriers like the Izmi or Connecta have no padding or only very light soft padding across both the shoulders and the waist band. The Gemini, however, defies classification into one of these two groups because it has firm, thick padding at the waist band but soft light padding at the shoulder straps.

This padding ‘mismatch’ is just magic! And works for so many parents. Usually when helping parents find the right carrier for them I start by getting them to try first a thickly padded carrier and then try a very lightly padded carrier. Some parents then decide they love the supportiveness of firm padding and we try more thickly padded carriers. Others decide they like lighter weight more form fitting carriers and we instead try more of that type. Then there is a significant subset of parents who tell me they like the firm waist band of the carriers with thick padding but they find it too much on their shoulders, but then when they try a lighter weight carrier they like the feeling on their shoulders but don’t like the more flimsy waist. For this subset of parents the Gemini is almost always just perfect. A true Goldilocks carrier – firm enough on the waistband to feel supportive for hours, while still being soft and light on the shoulders and not feeling at all bulky.

Another reason its so often a winner, is that the Gemini is a very easy, very unfussy carrier. It doesn’t have loads of bits and bobs to adjust and fiddle with. No features, no pointless pockets, no hood, no multiple points of adjustment to faff around with. Just click, click and go.

What it does have, however, is 4 carrying positions. You can carry baby on your front facing you, on your front facing outward, on your hip and on your back. This carrier is weight tested from 3.2 to 16 kg (7 to 35 lb) and is one that realistically works well with a newborn all the way through till around 18 months to 2 years. A lot of this flexibility comes from the fact the ‘seat’ of the carrier has two settings – a narrow seat and a wider seat. The wider seat does inward positions (front, hip and back) from about 4 months onward (depending on the size of the baby), while the narrow seat accommodates younger babies while parent facing and allows older babies to face outwards comfortably. Adjusting between the two seat settings is ultra simple it simply fastens into either position using poppers. This makes the Gemini one of the few adjustable carriers that can be switched from facing in to facing out (or visa versa) with just one hand if need be! The poppers also do up independently on either side so I’ve even used this carrier in additional needs situations, including once with a baby who was in a leg cast – the poppers meant we could use the wide seat on one side to support the uninjured leg, but reduce the width on the side with the cast to ensure the carrier didn’t put pressure on the cast itself. Which makes this an incredibly flexible carrier that will grow with your child and adapt to their needs whatever they maybe.

Its also flexible for the parent – offering both ruck sack style straps and the ability to cross across the parents back. Most people usually have a strong preference for one or the other and often one parent will prefer crossed, while the other prefers ruck sack. So its great the Gemini offers both!

It is worth noting that compared to other similar carriers – like the Ergo Omni 360 and the Lillebaby Complete – the Gemini doesn’t last as long. While those will take to 2.5 years ish, the Gemini will often only last till around 18 months to maybe 2 years depending on the size of your child. It’s certainly not the best when it comes to longevity. This isn’t really a criticism as part of the appeal of this carrier is that it is smaller and the reason it works really well for newborns (or babies in the 2-3 month age range who are often between settings in a lot of other carriers) is because it is a smaller carrier. And many parents find themselves carrying less around then anyway or are very happy to move onto a toddler carrier that stage. But it is worth noting if you have a child who is tracking the upper percentiles on height and weight. However, if that is the case… the Beco 8 can be a great option, as the 8 is in many ways the Gemini’s big brother – a very similar but bigger carrier.

It also comes in a really lightweight mesh – “the Cool” option instead of the cotton, which can be brilliant choice for a summer baby or if you want a sling you can fold up easily as it folds to around 2/3rds of the size of the normal cotton canvas version.

I have just one gripe with this carrier. The safety buckles. Or rather I did…. this is an example of where Beco has listened to parents… and these have been fazed out over the course of 2018 and now in 2019 all new Beco Geminis come with a new standard buckles. I am so glad, because the safety buckles were a bit of a pain to undo, especially the ones on the shoulder straps. Many people would get used to them after a few goes, while others would just find them infuriating. It’s still worth knowing though, particularly if your purchasing a second hand carrier rather than a new one because its worth checking which buckles and if you can undo them easily!

