1. Dyed in the wool hiking types: These are the REI-member parents, the couples who, before having kids, may have met in an outdoorsy setting.
2. The newly converted nature buffs: These are the parents who want to show their kid the world, want to impress upon their baby the beauty, fragility, and importance of nature.

Whether you’re a 1 or a 2, you need the same type of baby backpack carrier, the kind for hiking with baby, the kind that will provide comfort for baby, shade from the sun, pockets for necessities, and external frames and waist-harnesses to support your lumbar region.

Big Name Backpack Carriers for the Big Outdoors

Kelty

Well-known for its legacy of packs for outdoor lovers and backcountry hikers, Kelty makes several external framed and several soft-framed packs.  The Kelty nomenclature is easy to follow.  There’s FC 1.0, FC 2.0, and FC 3.0.    Essentially, as the numbers get bigger, the features list gets longer and the price gets higher.  All three have the standard safety features most hiking parents want:

• A sturdy aluminum frame
• A self-deploying kickstand
• An adjustable waist belt
• A sternum strap
• An adjustable five-point harness for baby
• Loops to attach toys
• Reflective tape for evening visibility

That said, here’s what makes them different.  

• FC 1.0 – Food for up to 50 pounds, includes under the seat storage.  A good all-around, but with no sun/rain shade.  Said to be for shorter strolls or shopping, though I’ve never seen anyone use an external frame carrier in a store or mall.  
• FC 2.0 -  Separates itself from the 1.0 with its removable diaper bag and additional storage in the waist pouch.
• FC 3.0 – Their deluxe model, with everything in the 2.0, plus a changing pad, sunshade included (hallelujah!), and cellphone strap pocket.  The thing I love most about this one is that its components are removable for washing.

Deuter

This outdoors gear and travel bag company makes four packs for carrying baby and all baby’s needs for a day hike or daily hiking excursions from a well-appointed basecamp with restrooms and showers. 

From least to most decked out they are:

• KangaKid – Looks like a standard day pack, but expands to hold your little hiker when her legs are tired.  Holds up to 33 pounds. 
• Kid Comfort I – External framed carrier, with max capacity of 48 pounds.  Has a padded headrest for your sleepy cargo and ample padding for your hips.  Safety features include a padded five-point harness and kickstand, making it self-standing if you need to remove the pack with your mini-Muir still in it.
• Kid Comfort II
  – This is Deuter’s best seller.  Like the Comfort I, it holds a max of 48 pounds.  It has a side-entry harness, and Vari-harness system, which is great for accommodating your growing child.  It also has a height adjuster, so baby can be sure to see Half Dome instead of Dad’s dome.  It’s more outfitted with features – like a reflector, more zipper storage pouches, and the feature I like best, an integrated hydration sleeve – like a camel back.  The product specs say there’s room to store an optional rain/sun hood.  Great, but I have a problem with all carrier makers, in general, not including the sun/rain hood.  Who isn’t going to use it?  I see the hood or shade as a necessity, not an accessory.
• Kid Comfort III – The fully-featured model, though I can see why it doesn’t sell quite as well as the Comfort II (verrrry expensive.)    What I like about it is that it has a two-point lifting system.  Most carriers have one handle, located where the nape of the wearer’s neck would be.  This version has an optional hydration system, but includes the sun/rain hood as part of the integrated package.  Two other  standout features, perhaps worth the splurge are the 3-D mesh back and washable/removable chin pad.  The first keeps your back dry. The second keeps baby’s chin dry.

Sherpani

The “She” in Sherpani is meant to imply that the company has women in mind when they design their array of purses, satches, work, fitness, and hiking bags.  They make one baby carrier, called the Rumba, and if the person carrying your baby during hikes is  most often going to be a woman, Sherpani’s Rumba is worth seeking out.

Sherpani Features Include

• Weight limit: 70 pounds for the Rumba (I can’t even imagine!) and 55 pounds for the Rumba Superlight model.
• Distinguishing Features (these apply to both models): Super comfortable hip belt.  Not only a five point harness, but a chest-plate to help your little one’s posture (no slouching), lots of pouches for storing, and a modern look.  This one doesn’t look as out of place in the mall as some of the other more rugged outdoor child carriers. And, I’ve saved the best for last: The sun shade/ rain hood is (gasp)included!   

A Trip Planning Guide:

Practice Run

Always take baby to a place you’ve already been.  Elevation deltas affect a hike’s overall difficulty, even if the miles are short.   Check out the terrain too.  Are there lots of loose rocks or gravel, tripping hazards such as tree roots?  Understand what it’s going to feel like to be pulled backward by the extra weight of the pack and baby, especially when you start to wobble on the trail.

Pre-pack For Your First Few Hikes

I’ve had success in packing our kids’ items for a day hike first by throwing everything into a laundry basket that goes next to our empty external framed carrier in the trunk.  I wait until we get there to load the carrier, as this usually gives me time on the drive to think about what’s really needed.  And if the kids snack heavily in the car and upon arrival, I load fewer morsels into the pack.  This also keeps us from packing three kinds of sweaters.  Checking the weather upon arrival allows us to put only necessary outerwear in the pack.

Timing is Everything

When planning your trip, consider your child’s nap schedule.  Hikers on moderate terrain average 2-3 miles an hour, with occasionally photo-op stops.  Plan on lengthening this to add in down-time for your little explorer to get up close and personal with a leaf or pinecone. 

