The Best Type of Baby Carrier to Save Your Back!

So before you start thinking that this is a review for a specific product, let me just tell you it’s not. Although I will be giving my opinion on what I think is the best type of baby carrier, keep in mind that what is “best” is incredibly subjective.

But there are some general things everyone agrees on to keep in mind when choosing a baby carrier for your most precious cargo.

What’s the “Best”?

Someone else doing the carrying of course!…Just kidding!…Mostly…. 😉

But seriously, here is what I think of as “best” for me;

1. Baby must be securely fit.
2. Must be easy to put on.
3. Must fit me well as not put me in pain.
4. I must be able to go to the bathroom with it on.

So Many Carriers, So Little Time

I went through six different baby carriers before settling for what I found to be good enough. I tried backpack types, slings, wraps, and one full-on hiking carrier.

Some of them were quite expensive and others not at all. But all them were only good for a short period of time. He would scream bloody murder at first. But I kept at it until he got used to it. Only by then, he had become too big!

However, for most of the carriers, I was the one screaming bloody murder because it killed my lower and/or upper back and dug into my shoulders! Most of them never felt secure holding my baby! So what was the point of all that suffering?? It was enough for me to think that “babywearing” was just not for me!

I so very much wish I had known about these Korean baby carriers back when I had been filling out my baby registry! It was only long after I had already wasted my money on all these other carriers that I discovered this amazing one.

I remember one morning I was sitting at the table feeding the baby while I watched an episode of the South Korean tv show “Return of Superman.” That’s when I noticed one of the dads on the show strapping on a fancy looking baby carrier. It looked a lot like one that I already owned but his had a little padded seat for the child!

Okay, so the carrier that I already had that looked liked his was the Ergo Baby Carrier with the infant insert that can go underneath the baby. However, the carrier on the show had a firm pillow that was attached to the carrier so it stayed put.

So what’s the big deal? Well, if you’ve spent any time toting around a baby, you know that they get heavy really quick. Arm fatigue kicks in fast! It’s just that much faster if the baby was heavy to begin with, like mine was!

What most people end up doing is shifting their weight so that the child rests on their hip. This is terrible for your spinal alignment! I’m not a doctor but this is just common sense. Plus, I’ve lived through this myself!

Yes you can switch hip sides but people tend to rely on one side either because it’s their dominant side so the baby is more secure; or the less dominant side so that their dominant arm is free to do whatever they need to do.

These types of baby carriers with a hip seat creates a ledge, if you will, for the child to sit on instead of a pocket hanging off of you (causing strain on your back and shoulders).

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor nor am I a chiropractor. I’m totally just talking from my own experience.

Hindsight Is 20/20

Here’s a bit more about that experience…. My baby was almost 9 lbs. when he was born. When he was born, one of the nurses said “it’s a toddler!”

The first three months of his life were awful for us because he never slept. He only slept held upright and with vigorous bouncing. Well, it turned out he had acid reflux. That’s why he insisted on not laying down because doing so would aggravate his reflux.

Because he was on the heavy side, holding him all day and night was difficult without wearing ourselves out. That’s what got me started on my quest to find the perfect baby carrier.

I needed something that checked off all those things I listed earlier. And this type of baby carrier with the hip seat did just that!

To Each Their Own

One of my mom friends, insists on using a sling carrier. I can’t understand it because her baby doesn’t sit in it as recommended for safety and there’s a long swath of fabric that inconvenient hangs down. But she’s used this sling carrier for both of her children and insists that’s what’s comfortable for her. So you see, what’s “best” for one person isn’t necessarily what’s best for everyone.

So try lots of different carriers…just be sure they’re returnable! 😉