I Love My Beco Baby Carrier!

Recently I told you about my love for my fleece Hotslings pouch (even typing that I feel a little sad that I can't use it anymore). When our days with the pouch were numbered, I started doing some research on what might be a good replacement. I wasn't a fan of ring slings. Some people love them, but I just never got the hang of them. Plus, Sprout was getting a little heavy for a one-shoulder carry. I also considered woven wraps. There are beautiful wraps out there that can be very comfortable and can hold a lot more weight than the Moby wrap. But I never took to the Moby & was afraid I wouldn't like the woven wraps either. But since I did like the Ergo (the few times I tried with Peanut) I decided to look into some other soft structured carriers.

I still had my Babyhawk, but really wanted something that I could put on even faster than a mei tai. I anticipated trying to get Sprout in and out of a carrier while also needing to tend to Peanut. The Ergo was nice, but I wanted something a little more girly. I narrowed my search and eventually decided on the Beco Baby Carrier. I found a barely used "4th generation" on TheBabywearer.com.

My beautiful Sky Temple Beco was even prettier in person than it was in photos. It was easy to put on, easy to adjust and I could actually get it more snug than the Ergo. Being able to tighten the straps just a little bit more made a world of difference. I was able to get Sprout closer to my body, thus putting less strain on my back and neck. It was so cozy and comfortable!

Sprout is now 19 months old and I still wear him in the Beco almost daily. It lives in my car and I can pop him on my back in a matter of seconds. My only complaint about the Beco (at least with the 4th generation version) is the hood. The hood is detachable and is stored in a pocket when not being used. The trouble is, I never seem to know when Sprout will fall asleep. Then when I need the hood to hold up his sleepy little head, I need someone to help me put it on. So in that respect, I like the Ergo hood more since it's attached and easy to grab whenever you need it.

But overall, I think it has been the best carrier for us and I have recommended it to several people. I know Beco continues to make improvements on their carriers, so check out their website for the newest products and features.

Happy Baby Wearing!

Look...No Hands!

Do you remember when I said there are a few mommy items I have spent money on and never regretted it? Well I think this one might take the cake. I've always tried to follow the ideals of attachment parenting, but am a firm believer in the benefits of babywearing. With Peanut I struggled with finding the perfect carrier for us and eventually settled on a Babyhawk mei tai carrier. It was cute, comfy & even Hubby could use it if he wanted. When I became pregnant with Sprout, carrying Peanut became difficult. I found a gently used Ergo baby carrier for Hubby so he could take over babywearing duties for awhile...well, okay...toddler-wearing duties. I think he used it until Peanut was about 2 years old.

When Sprout was born I had a little stash of different carriers to try. I was convinced that this time around I'd be able to comfortably wear my newborn. Plus, I now had a toddler to chase after and needed a way to handle both kids without losing my mind. We still had the Ergo, plus my Babyhawk mei tai and a Moby wrap. But the 1st place winner coming out of the gate was my sweet, soft & cozy Hotslings fleece pouch. It fit like a glove, was nice and warm and Sprout would fall asleep in the pouch no matter where we were or what I was doing. Sometimes just seeing me come toward him with the pouch in my hand would calm him down. I was on maternity leave for just over three months, and I think I wore Peanut in the Hotslings pouch every single day during that time.

This is how much I loved that pouch sling...I had to borrow a stock photo because I couldn't take a photo of mine. Why? Well, my dear friend Donna made an adorable stuffed animal out of it as a 1st birthday for Sprout. I was so attached to it I couldn't bare to sell it or give the pouch away. So now we have Karter Kangaroo to remind me (and maybe Sprout) of those early babywearing days.

I haven't seen the fleece pouches on the Hotslings site for a long time, but I know you can find them on ebay. But, in my opinion, the best place to look for your perfect baby carrier is TheBabyWearer.com. There are wonderful forums there where you can ask questions and read some FAQs. You can also purchase gently used carriers from moms who are moving on from babywearing or want to get rid of something that just isn't working for them.

Next time I'll share my favorite toddler carrier!

Update from Hotslings via Twitter: "We do have the fleece slings back up on the site for now... They're under the sale category."