Don’t Hesitate to Fail

I have a hiker friend who is loathe to turn back.  But now he’s a father and all that’s changed.  Stay highly tuned to your child’s reactions and behavior cues and pull the plug on a trip or walk that seems to be unraveling.   If your child starts to get fussy, don’t forge ahead on the assumption that things will get better.  Assume they will get worse.

Try, Try Again

But don’t give up!  Try a new place, a new time, and a new purpose, perhaps apicnic or swimming hole.No matter which carrier you choose, your child will thank you for time outdoors…that is, as soon as he or she can talk.

Discuss having an active lifestyle and how you can fit this into having a baby – introduce baby backpacks such as Kelty, Deuter and Shirpani, pros and cons of each, and tips for day trips with baby

As a first time mom, my play group compatriots and I shared stories and advice aplenty. One frequent topic was breastfeeding in public.  With my firstborn, the question was whether to do it.

But as many of us moved on to our second pregnancy and birth, the questions became whereand how to do it.    So what follows are a few tips from one mom who’s been there.

Best Places To Breastfeed

Photo by c r z

The best places list is based on three criteria:

• Minimal Distractions for Baby
• Privacy or Crowded Anonymity
• Somewhat Comfortable Seating

In no particular order, they are…

• The Mall – These days, most with the stores we want to shop in have great family lounges adjacent to the restrooms.  Large rooms with changing tables and dedicated nursing alcoves – usually about three – describe most shopping mall family lounges.  I loved the nursing alcoves.  I’ve been in some with doors and others with floor to ceiling curtains, cutting down on noise and distraction.
• Dressing Rooms – There are a lot of great things about The Gap, not the least of which is their collection of wearable maternity garb.  They keep me coming back to clothe my kiddos with their roomy dressing rooms and one dedicated dressing room-turned nursing room.  What I like about The Gap is that the restrooms are nearby.  Restrooms matter when your breastfeeding, as you probably know, because you’re trying to stay hydrated and your uterine muscles are still out of shape and because we know what our babies do after they eat.
• The Park – In good weather, I love the park because I can plant myself anywhere, creating privacy by putting distance between myself and others.  Under a tree sitting cross-legged was one of my favorites.  Eddie Bauer and others make great picnic blankets with nylon waterproofing on one side.  I kept one of these in my diaper bag and used it as a changing pad too.
• The Movie Theatre – If not getting out is getting you down, watch the paper for their “Diaper Days” showings of films, which are usually around noontime.  They lower the volume to protect little ears and you get some much needed entertainment.
• The Public Library – Recent court challenges have refused to restrict library patrons’ access to explicit content (ie porn) on library computers.  Suffice it to say that the library is a welcoming place for nursing babes in arms.  As are some of the big bookstore chains.  In both places, I’ve found stools and chairs in the children’s area and fed my babies without interruption or hassle.

How To Stay Under the Radar – Outfits

This comes down to two necessary wearables, one for you and one for baby.

If you’re breastfeeding, you’ve likely invested in some quick access nursing bras and tanks.  If you’re like me, you’d rather not show the loose folds of skin in the tummy region, which can flop out if you’re wearing a nursing bra and a shirt.  Hoist the shirt up and voila, my muffin top was there in the flesh for all to see.  No thank you.

So I encourage you to opt for a nursing tank top (very reasonably priced and well made at Target) and a loose shirt over it.  For a splurge, I’d recommend Glamourmom Nursing Bra tanktop, which are reinforced with spandex (available online at Amazon).  They’re also longer than the average tank and some have lace trim.  I appreciated the stretchy snugness around my middle, which smoothed out the appearance of whatever shirt I wore over it.

What about nursing shirts?  I had a couple of these, but I’m not a big fan.  The openings and fabric folds underneath always ended riding up above the outer rim of the scoop-necked shirt.  Not pretty.  And the shirt alone doesn’t offer enough coverage if you want to be a bit discreet.

That’s how to outfit you; now for baby.

When breastfeeding in public, the sling is the thing.  Truly.  Although I once breastfed with my daughter facing inward in a front carrier, it was not pleasant for either of us.  Here are a few recommendations:

Ring Slings: Several companies make these, including the Maya Wrap ring sling ($60) and ZoloWear’s Ring Sling, in cotton ($79), breathable mesh ($69), or silk brocade ($125).

Ring slings are a better choice than other slings simply because the extra fabric works as an instant nursing cover.  Just pull up one corner of the extra fabric length hanging down from the ring.  Tuck the corner under the strap of your opposite bra shoulder strap.

Wraps: If baby hates to be covered up (and what baby doesn’t want to stare up at mom while eating), Didymos and Moby wraps are helpful in this case because there’s a little more built-in coverage for you and baby.  Baby’s head is usually tucked into one section of the wrap that goes down under their bum and up over your shoulder.  It’s not like he can wrestle this fabric out of the way.  But on the downside, it’s a lot harder to get baby positioned and latched on in a front-carry wrap.

How To Deal With The Rudeness of Strangers

For all its difficulties, expensive accessories, and judgmental inquiries, breastfeeding my babies brought me a sense of satisfaction, calm, and relaxation unique unto itself.

