Should You Use a Baby Backpack, a Sling, or a Stroller?

smiling babyThere are several options available when it comes to choosing the best way to transport your baby around. There are baby backpacks, baby slings, and strollers. Among these three, there are many different varieties, designs, and styles. Each has its own benefits as well as its own disadvantages and it may take some trial and error to figure out which one works for both you and your baby. Maybe you will decide to just use one of them. Maybe you will decide that all of them work for you for different occasions and circumstances. While it is a good idea to listen to others’ experiences with each of these baby carriers, what works for someone else may not work for you, so you should not base your entire decision about which one to use strictly on the fact that someone else said it worked for them.  Knowing the pros and cons of each one, as well as trying them out yourself before buying one, will help you to know which will be most suitable for you and your baby.

Strollers

blue strollerStrollers have been the popular baby carrier choice for many years. Strollers these days come with many different functionalities and features that make them very convenient to use on the go. Strollers allow you to position your baby in multiple ways such as sitting upright, reclining, or lying down. Strollers also make it easy for your baby to nap comfortably while shopping or doing other things away from home. In strollers, babies can be positioned so they can see their surroundings and interact easily with other people. Some strollers also come equipped with a car seat, which makes trips much easier when you have a newborn because you don’t have to disturb the baby if he or she is asleep in the car. You can just remove the car seat from the car and pop it onto the stroller and you’re good to go.

Although strollers are multipurpose and are easy to use most of the time, they also come with a few disadvantages. Some strollers are bulky and hard to maneuver, which can make them a pain to deal with at times. Strollers keep you distanced from your baby so you don’t get the bonding benefits that come with using other types of carriers. Some babies might become agitated more easily when riding in a stroller because of all the commotion surrounding them in busy places with large crowds and noise.

Slings

baby slingMany people prefer using slings to carry their babies around because of the calming and comforting feeling it gives the baby. Babies like to feel secure, which is why wrapping or cocooning your baby securely in a blanket helps to soothe them and gets them to fall asleep easier. The baby gets to feel that same type of security and comfort when snuggled into a sling that you’re wearing. Slings also allow you to have your hands free to do other things like clean up the house, shop, hold another child’s hand while on a walk, push another child in a stroller, read a book, or even grab a bite to eat. The sling can also be positioned differently so that you can have your newborn lying horizontally across your chest, sitting upright either facing you or facing outward, or situated on your hip.

However, there are a few downsides to using a sling, one of which is weight distribution. Depending on how you wear the sling and situate your baby in it, the baby’s weight may not be evenly distributed which could cause you to feel uncomfortable and cause the baby to feel much heavier to carry. As the baby grows and does get heavier, you may find that the sling is no longer the best option for you to use because the baby has just gotten too big to wear the sling comfortably. Some slings are hard to figure out how to properly wear and could even cause injury to your baby if not worn correctly. You also may find that the sling doesn’t work so well for certain outings like shopping trips when you have to bend and stoop a lot to reach items on the lower shelves because it may get in the way and your balance could get thrown off, which could be bad for both you and your baby.

Baby Backpack

baby backpackBackpack carriers are generally used when your baby is at least six months old. At this age, your baby should be able to sit up on his own. Backpack carriers come in many different styles, but most function about the same. Some can also be worn in the front. They also allow you to carry your baby and be close to your baby while still having your hands free to do other things. You can position your baby so that he is facing you or facing away from you. Both of these positions have their benefits for your baby. When he is facing you, he gets the security of knowing you’re close to him and he can see you and talk to you. When he is facing away from you, he can see the people and things in his surroundings.

What is not so great about backpack carriers is that they are usually hard to get on and off and get baby in and out of by yourself. You may also find that the weight of the backpack along with the weight of the baby makes it too difficult to move around easily without getting worn out or feeling uncomfortable. If you are wearing baby on your back facing you, there might be times when you will end up wearing your baby’s lunch all down your back or have your hair chewed on or pulled out.

Trial and Error

The best thing to do before making a decision on which carrier to purchase, speak with friends and relatives and see if one of them will let you borrow their carrier to try out. Baby carriers can be quite expensive, so you don’t want to make the mistake of not doing enough hands-on research before spending your money on the one you think you like the most. You might end up hating the carrier and wasting more money on a new one. Keep in mind also that there are many different styles of each type of carrier, so if one particular style does not work for you, another one might work perfectly.





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