Adventures In Babywearing!

I am trying out a bunch of new baby carriers. I still love my three Ergo baby carriers, don't get me wrong...I'm just mixing it up, trying some new things. My friend Jen loaned me her Beco Butterfly II Carrier. I know, she is VERY good to me!!! She let me borrow it while I decided whether or not I wanted to take the plunge and buy one. I was a little hesitant because I had heard that it was difficult to nurse in the Beco, and if so, I knew that wouldn't work for me...

I also ordered a BabyHawk Oh Snap and a Boba baby carrier. I figured I'd try them for a few weeks, and if I didn't like them, I would re-sell them on Ebay or on The Baby Wearer forums for most of what I paid.

I bought the Boba carrier from Pax Baby, and the owner Jillian was really nice and communicative with me. She's not paying me to say that or anything...promise! ;-) I emailed back and forth with her a bunch, and it was just like talking to an old friend. Definitely recommend her, and you can't beat free priority shipping- yea!

This is me wearing the Boba at the park. It has a much longer body than the Ergo and has little detachable stirrups for toddlers. I love it! It's definitely not as cute as the Beco Butterfly (what is?) or even the BabyHawk Oh Snap...but I like that it's a bigger carrier, since Ginger is now 21 pounds and she is super tall.



The Boba is great because it gives so much head support and it is super comfortable to wear (I would say on par or even more comfy than the Ergo). The only downsides to the Boba is the lack of cute patterns, and the name. They really should have thought of something better because hello...that is the name of a tasty beverage, isn't it?!

Also, a lot of people probably won't buy the Boba because it's made for especially for toddlers, so it's not a carrier you can use from birth, which is what a lot of people are looking for, I imagine...

I had high hopes for the BabyHawk Oh Snap after our friend Corey told me that she had been wanting one. She is the one who said I should have bought a Beco years ago, and she has great taste!

The back carry on the Oh Snap is perfect, and Ginger fell asleep moments after she nestled in, and she slept the whole time I did laundry and made lunch on Saturday. It was perfect. But in the front carry, it was kind of disappointing. The straps are too short to make it comfortable to cross them in the back, like the instructions tell you to do.

Me In The BabyHawk Oh Snap!:



The other downside to the Oh Snap is that the body is a little short, and the base (where the baby sits) is extra wide. Ginger wasn't quite as comfortable in it as she was in the Boba or the Ergos. And I wasn't as comfortable either (at least in the front carry). Maybe it just needs to be broken in? Time will tell! But it's a cool looking carier, and that's something, right?



I got my Babyhawk Oh Snap from Sprout Soup, since they were the only ones that had the exclusive pattern I was looking for (yea Owls!) The carrier was on my doorstep lightning quick, and overall, I am super happy with them, too. I called up the morning after I ordered online and spoke with the husband/wife duo who owns the shop on the phone. A real live mom and pop store- that's something you don't see too often anymore! It was a real, personal experience, and it made me glad to be buying from a small store and supporting them. I felt so warm and fuzzy inside.

Now...to the Beco Butterfly II, which Jen so graciously lent me for the past few weeks! I really liked many aspects of it- but I just couldn't get comfortable nursing in it. I love that it has the infant insert built in, but since Ginger is already past that stage, I don't need that. But now I wish I'd had it when she was first-born, since the Ergo Infant Insert did not work for us. Overall, the patterns of the Beco are adorable, and it is as comfortable as the Ergo to wear (and a little less bulky), but the fabric in between the baby and mom just kinda got in the way for me.

Here is a photo of me wearing the Beco Butterfly II:



I am very grateful to Jen for letting me borrow hers before I made a decision. If I could rewind a year and buy this carrier when Ginger was a newborn, I would. But since she's so big now, the Boba seems to fit her body better...

I figure that after wearing my Ergos 24/7 for the past year, I could stand to mix things up a little and break out of my shell. What can I say, it's been fun. And goodness knows, as much as Ginger loves to be carried, whatever carriers I have are gonna see some serious action! ;-)