This is not to say that I never encountered invasive and ignorant strangers.  It is lawful to breastfeed in any public place where food is served or allowed.  You probably don’t want to get into a conversation with a rude person who makes a comment while your feeding your baby.  It can’t be good f0r the letdown, so ignoring the remark and turning your head the other way is best.

But if they persist, however well-meaning they may (or may not) be, tell them any of the following (these go from tame to mildly tenacious):

1. “Please take up your concern with the management.”

2. “I’m not in the habit of taking advice from strangers, thanks.”

3. “Please be courteous and allow my child to eat.”

4. “Oh,” (in a surprised tone, like something just dawned on you) “you must not be aware of the law, which allows babies to eat anywhere you can.  Now you are.  Have a good day.”

5. “Did your mother refuse to feed you as a child?”

Okay, so maybe the last one’s a bit cheeky.  But it takes only one invasive remark to transport most moms from meek to militant on this subject.  Where ever you are on this spectrum, make the process as easy as possible with friendly places, cozy spaces, and snug ring slings, then shut the world out feed your baby in peace.

How Do I Know If My Baby Has Colic?

• The Rule of 3s: The Mayo Clinic defines colic as 3+ hours of crying a day, 3+ days per week, for 3 weeks or more (in an otherwise healthy, well-fed baby)
• What Colic Looks Like: Flush-faced baby, curled up legs, clenched fists, strained/tightened abdominals.  Gas or a bowel movement usually come at the end of a colic episode.
• What Colic Sounds Like: You’ll know! Colicky infants usually scream at around the same time each day.  In our house, we called this the “Baby Witching Hour.”  If you have a colicky baby, you know how valuable a sense of humor can become.  For us, it was 6PM to around 3AM for the first couple weeks, then 6-8 PM, every night for two more months.  Unlike the cry of our baby waking or feeling hungry, the colic cry was a screech, loud and persistent.  We likened it to what we imagined the infernal scream of a prehistoric Teradactyl must have sounded like.

What Do Parents Usually Try?

• Books: The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp.  Though the concept of a missing “forth trimester” theory was a bit weird, his techniques worked. It includes placing your swaddled baby tummy down on your forearm, walking, gently jiggling baby, and loudly “shhhhhh-ing” baby (in the womb, your baby was used to sounds louder than the average vacuum cleaner, so this mimics it).  Swaddling worked pretty well, but as started well after our baby was a month old, it wasn’t as effective as it could have been.
• Medicine: Always check with your doctor to make sure baby is healthy, with no additional health problems or undiagnosed concerns.  Our doctor recommended some simethicone drops, which we used occasionally.  Make sure your doctor recommends them, as well as the proper dosage, before using.
• Homeopathics: Under many names, a substance called Gripe Water, the most widely marketed of which is called Colic Calm, claims to calm intestinal distress. We bought another brand of gripe water and found that it had no appreciable effect. But if it works for you, great!  As any parent of a colicky infant will tell you, whatever works, do it.  Be it gripe water, loud shushing, swaddling, or standing on your head while singing the Beatles.
• Rocking, Driving, Walkin’g: The key word here is movement. In a glider or a rocking chair, in a car, or wearing a circular path in the carpet of your house at 3:00 AM.  Each of these has its plusses and minuses – again, whatever works is what you’ll end up recommending to others when you’re in the relative bliss of the terrible twos – but it comes down to movement.  Baby was in motion for ten months in the womb, she wants to continue moving!

Why Walking With Baby in a Carrier Works

Like I’ve been saying, it all comes down to movement.

As a Dad, I’d come home from work a couple hours before baby started her daily colic (joy oh joy.) That’s what made me think about a baby carrier in the first place. Reading Karp’s book, and on the recommendation of another parent, I bought a baby carrier and began taking our little screamer for walks at the appointed time. About five steps out of the house, she calmed down, and within five minutes she was sleeping, nestled on my chest. I was hooked.

Your baby wants to be held, you want a little exercise.  Your baby won’t stop crying unless her head is resting against your chest, you have a headache, and both need immediate solutions. A baby carrier is a no-brainer.

Here’s some specifics to help you understand which carriers and baby positions are best known for alleviating colic.

Any Particular Colic-Reducing Carrier or Hold/Position?

Infants 2-4 months: Wraps like the Moby or tie-carriers like the Mei-Tai. Why?  You want baby upright, in a vertical position on the front of you (I used a Baby Bjorn, but then, I’m, a guy, and she was 3 months old when I tried it.)  Facing in is best for infants this young.  Light walking around the block will create the consistent movement that can release the gas in baby’s tummy or provide the prenatal soothing she’s used to.

Infants 4-6 months: Same as above, but also add Ergo, front carrier with or without infant insert.  The BabyBjorn classic model is also a good choice here, as it’s fool-proof and keeps baby in the most vertical, yet comfortable position possible with lots of back and neck support.  Baby should be tummy to tummy.  A side hold or sling hold will crunch up baby’s abdominal muscles, intensifying colic symptoms.

Babies 6-9 months:  (By then, colic should be over, but if not …) The BabyBjorn, facing in or out, Moby facing in or out, and even the Ergo, facing in or on back in the piggy-back style, which allows baby’s spine to naturally curve parallel to yours, relaxing all the baby’s core muscles, alleviating colic symptoms as you walk, stroll, or even as you shuffle from foot to foot, checking your email on your laptop in the kitchen.