So all in all, the Beco Gemini is a fantastic carrier, offering multiple carrying positions and super flexibility of use combined with a firm supportive waist band with light soft shoulder padding. It comes in two main finishes – a standard cotton version and a lighter cooler mesh version called the Gemini Cool, which cost £99.50 and £105 respectively. Both are available to purchase from Sheen Slings at sling library meets, consults and workshops (or please get in touch for a doorstep collection or even postage).

-Madeleine

Mountain Buggy Juno Review

January 18, 2018January 18, 2018Leave a comment

I really wanted to like this carrier.

There are several lovely features to like about it… sleek simple design that appeals to men and women equally and looks great on a mannequin; magnetic chest strap which makes this strap much easier to do up and to release than chest straps on other similar carriers; and of course best of all the wonderful “cuddle pocket” – allows you to slip your hands into a soft jersey lined pocket and stroke your baby’s back.

But ultimately, I couldn’t overcome the fact that it’s pretty uncomfortable on me. It sits all wrong on my shoulders. No amount of adjusting and optimising can seem to fix this. It is worth saying that I am always a bit loathed to state a carrier is uncomfortable because it really depends on individual fit. Clearly this carrier fits me badly, but it should be comfortable for those people for whom it fits well. And my comfort is completely irrelevant to you the reader, who probably has a totally different body shape to me. In fact, this is the reason I have held off reviewing this carrier for the past year. I wanted to see how it worked on other people. However, a year down the line I am yet to find anyone at all whom it fits well. It’s been tried on a fair few times by men and women of various frame sizes, but alas no one so far has found it comfortable. I am still hopeful – it went through product testing etc so there must be at least a few people who found it comfortable.

But for myself and those who have tried it here, the issue seems to lie with the shoulder straps. They have quite heavily padded, and curved and just don’t seem to lie flat over the shoulders of those who’ve tried it. The consequence of this is rather than distributing the weight evenly across the wearer’s back, the weight is focused onto a few small pinpoint areas where the straps are actually making contact. Overtime this results in discomfort and achyness. You also can’t cross the straps over the back. Often when I see a carrier not sitting well on someone’s back in the standard H or rucksack style configuration, I suggest we try crossing the straps as this often gives the wearer a much better weight distribution and thus is more comfortable. However, unfortunately the straps on the Juno have not been designed to cross over (the buckles are attached the strap and not the body of the carrier making it very hard to do up if you do attempt to cross the straps, plus as the straps are curved they would curve the wrong way to cross).

I personally also found the waist a little uncomfortable. While the padded part is fine, the cotton strap has a tendency to twist and dig as I walk. These cotton straps – instead of more commonly used webbing straps – do have the advantage of giving the carrier a really sleek and simple look. But, with all the twisting and digging I can see why most buckle carrier manufacturer’s instead choose webbing. And I guess that really is the issue I have with this carrier – it’s style over substance. It looks amazing but more attention seems to have be paid to how it looks rather than how it wears.

IMG_20171216_222333 It’s a shame, because as I said at the start this carrier has some really lovely features. It also offers 4 different carrying positions; 1) a front parent facing carry, 2) a front forward facing position, 3) hip carry and 4) a back carry, and is designed to go from newborn all the way to late toddlerhood. To facilitate these different carrying positions it has 2 seat modes – a narrow seat for forward facing and a wider seat for the inward, hip and back positions. The seat adjusts via poppers within the waistband and its really simple to convert between modes.

Despite having the narrow seat the Juno comes with an Infant insert and suggests that this insert must be used until baby fits the wider seat. I am not sure why, as when I tried with my daughter at 8 weeks old I found I got a better fit for her by putting her directly in the narrow seat rather than using the insert. The insert is very warm and a bit of a faff to use! But possibly the most alarming thing about the Juno is that, because the feedback from testers was that this carrier is very warm to use with the insert, Mountain Buggy sell a cold pack designed to slot into the carrier. Seriously… they advertise that this thing can reduce your babies temperature in the carrier by upto 8 degrees!!!! Dropping your babies temperature by 8 degrees – who honestly thinks that’s a good idea? Sounds like a sure fire recipe for hypothermia if you ask me. Surely the answer is not to use a hot insert rather than adding a freezer pack to the mix??

