Yesterday we had the great opportunity to spend the day with The Bloom Doula Collective at The Baby show.  During a walk through I noticed a couple who had a stunned look on their face.  A man was talking to them about the great carrier he was selling at an amazing show price.  The carrier was the Baby Bjorn.  I stood there listening to him do his sales pitch.... wanting to jump up and flag the couple down saying NO Don't do it!!!!! I knew doing so would not be Ok at least not directly at the moment of sale but I was jumping out of my skin to save this couple.

As the couple finally decided to walk away to "think about it" I approached them.  I just couldn't let this sweet innocent couple be bamboozled into a purchase I knew they would later regret.  Also in the end would probably end their baby wearing relationship prematurely.  Now don't get me wrong the Bjorn has done wonders for Baby wearing.  It brought it into the mainstream.  For 100's of years our mothers have been carrying us... The Bjorn made it hip to do so.

The problem is the Bjorn is horrible to wear for extended periods of time.  If your child is prone to hip dysplasia it will aggravate it.  Carrying a baby in one of these isn't something you can do comfortably for any extended period of time.  For me after about an hour my back ached and I longed to take baby off of me.  There are so many things wrong with this carrier it just isn't one I would ever recommend.  

The couple admitted they were overwhelmed by the choices.   They asked for my advice I handed them my business card and they walked away 249.00 still in hand.  I was received to see the weren't upset for my butting in and felt a sense of relief that I had saved this couple the pain of having to try to re-sell this carrier later at most for 50.00.  Even a "Like New" Bjorn will only get you around 50.00 of the 200 plus you spent on it to begin with.  It is a horrible investment with a very low re-sale value.  Important if you want to sell it for a toddler carrier down the road.

Later that day the woman found me at the booth and showed me a picture of the Ergo 360 which I went on to talk to her about.  I loved my 360 it was far better than others out there and could give you a great option for front facing if you wanted.  I didn't know it at the time but there was another great carrier being sold at the show which I would have gladly talked to them about, the Chimparoo Multi. I will be reviewing them later so I won't get into it now.  

Carriers are one of the most important purchases you will make.  They are life savers for many of us and for others are the only mode of transportation.  Having owned several carriers and strollers I can honestly say I do prefer my carrier over my stroller.

Buy wisely my friends and never be afraid to ask a million questions from mom's who carry.  Carry Me Close is a great way to seek advice.