Why Baby Carriers Work to Reduce Colic

1. Baby stays upright (don’t use a sling or put baby in a cradle-hold)
2. Gentle walking or bouncing while baby is carried releases painful gas bubbles and keeps bowels moving.
3. Babies prone to reflux benefit from upright carrying, as stomach acid doesn’t creep up the esophagus.

The overall movement and swaddle-feel of most carriers resembles the womb.

The compelling case for carriers reducing colic is simply this: They are the closest thing to the womb since the womb.  The  best source of comfort a baby can hope for when his tummy his upset. Though baby carriers is not a “cure”, as the title suggests, it’s a welcome break for everybody involved, baby almost always falls asleep, and, for us at least, we got her “screaming hours” down to about two a night from six. Having a carrier was definitely worth it – that and keeping up a sense of humor!

(Trust me, one day, you’ll almost forget those long, sleepless nights of despair, helplessness, and earplugs.)

How Does Kangaroo Care Work?

The infant mortality rate for preemies topped out at 70% in Bogota, Columbia in the 1980s.  Out of necessity,  a protocol of care mandated that premature infants were held 24 hours a day by their mothers and caregivers.  With little in the way of advanced medical care,  holding baby close all day was the only option to reduce infection, improve respiratory weakness, and bond parent and child.  Researchers were amazed and encouraged by the stunningly successful results: rapid growth, increased vitality, freedom from respiratory therapy, improved feeding, and retention of body heat.

How Kangaroo Care Helps:

Preemies don’t have the body regulatory systems of full-term babies.  They lose body heat quickly, making them vulnerable to illness.  But when a baby is carried close to the mother’s chest, her body actually senses the baby’s temperature and the breast temperature rises 2 degrees in a matter of minutes. 

Not only does carrying help baby’s temperature regulation, but preemies’ greatest health challenge: hearty and unaided respiration.  Premature infants cannot regulate their breathing, but when carried chest-to-chest with a parent or caregiver, preemies match their breathing to their parents’. 

And getting to know your baby is perhaps the best benefit of all.  And I’m not just talking about emotional benefits.  Preemie parents have a steep learning curve.  When your baby has been contained most often in a plastic incubator, holding him as much as possible will feel like a dream come true.  It will also be the much needed crash course in bonding both of you need.

Which Carriers Are Perfect for Preemies?

• Slings: Ring or pre-sized, these are an ideal choice for preemies because of their soft, yet snug feel.  Baby is supported and shielded from head to toe.  Slight adjustments can move your little one from a more supine cradle position for eating to a more upright position for digestion and sleeping, with baby’s head near the thrum-thrum of your heartbeat.  Because preemies can be carried with kangaroo care when they weigh as little as 4.5 pounds, a slightly stretchy carrier can provide softness that a 100% cotton carrier cannot.  With heavier babies, this give can reduce the feeling of having a secure carry, but this stretchiness is ideal for newborns.  Also, the absence of rough seams is a plus.  I recommend the jacquard weave of the Didymos ring sling.
• Wraps:  Offering even more versatility than slings in the way you hold your premature baby, wraps provide the best fit.  The Moby and other similar knit-wraps allow for the best newborn front-carries and will still be practical for when your baby is a bit bigger, when you can use the hip carry, outward facing, and back-carrying wrap styles.  Wraps are also ideal for preemies and their parents because size isn’t an issue.  No gaps or loose pockets of fabric will separate baby from you, which maximizes the temperature regulation benefits of kangaroo care.

Bottom Line:

Kangaroo care has been used when there was no other specialized care option for preemies.  But even when other options are available, when preemies are taken home, the best option is still available: baby carrying.  The research confirms that the more preemies are held close by their parents, the faster they will grow, gain weight, develop cognitively through eye contact and communication from parents, and become independent in their ability to regulate breathing and body temperature.

The best thing you can do for your premature infant is also the thing you most want to do.  It’s the best of both worlds, all wrapped up.

Dad-As-Wallflower

And your baby seems only to want what she’s known for nine months: Mom.  You start to feel like the third wheel or the odd dad out when social expectations, your own inexperience, and a flurry of visits from wise grandmothers puts you right smack on the outside of all things baby.  But the most important thing to remember is that a dad who uses a baby carrier regularly wins two hearts and sets his own aflutter.

Carrier Bonding For Dads &  Babies

That’s right, your heart’s aflutter. When you look at your new baby, consider what it means to you to be a dad, and hold your little one for a feeding or a lullaby session.

Or put on a baby carrier and take your baby out to see the wide world – or at least the neighborhood – while your wife takes a much needed break.  Wearing your baby in a BabyBjorn in front is easy to do and gives your little one the chance to fall asleep against your chest.  Baby will be lulled to sleep by the rhythm of your stride and you’ll get to steal about a hundred kisses on the crown of her head. 

The gadget-geek in you will like to know that one Baby Bjorn will adjust to fit both you and your wife with a few simple pulls on the extra strap lengths.  And if you think a sling is a bit too feminine, consider the Ergo carrier, which allows you to carry your newborn, or even think about the Balboa sling marketed by Dr. William Sears.  Hey, a guy invented it.