All in all, sadly the Mountain Buggy Juno is a disappointing carrier. It has some good ideas but falls short of actually working well for the parents and babies I have seen try it. If you are thinking of buying this carrier I’d urge you to try it and a few other brands on first and check to see how well it fits you.

-Madeleine

The Facts about Forward Facing

August 31, 2017October 1, 20176 Comments

Carrying babies forward facing (looking outwards toward the world) is something I get asked more questions about than anything else. So many different questions on this topic. The reason is simple – there is a lot of conflicting opinions on this and even more conflicting information. A disturbing amount of this information comes from articles originally written by carrier manufacturers who either did or didn’t make forward facing carriers and was motivated by marketing. Very very little of it has any evidence to back it up. So its no surprise that often parents are left pretty confused about whats best for them and their child.

So here are some of the questions I am asked and the facts to be aware of when deciding whats best for you and your little one;

Is forward facing dangerous? Nope. There is absolutely no evidence to suggest forward facing your baby is in anyway dangerous, so long as they are developmentally ready and awake. These carriers have all undergone safety testing – they simply would not have passed if there was evidence that forward facing could harm your baby.

Rachel aged 7 months in the Ergo 360

The better question is – Is forward facing comfortable? While not remotely dangerous, its hard to get as comfortable position forward facing verses facing inwards. Both for your child and for you. For your child this is simply because the forward facing position in most carriers offers less support. Less support for their legs, less support for their neck and upper bodies and as their backs are against you they are often slightly flattened out verses how they’d be either in arms or facing toward you. None of this is dangerous, nor even uncomfortable in the short-term but but if worn for longer periods they might start to become less comfortable over time. Think of it a bit like being in a rock climbing harness, completely fine for short periods you wouldn’t want to be in it all day every day.

For you the parent, forward facing is less comfortable as it puts the child’s centre of gravity further away from you. We load bear best by holding weight high and tight to our own centre of gravity – when baby is inward facing the weight is held very close to our centre gravity. In contrast, when facing forwards baby’s weight is held slight away and thus feels heavier and puts more strain on the parents body. Again not a problem for shorter periods, and worth listening to your own body and reading babies cues when forward facing to ensure comfort levels on either side aren’t exceeded.

Is forward facing better for my child’s development? Nope. Again there is absolutely no evidence to support this at all. I completely understand why people might think this would be the case, forward facing allows the child to look out and therefore perhaps ‘gain a better view’. However, there is no evidence that this is helpful to a baby. In fact there are several lines of research suggesting parent’s facial expressions are key in infant learning. This is called ‘social referencing’; in new situations or experiences babies look to their parents or primary caregivers and watch their reactions first. I.e. when someone picks up my daughter she immediately looks at me, if I smile she smiles and is happy to be held. While if she can’t see me or I don’t smile she immediately cries. She is using me as a touchstone to reassure her in this new situation. Similarly as she begins to eat solid food, if I am eating it, she wants to eat it…. if I am not eating it, she has no interest! Looking to our parents and watching their facial cues is an evolutionary driven imperative, it allows the infant to judge if a situation is safe or dangerous. I.e. if my daughter reaches for something and I look alarmed … she knows its dangerous. It also helps babies determine what is important/interesting, i.e. say she is looking at a new toy she also looks at me – am I looking at the toy? Do I find the toy interesting too? Thus when holding or wearing our babies its important for their learning that they can see our faces. When facing out they can’t, they don’t need to see our faces all the time so its fine but this idea that perhaps facing out is better for learning is certainly false.

Its also worth noting that in a well fitting inward facing carrier where baby is able to turn their head easily, they should still be able to get a really good view of the world. And its worth considering how good a view they need – how well can they actually see? Its interesting to note that while their eye sight is developing rapidly, children don’t generally reach full adult 20:20 vision until somewhere between 3-5 years of age! In fact babies lack the ability to see in 3D until depth perception starts to develop somewhere around 5 months.

When can I start forward facing my baby? When a) they have excellent head control and upper back strength and b) they are big enough to comfortably fit the carrier you have for them.

