Ways to Wear the Ergo
For newborns to 4-6 months (when babies gain head control), front wear is the only option, with baby cradled sideways, almost like a sling. At this stage, you also want to use the infant insert
Once your baby has head control and can sit up, you can move from the side position to an inward position, legs splayed, with baby sitting chest to chest with you. At four to six months, baby can also be worn on your back and in a hip carry position.
Amazingly, the Ergo has been tested to carry a child up to ninety pounds. That’s more than some of my ninth grade English students weigh!
I used my Ergo for my first child from birth to about 18 months. I loved the infant insert for reasons mentioned above. About 95% of the time, I stuck with the front carry position. Although Ergo’s website says that caregivers can get their babies into the carrier on their own, I found this impossible with the back carry.
As for the hip carry, it felt like I was wearing the Ergo incorrectly, even though I knew I wasn’t. One strap on, one strap off didn’t feel right. Besides, Ergo is derived from ergonomic, and what’s ergonomic about letting one shoulder strap hang loose so that the other should can bear all of baby’s weight?
Besides, I’ve never seen any Ergo user – apart from the maker’s web gallery – carry their infant in the hip carry position.
How Ergo Benefits Baby
- Fabric - The pouch surrounding baby is light and breathable on the original model,
which is 35% cotton, 65% polyester.
- Sleep, Priceless Sleep – Of all the carriers I’ve used, my babies slept best in the Ergo. The natural slouch of the pouch, the sleep hood (which also shaded sun), and the freedom of movement for baby’s arms to cuddle and wrap around the caregiver are three plusses the Ergo alone offers.
- Loose, Yet Secure – With shoulder straps and waist belt worthy of a trekker’s backpack, the Ergo provides a solid base below the pouch. If your baby’s a squirmer, you’ll be grateful for the straps and belt, which keep baby in place while allowing the soft pouch to adjust to baby’s movements.
How Ergo Benefits Parents
- Back & Posture: Whether on front or back, wearing the Ergo is easy on the spine, hips, and posture. What I love about the waist belt is that it bears a lot of the weight, alleviating the strain on the shoulders (In contrast, slings and wraps put a lot of pressure on the shoulders).
- Adjustability: The second generation Ergo and the new Ergosport offer easier adjustments in the shoulder straps for multiple wearers. The Sport also features longer straps and waist belt to accommodate taller wearers. My friend with twins is 5′11″ and her husband is 6′5″. They had two ErgoSports and said they didn’t need any other carriers to get them from birth to 20 months.
- Unisex Look: While gender roles are more fluid than ever, I’ve met lots of moms in the park across from our house who tell me that their partners – all men – were reluctant to downright adamant about wearing a BabyBjorn, not to mention a sling or wrap. The Ergo is the most rugged, sturdy, backpack-looking, even manly (if you will) carrier out there. It screams functionality, which makes it the best choice for a lot of dads.
Drawbacks
- Bulky: I understand the bulkiness comes from the excellent padding in the shoulder and waist straps, but at times, I felt like I was wearing 1980s shoulder pads.
- Going Solo: Even though the website says you can get the Ergo and baby on by your self, I found this nearly impossible. If you don’t have the strap that connects the shoulder straps fastened, they tend to slowly move off your shoulders, which gave me the feeling that the straps were always on the verge of falling off. Alone, I couldn’t fasten this strap when wearing my kids on front. Alone, I couldn’t get my kids into the back position either.
- Price: $110 on the website, $130 in stores for different models. One thing to note here is that the Ergo is so well made, you can definitely recoup some of your investment through resale when you are finished. Likewise, you may be able to hunt down a used one. A word of caution: I advise buying one from someone you know, a friend of a friend, or a fellow subscriber to your parenting group. The company warns that counterfeit copies are circulating on Ebay.
Bottom Line
Try it on in the store. Wear it for a good ten minutes or so. Wear it in the front, side, and back. Get a feel for whether and how you would put it on by yourself. But even if you can’t, the Ergo is still worth the investment. It’s somewhat bulky presence truly achieves the desired effect of putting you as close to your baby as possible in a way that is ideally comfortable for both of you.