Dad Points

With mom as primary food source for most newborns and with the first three months often called the “fourth trimester“, dads who use slings and carriers create daily opportunities to develop the unforgettable and unmistakable closeness to their babies.  Although the evidence is at best anecdotal, since your baby needs care 24/7, the more you volunteer for in the way of carrying and walking with baby, the less likely you’ll be flying solo with diaper duty and late night cry-fests.

Powerful Knowledge

Ever hear that parents of newborns learn to differentiate and understand their newborns’ cries?  My wife and I waited a while for this to happen, but wearing my daughter in a carrier helped.  As a newborn, she was swaddled and settled into the soft crescent of our Balboa sling.  Taking a walk and keeping an eye on her, I could tell when she was squirming due to gassiness, arching due to colic, and when she was hungry, she’d make little mewing sounds and start to turn inward and nuzzle my shirt. (Sorry, nothing there!)

Baby Carrying Dads Score the Win-Win

Using a baby carrier to give mom a break, take the dog for a walk, show your newborn off to the neighborhood, or get some much needed fresh air…these are just a few ways you can have your cake and eat it too as a new dad. For me, it was to soothe her colic. I got into a routine after dinner, because that was her “witching hour” – 6:25 on the dot, for eight weeks, she would begin screaming for about 8 hours. When it began, I would put her in my Baby Bjorn and walk for an hour. Her colic some settled to around 3 hours, minus 1 hour sleeping on me while I walked with her nuzzled into my chest.

I got to know my daughter more quickly and in a more complete and nuanced way.  Sure, I loved her before she took her first breath, but learning what made her tick, how to soothe her, and just hearing her breathing as we strolled made me feel more like a real dad than a dad in training.  I could speak with the authority of experience about what made my little girl drift to sleep, how she liked to be bounced.

And everyone wins when dads carry their babies on a regular basis.  Aside from the intrinsic bonding, knowledge of baby’s personality, and satisfaction at finding ways to be involved and ‘doing your share’ as a dad, there’s something else that - were it the only reason to don a baby carrier – would be a little suspect.  

In the currency conversion of family relationships, those dad points become partner points when the mother of the little bundle attached to you realizes the impossible is happening.  Just when she thought she couldn’t love you more, she does!

To help you find a baby carrier that becomes your dependable stand-by instead of a dusty relic, it is important to understand the origins and history of baby carriers, how they have evolved, become specialized, and, even in some cases, lost their original charm.

Mother Nature: Agrarian Momstyle

In every ancient civilization the world over, mothers tended their children and their crops.  Baby wearing was not a choice.  Rudimentary fabrication skills and steep terrain (think Tibet, Vietnam, the Andes) delayed the invention of babies-on-wheels by several centuries.  With little but herbal remedies and ancient rituals to protect newborns from high infant mortality rates, being next to mom was the best way for a child to survive and thrive.

In short, why did women wear their infants?  Every child breastfed.  What choice was there?  In fact, it was common in most villages to breastfeed another’s child, if the mother could not provide milk.

Agrarian life required constant attention to every element of survival (drinking water, growing and preparing food, rearing children, constructing shelter, caring for the aged).

Before being able to walk, the infant would know nothing of play. He only knew the closeness of his mother’s breast, her breathing, her movements, as he clung to her, swaddled in the outer layers of her wrapped clothing.  Here he stayed virtually 90% of the time, in both waking and sleeping states.

For Bonding’s Sake?

Interestingly, bonding was the last thing on a mother’s mind.  There was no child care.  No formula.  No one to delegate the planting and harvesting to.  In short, there was no choice for a mother but to wear her baby.  Yet across the centuries, it’s a certainty that mothers back then loved their babies as do mothers, now.  With none of the accessories and rituals of modern love,  the all-day closeness of her loving child provided that sense of joy in the parent-child bond that we easily recognize in ourselves when we become parents.

Middle Ages, Feudal Stages

As an English teacher, I can tell you that when the silly Nurse, in Shakespeare’s classic tale of love and woe, says that Juliet is “the prettiest babe that ere I nursed withal,” she means it.  In fourteenth century Europe, when the feudal system thoroughly segregated people by  birth, nurse maids were female servants with children of their own who also nursed the infants of the lady, duchess, or queen.  At this stage, sling-like carriers were still the norm, but were used less due the multitude of servants and the ease of specializing their tasks.  In other words, the nurse was the stand-in mom and nothing else.

In the Americas…

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, pre-invasion North America was an unconquered pastoral, a patchwork of cultures and tribes that followed the weather and the buffalo.  Some carriers were woven wool, the blankets used by everyone, but wrapped around mother with baby in the back.

The term ‘papoose’ (also known as a cradleboard) refers to a more structured baby carrier. They are made of a bone or wood frame, with a sewn leather or woven basket pouch.  Some of these papooses (the word is Algonquin in origin), were ornately decorated with carved designs and turquoise ornaments.  

Impressive handmade carriers, the Native American pre-cursor to the modern baby carrier, has the best of what was to come: the warmth and structure for an outdoors life and the flare and style indicative of its wearer’s culture.  Some even had sunshades and other accessories.

1830s-1950s: More Work, Less Wear

From industrialization in Europe and the Americas up to the 1950s, baby carriers became something of a scarlet letter.  Mothers in the laboring class took jobs where their infants couldn’t come along.  Mothers in the leisure-class frowned upon anything messy, including close proximity to their own little mess-makers.