I prefer to explain this in terms of developmental markers rather than age because different babies will reach this sooner or later than others, and its more important that babies have reached this developmental stage than arbitrarily be over a certain age. The reason they need excellent head control and upper back strength is simply because when forward facing the carrier is unable to provide any head support. And because they are facing outwards their head and uppermost torso isn’t even supported by your body either. So they need to be able to hold these up for themselves. And its it needs to be rock solid – I remember my daughter went through a distinct ‘nodding dog’ stage where she could mostly hold her own head but she looked a little bit like one of those nodding dogs. No nodding dogs!!… we need rock solid.

Comfortably fitting the carrier you have for them is different between different brand carriers. Some are bigger than others, and so the baby needs to be older/physically bigger before they can be used in the forward facing mode compared to other smaller brands. Rachel and I are working on a full comparison of the forward facing carriers in the library, which will include more information on this… But what you are looking for when trying carriers on is that baby is not over extended – that their backs are not really flattened out and over extended in order to look over the panel and equally their in a good sitting position with legs not over spread or conversely under supported. When trying carriers on trust your gut – does baby look comfortable or overly straightened?

Tom at 10 months old in the Lillebaby Complete, making friends at the Chinese New Year Celebrations in Trafalgar Square

How long can I forward face my child for? Several manufactures suggest a time limit for forward facing. This is something I find fascinating, because babies are all different and they are different on different days! Some days my children would have been happy forward facing for an hour, other days they’d have got fed up of it after 5-10 minutes. So far better to read their cues than work off an arbitrary time limit. And it really is arbitrary because as far as I can tell, unlike the limits set for car seats which were set based on research and understanding of optimal infant positioning, these are suggested not based on any researched or evidence but in response to articles written by companies who didn’t make forward facing carriers and were suggesting that it was ‘dangerous’. So the companies who did make forward facing responded by suggesting it was ‘safe’ so long as under an arbitrary time limit.

Confused? I know I was! So what cues are we looking for in deciding how long to forward face your child on any given day? Babies enjoy forward facing best when they are wide awake and at their most playful and alert. So we are looking to time around this phase, and as mentioned how long this phase will last will be different on different days! We are then looking to turn baby inward before they get tired, as they are becoming less playful, less alert,… long before they are actually tired we want to bring them inward. When forward facing, babies don’t have the ability to snuggle in if everything becomes too much, so we run the risk of over stimulation and ultimately over tiredness. The best way to avoid over stimulation is to turn baby in long before they get tired. This gives them the option to snuggle in and helps them process, and ultimately should help them get that all important nap when they need it! We all know the pain of a missed nap!

Does it matter if my baby falls asleep while forward facing? Yes. Unfortunately, there is no head support for baby while forward facing which means if they fall asleep and their head starts to loll there is nothing to help support their head. If this does happen please check their airway – check that as their head lolls it doesn’t loll over the top of the carrier.

In an ideal world you’d turn your baby inward long before they started to fall asleep, but accidental naps do happen!! So best practise would be as soon as you notice that baby is falling asleep you’d turn them inward. While I understand it is obnoxious to move a sleeping baby, the forward facing mode is really only designed for babies who can hold their heads up and are awake enough to be able to hold their heads up.

But my baby isn’t happy in their Caboo/stretchy wrap, they are nosy and want to be able to see and only forward facing will let them do this. I completely get this, the vast majority of parents coming to me considering forward facing are those whose babies are starting to grow out of the Caboo or Stretchy wrap. As I have discussed at length before both the Caboo and stretchy wraps are amazing for newborns, but parents often feel ready to move onto something else when babies leave the 4th trimester and go through that huge developmental leap where there are sleeping less and more interested in the surrounding world. These slings are pretty confining, they are like swaddling, so it not a big surprise that babies might grow out of them developmentally around the same time they grow out of swaddling. However, please don’t mistake this restlessness in a stretchy wrap or Caboo – where the sides of the sling come up high close to baby’s face – to mean your baby particularly wants or need to forward face. Instead swapping baby to a carrier where the fabric doesn’t pass beyond the top of the shoulder blades – giving baby the freedom to turn their head this way and that unfettered – is usually more than enough to cure this new-found restlessness in slings.

