On my way to making mom friends… and my arms are killing me!
I finally started socializing with other moms this week! There’s a newborn parenting group that meets at the hospital every week, so I finally decided to go now that I’m a lot more comfortable taking Anna out with me. (The weather has been really nice, too, so I also don’t have to deal with bundling her up.) It was really nice to have other moms to talk to, so I think I’ll be going back every week from now on 
I’m also need to find the right baby carrier for Anna. She prefers the movement of walking more than anything else. I got something called a Sling Rider at my baby shower, but when I put her in it, it seemed to push her head forward to the point where her chin was to her chest. It looked so uncomfortable, but I walked around for a few minutes anyway and she didn’t seem to mind. I don’t know… I haven’t tried it again and it’s been a week or two — maybe it’ll work a little better now that she’s bigger?
One mom at the parenting group told me a Baby Bjorn was well worth the money, so I went out and bought one. So far, Anna absolutely HATES it! I’ll give her a little bit of time to get used to it, but it may be that she doesn’t like being carried upright. (The Sling Rider is closest to the position she’s in when I carry her around.) But I have the receipt handy just in case she never warms up to the Baby Bjorn.
I also know that there are a TON of different kinds of carriers out there (pouches, ring slings, mei tais, wraps, etc.), so if my second shot at the Sling Rider doesn’t work, it’s going to be a long process of trial and error with the other styles. But any words of advice from your personal experience with baby carriers would be much appreciated.
April 18, 2008 at 2:44 pm
Hi there… First off, Benjamin didn’t take to the Baby Bjorn until about 6 weeks I think. But he never really loved it. Then I found Dr. Sear’s Baby Sling… I think that’s what it’s called. As soon as he could sit up or nearly sit up I put him in there cross legged and forward facing. I couldn’t have survived without it.
The sling you bought is okay … I tried it once because the Dr. Sears sling takes some getting used to, but quickly returned it. It’s just too stiff and you can’t mold it like you can the Dr. Sears sling.
Hope this helps. I recommend it to every new mommy. Here’s a link - they’re all 50% off this month! Nice.
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/5/T051120.asp
April 18, 2008 at 3:23 pm
Noah hated that Bjorn we got too and I just took it back. Besides they’re supposedly bad for their hips. My close friend got a wrap and LOVED it. Her baby was upright and she could nurse in public very privately. Noah loved the slings when he could sit on my hip in it. Most every one I know also swears by a Mai Tai as the child gets older.
I think it really is subjective to the baby and mom. I know you’ll find something. Oh, and look on meetup.com for more mom groups near you, and you might find a good single mom group to join there too! I had to start one near me but it’s a great group now.
April 21, 2008 at 1:30 pm
I had a Maya Wrap with my second one that he loved. If used properly, it can be awesome. (I had to have a friend who had used one before help me figure it out…
He could be all snuggled inside, then propped up to see, and when he began holding his head up it would hold him like I was just holding him on my hip.
I would definitely recommend getting a used on though…not worth the money for new.
April 22, 2008 at 9:34 am
I was always jealous of the moms with maya wraps. They look so natural. I had the “baby rider” which LB didn’t like until she was about 3 months. I wore it all the time, cleaning, vaccuming, checking the mail, walking. It rocked. When she got older, she liked it cause I turned her facing out and she could see everything.
Those maya wraps still look kick-ass though.