With infant mortality rates still high, in hindsight, it was the older children who took care of infants while the mother worked.  Until, of course, those older children could earn twenty cents an hour for twelve hours a day.  Child and labor: two words that should only be put together when talking about a birth!

The 1960s-Present: The Equal Right to Wear

It makes sense, then, that the 1960s, with its surge of civil rights, social justice, and egalitarian mind-set, that baby carrying experienced a renaissance.  The swaths of fabric were still the choice, tied (and tie-dyed) in sling, back, and front positions. Breastfeeding was also back in and completing the pattern, babywearing was part of a more relaxed lifestyle that spread during this and the subsequent decade.

Most long-standing companies like Babybjorn and Didymos have been around since the 1970s.  But it was the 1980s, when middle income families felt “in the money” that style, fashion, and specialized uses produced the explosion of styles, materials, and companies that today still complicates our decision about which carrier to buy.  Synthetic fabrics and plastics gained some popularity, as technology made it easier to create designs that were cheap to mass produce.  But this most recent renaissance of the baby carrier didn’t change the way some older companies, like Didymos, and some newer companies, like Ergo and Moby, design an manufacture their carriers.

These wraps and slings are as old as the agrarian mother who simply slipped her baby into a pocket fold of her dress.  Simple design.  Hand woven and organic materials.  Ease of breastfeeding.  Maximum closeness.

Not much has changed.  Except for one major fact. Dads.  48% of men report wearing their infants.  Even though they don’t wear them nearly as often as mothers, this represents a shift of continental proportions.

In households where both parents work, both become babywearers as a way of bonding while still getting out during precious weekend hours.  If one works, the one who stays home is increasingly likely to be as dad.  Finally, trends show flexible scheduling, telecommuting, and freelancing from home as lifestyle changes that have men wearing the baby.

If we’re sold on a product’s durability, versatility, and craftsmanship, one is usually enough.  But if one product won’t fill the anticipated need, we buy two different versions, which usually means the highest quality (read most expensive) is crossed off our shopping list.

In short, that’s why my kids are toted in a combination of Bjorn, Moby, Scootababy, and Kelty.  (The Scootababy was a gift and the Kelty was free thanks to our REI dividend and coupon). 

I tried the Didymos wrap  in the store and loved it.  I even borrowed my neighbor’s a couple of times.  But the Didy runs from $120 to $180 and we wanted versatility.  I wanted a wrap for closeness, nursing, and sling-type wear.  My husband wanted a click and go carrier like the Bjorn. 

In gathering my notes for this review, I returned to the store where I first tried the Didymos and wore it around the store with my daughter for half an hour.  It’s a small store and they’re used to this kind of high maintenance customer.  Most of my memories of this product’s strengths were borne out again.  Here’s what I found:

Materials

Organic and ethical are the two words that come to mind with the Didymos manufacturing loop.  All organic cotton dyed with Oetek-rated nontoxic dyes (natural vegetable dyes aren’t in any products yet, as they fade out too much).  Cotton is shipped to the plants in Austria and Germany, where it’s made into yarn, which is woven into beautiful and numerous jacquard fabrics. 

The only wrap made with jacquard, the Didymos wrap is unique in offering the ideal fabric for wraps.  Only this dense, fine jacquard weave offers

• Durability
• A bit of stretch
• Friction that keeps knots tight   
• A parallelogram shape, and, hence, tapered pointed ends that aren’t bulky when hanging from the knots

While all wraps advertise that they are multipurpose and can be used as hammocks, blankets, and sunshades, with the Didy, I actually feel like our bums would stay dry when sitting on damp grass. 

Yet, at the same time,  the thickness of the weave actually improves its tie-ability.  With the Moby, which I love and use often (mine’s red), I find I’m occasionally tightening the knots because the fabric is a bit too stretchy.  To their credit, Moby’s new Moby D model has a silk fabric panel where baby sits, which is supposed to reduce the stretch-effect.

Ease of Wear/Comfort 

High marks here for Didymos wrap and ring-sling.  With the introduction of their O-ring sling, which can be worn front, side, and back, Didymos hasn’t sacrificed comfort.  They use the same fabric and no matter which way I wore my daughter, the O-ring was never digging in to either of us.  I also liked the ring as a handy place to attach keys or a baby toy (which are sometimes one in the same).

With ease of wear, you have to factor in the tying style of the wrap and the steep learning curve of tying any wrap.  A new Didymos is a bit harder to tie because of the jacquard, but it gets more malleable over time. 

Sizing and Versatility

You can order the didymos wrap in three sizes:

• size 5 – petite/short person
• size 6 - medium-height person
• size 7 – tall person

I am an average sized person and used the size 5.  For me, it just meant that there was less extra cloth hanging from my knot when I tied the wrap.

As for versatility, Didymos ties like most other wraps and allows you to burse your baby in privacy, have her in front facing in or out, have her in back, or on your hip.

Didy’s Shortcomings

My daughter was squirmier than usual in the front hold facing out.  I think it might be because she’s used to the Bjorn at this point, which has more upper body freedom than the Didymos affords.