21013881_1288986917896999_3133343590819235261_o Its also worth noting that forward facing is not the only alternative for a nosy baby. Most slings and carriers also offer positions on the carers hip or back. In general, for a buckle carrier, the hip position can be used once baby has good head control. From here baby can see outward and get just as good a view of the world as they would forward facing, but they can also see the parents face for social referencing. They can easily tuck in towards the parent when they start to become tired and naturally fall asleep, and they are fully supported in a very ergonomic position. Its also possible to wear a younger baby on the hip in a ring sling or woven wrap or even a stretchy wrap, provided that the sling is worn in a way that supports the baby’s neck. Often a muslin rolled into the wrap or sling is perfect for this – providing support behind the babies neck but still allowing them to move and be as nosy as they like!

The other alternative is to wear baby on your back. Once they are tall enough to see over your shoulder they can get the same view as forward facing on your front, but it is more comfortable for you the parent as we load bear much better placing weight on our back verses carrying weight on our fronts. Like the hip carry, it also gives the child the option to tuck in and fall asleep when needed. For a buckle carry, this position can be used once the baby is able to sit independently or is very very close to being able to sit independently. So in theory often from 6 or 7 months old, however, most 6 or 7 months old can’t see over their parents shoulders yet and thus are usually less impressed with this position. Instead back carrying in a buckle carrier comes into its own from around 1 year old. However, it is possible to carry younger babies on the back – my choice for this is a woven wrap because it is possible to wear babies up much higher so they can see over your shoulder right from the beginning and because they can be tightened to give better support enabling a baby who is not yet able to sit independently be worn on the back without fear of slumping etc.

It is also worth considering how long the forward facing phase lasts for. As discussed above, babies can be worn forward facing once they have excellent neck and upper torso strength. This is typically around 4 months (although this can vary a lot, anywhere from 3 months to 6 depending on the individual child). Interestingly, around 8-10 months most babies seem to grow out of forward facing. They are less interested and/or equally happy or even more happy in a inward facing carry. Also around this time they get a lot heavier and the extra strain of forward facing starts to become too heavy for the parent. Consequently, this is also often when parents start thinking about switching over to back carrying instead. So the forward facing carrying phase is actually pretty short, typically only 4 to 5 months. When you consider the majority of forward facing carriers are designed to be used from birth all the way to 2 or even 3 years old – the forward facing phase is only actually quite a small percentage of the total life of a carrier.

Rachel aged 8 months in the Ergo Omni 360

Finally its worth considering cost and your budget. Generally speaking you’ll pay a premium for forward facing. So its worth weighing all the information above up and decide how much you might use the forward facing position and how much it is worth to you. How much are we talking? Depends on which carriers but for example the new Ergo Omni 360 is £155 verses the Ergo Adapt (which does not offer forward facing but is a very similar carrier to the Omni in every other way) at £110. So in this case the ability to face forward is costing £45. Most forward facing carriers are around the £120-£150 mark. While carriers lacking this function (but offering all the other positions, and a great many other features etc) are typically in the £75-100 region. The exceptions to this are the Izmi priced at £75 and the Beco Gemini at £99… but these are a fair bit smaller than other forward facing carriers such as the Ergo 360s, the Lillebaby Complete, the Beco 8, the Mountain buggy Juno etc etc and thus while they do cost less they are unlikely to last your baby quite as long. Deciding on whether its “worth it” or not is really a personal choice and depends a good deal on the personal preferences of both you and your child! This can be where hiring a carrier for a couple of weeks and trying it out in your normal day to day life can really help. I’ve had parents who’ve tried it out and decided that forward facing is a position they really love and use frequently and likewise I’ve had parents that to their surprise have found that they barely used the forward facing position. For the latter group many went on to choose another carrier that didn’t offer the forward facing position and saved themselves a good deal of money. While those in the former group invariably were able to happily go and spend the extra money safe it the knowledge that it would be worth it for them.

-Madeleine

sheenslings.com

Sling Library and Consultancy

Tag: #forwardfacing

Ergo Baby Embrace Review

Lillebaby Complete All Seasons Review

Baby Bjorn One Review

Carrying Stories – Juliet

Beco Gemini Review

Mountain Buggy Juno Review

The Facts about Forward Facing