Aside from the high price, the only other minor dent in this sling’s otherwise spotless reputation is that the quality of the jacquard weave that keeps the wrap snuggly where you’ve tied it is the same quality that makes it a bit harder to tie than other wraps with a blend of lycra.

The Bottom Line

If money is not an issue and you want a sling o wrap, Didymos is tops.  If you can only buy one carrier, it’s jot the most versatile, as it comes in three different sizes that won’t work for wearers in the same family who differ in height by more than 16 inches.    If you can afford it and a sling or wrap is all you want, the Didymos is your best bet.  The rare combination of stretch and structure in the jacquard weave makes it the most hands-free wrap around.

Three Kinds of Easy

If you’re the kind of parent who cowers at the sight of baby carriers that come with instructional DVDs, if you wince at a glimpse of an instruction manual longer than your Sudoku book, read on.

I’ll rate the best selling carriers from least to most complicated with several categories in mind:

• Easy to Put On
• Easy In and Out for Baby
• Best All-Around Grab-n-Go

Easy to Put On

Why would you want to get a carrier – sling, backpack, or wrap – that’s known for its quick on and off wearability?  Think about how often you wear lace-up shoes versus slip-ons.  Also, if your baby is not the first child in the family, frequent and fast costume changes are a daily part of your new role.

In the easy off and on department, a sling cannot be beat.  The Balboa Baby and Peanut Shell slings are both easier than putting on a necklace.   Choose the Balboa if you need an adjustable sling for multiple caregivers.  The Peanut Shell is easiest of all, as it is a streamlined swath of high-quality double-stitched cotton.

Easy In and Out for Baby

In this category, it seemed to me that the sling should win again.  But after some not so clinical trials,  I was surprised by the results.

The difficulty with slings is that a bit of situating, squirming, and tugging are often necessary to get the fabric taut and loose in the right places.  Also, baby’s posture must be comfortable for him and allow him to face the way he wants to.  If he can’t, he’ll twist until he can, ruining the fabric tucks and tweaks you made earlier.

Easy baby in and out for baby sets the Infantino Hip Carrier and the Scootababy hip carriers apart in this category.  No straps or buckles needed.  And baby is in the position he’s used to being carried in: on your hip.

Best All-Around Grab-n-Go

The Babybjorn original.  I honestly didn’t read the directions until my partner, an engineer, suggested I should.  I’m glad I did but can’t say I learned anything that the self-teaching design of this carrier didn’t already show me.

For example, the shapes of the lock-in-place connectors of the saddle and the shoulder straps are unmistakable, color coded, and even have a clicking sound that confirms they are safely locked.

When you want to take baby out of the quilted “saddle”, there’s a round ridge on the chest-level locks that has the shape and feel of a raised fingerprint.  This makes it easy to find without looking for it, when I’d rather be keeping my eyes on my baby as I try to keep her safely balanced and upright.

The Bjorn’s back and waist tightening straps are cleverly located,  easy to loosen or tighten without looking and with only one hand.

This is also my pick for best grab and go because it’s so easy to take care of.  Separate the quilted saddle from the shoulder straps and wash only the saddle for less clinking in your washing machine and faster drying time.

The Bottom Line

As with all carriers, reading the instructions and noting the warnings is essential for your baby’s safety.  The carriers mentioned above were chosen for their quick on-and-off, easiest in-out for baby, and best grab-n-go.  Reading instructions – even for a no-brainer baby carrier – is what any parent with a brain would do.  Some carriers are designed so well that it seems as if reading the instructions is optional.  But that’s good design, not good advice.

Here are some costume ideas for baby only and for baby-parent combos.  I’ll also provide a list of sling-friendly costumes and do-it yourself ideas you can create with things around the house.

Infant Sling-Friendly Costumes

Any costume that comes bunting style and features stand-out details on the upper body and head will not only win points for comfort and warmth, but will also elicit comments of “Awww, how cute” from neighbors as they plunk mini-Snickers and candy corn into “baby’s” bag.

My top five favorites? The lobster, the pea pod, the caterpillar, chili pepper, and the clown fish.  All of these covered baby completely and have a design that keeps the head and neck warm.

The Red Tot Chili Pepper!
See more great costume ideas
at Mamma’s Milk!

Infant Front or Back Carrier Costume Ideas

On the front – My son was a Kangaroo for his second Halloween.  In the Bjorn, the irony or redundancy or whatever you’d call it was a big hit at our Halloween party and trick-or-treating in the neighborhood.

On the back – Butterflies, bees, and anything with wings (attach them to the carrier instead of to the baby).  Also, baby dressed as the little devil or little angel on your shoulder can work.

DIY costumes have always been my favorite.  Even back in 3rd grade, my parents were completely supportive and supplied me with all of the necessities to transform myself into a raisin.  I made my costume out of a black lawn and leaf bag stuffed with a few pages of crumbled newspaper.  I used some paper and tape to write the word Sunmaid on chest after my brothers informed me that I looked like a trash bag.

Here’s how your cutie and his sidekick (you) can partner-up on a DIY Halloween get-up.  Sure, you might have to clarify exactly what your costume is, but you couldn’t ask for a better conversational opener!

Dress Up the Carrier or Sling

Go with the color of your carrier.  Our Bjorn happens to be red and black.  A few safely-placed safety-pinned circles of red and black, a red hat with more felt black circles and your lady bug is ready to trick-or-treat!

As for slings, play on their natural crescent or hammock-like shape.  Dress baby in yellow with a brown hat and she can be the banana to your monkey (wear brown, buy ears and a tail). 

Or be the tree to your baby bird and her nest-like sling.  Brown pants and a green shirt make you the tree.  A knit hat with a bird’s features (beak included) complete this easy duo.  And if baby is the apple of your eye, you can be the tree to his pomme, outfitting him in cozy red jammies and green hat.

One of my favorite sling DIY costume ideas is to go Hawaiian.  Especially if you have a bold-patterned sling.  Wear your Hawaiian shirt, straw hat, flower lei, even carry around a plastic cup with a drink umbrella taped to the inside.  Your baby is doing what people do in paradise: relaxing in a hammock.  Put baby in colorful Hawaiian garb, too, and a summery sunhat with an artificial plumeria attached.  To complete the look (and give baby something to look at while you make the rounds), pick up an accessary that’s fun for her to look at and safe to play with: artificial coconut, whale or ocean animal soft toy, or anything else that says ‘relaxing island style.’

Bottom Line

Why take your baby out at all if he can’t even say trick-or-treat, if all he wants to do is chew on his costume instead of wear it?  One word:

No, the word is not “candy.”  It’s “siblings.”  Sling-costuming has made it possible for us to trick or treat as a family and for our baby to safely get in on the dress up act. 

Next year, maybe the family dog will come too!

What Makes a Carrier Earth-Friendly?

1. What it’s made of: 100% cotton, organically grown, sustainably farmed. Natural fabrics with certified non-toxic dyes.  Few to no synthetics.  You won’t find natural dyes, however.  Moisture on cotton makes vegetable dyes, in their current formulas, impossible.  But dye-makers developed Low Impact Fiber Reactive Dyes, which are certified by all major countries and organizations of chemists as being safe.  Minimal use of plastic on the carrier itself.  Minimal and reusable packaging.  Look for a carrier bearing the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certification, which is the EU approval for all-natural dyes.
2. Who makes it: Despite the “buy local” movement that’s become so central to the way many earth-conscious families shop and eat, buying a baby carrier made in the U.S., Canada, or the UK is nigh to impossible.  (Perhaps Al Gore, self-proclaimed godfather of the internet and star of the blockbuster An Inconvenient Truth can get busy bringing green manufacturing back to the States.)
3. Does it have wearable comfort? By this I mean does the carrier put you and baby in natural, comfortable positions consistent with the body’s anatomy? Is the fabric allergen-free, synthetic free, soft to the touch.

And the Green Medals for Most Eco-Friendly Goes to…

The Ergo

Cool story, actually.  Company head Karin Frost traveled to India in 2007 to the textile mill that has made certified organic cotton fabrics since 1996. 

ErgoBaby ensures that beneficial pests are used, rather than pesticides, that crop rotation keeps the soil fertile, and that the company’s footprint is minimal.  The carrier itself is beautifully made, and just slightly more expensive than the conventional Ergo.  The organic models range in price from $128-$168. 

Because this company began to evolve in 2001, designer Frost was able to incorporate a company vision that includes best practices for humane working conditions and fair pay for facilities in China, where the Ergo is manufactured, and in India, where the textiles are made.   Workers have hour-limits, mandatory lunch, nap, and holidays, may not work more than six days per week, and must be 18 years of age.  Bonuses, clean facilities for eating, bathing, and living are all part of the company’s factory locations.

DIDYMOS-baby

.  Austrian-made, with 100% organic cotton from Peru and Egypt, this company’s slings are so green, buying one feels almost like buying carbon offsets.  The company’s story, like Ergo, is one of new mom (twins in this case) design, and success through thoughtful development of business practices that do no harm and do some good.

The DIDYMOS website, in itself, is worth the read, if you have an hour.  That’s right.  Sixty minutes.  The history of the company is an engaging read, as are the rationale for choosing jacquard weaving and German/Austrian manufacture.  In discussing India as an option, company founders explain a litany of injustices, from unchecked use of chemicals to the government of India, denying its own people clean drinking water by siphonying it off for companies producing textiles there.  Startling it was to learn that Indian families spend 1/3 of their income buying bottled water.

The DIDYMOS-baby is a wrap-style carrier and the DIDYMOS-sling features a simple metal ring for easy adjustment.  Both retail in the $140 range.

Bottom Line

If I wasn’t totally sold on organic cotton, I am now.  Looking into organic carriers highlighted for me the collateral damage of inorganic, uncertified cotton weaving.  From dirty water to illness from pesticide exposure, conventional cotton in baby carriers and clothes carries with it dangers too numerous to mention here.

I’d rather buy my kids a few good articles of clothing that will last.  And in the babycarrier department, both of these eco-friendly babycarriers are also known for their endurance.  One DIDYMOS customer boasts her carrier is the one she was carried in as an infant.  As for ERGO, they are the Honda of baby carriers – they have the highest resale value.  In my moms’ group forum, there are six “seeking used Ergo” messages for every “Ergo for sale” message.

Eco-Friendly in baby-carrier-speak means sustainable and human production of a 100% organic cotton product with nontoxic dyes and little to no negative impact on the environment.  Oh, and there’s the convenient truth that these are the two most comfortable carriers out there.