10 times when a child carrier can save the day

Many people I talk to don't think they will use a child carrier after the baby is 6 months old because then the baby will be too heavy so this post is an attempt to show when a child carrier can save the day.

1. Airports, do I need to say more? Running from one plane to the next with luggage and a tired child is never fun but with the child securely on your back where he/she can talk to you the walk between planes is a breeze.
2. Going on a longer hike than your little one can walk? I have tried it without a carrier and in the end my hip was killing me and my arms where sore from all the carrying. Last weekend my family went for a five hour hike (including two longer stops), something that would be impossible without a child carrier if you like me have a three year old.
   
3. Shopping without a stroller, it's fun in the beginning but after a while everyone gets tired and a quiet time away from temptation can save the day.
4. Having two children and a single stroller? A single stroller is easier to handle and if the older child is walking you don't need a double stroller very often. But when the older child gets really tired it's nice to just put the younger one in the child carrier and let the older child take a nap or a well needed rest.
5. Colicky baby? Most babies with stomach pains want to be rocked then it's especially nice to be able to put the baby in a child carrier on your back or stomach and slowly bounce on a big yoga ball while reading your mail. The baby falls asleep and you can get something done at the same time.
6. Mowing the lawn with a toddler running around isn't the safest but the same toddler on your back with ear protection on and you have a sure way of putting him/her to sleep.
7. Overtired babies usually falls asleep very fast in a carrier. Especially if you walk or move around.
8. Going to a crowded market with a stroller is not the way I want to spend my time but with a small child on your stomach in a carrier or a older child on your back it can be a enjoyable time.
9. Sometimes you just need to have both hands free exactly when your baby want to be close and then a child carrier is a really nice option for everyone.
10. Going to the playground with an older child when you have a newborn is a lot easier when you don't have to bring a stroller.

When I talk about child carriers here I talk about several different types of carriers. I think different carriers are good for different things. A newborn have different needs than a very mobile three year old. I will make a post about different types of carriers soon and why I think they are good for different things.

Building prototype nr 4

Yesterday evening I filled my living room floor with all my carrier materials and started measuring and cutting all the pieces that are needed to sew the next prototype. The goal is to make a carrier that is comfortable for both adult and child. It will be a functional carrier
disguised as a small backpack not a backpack that can be used as a carrier. For me that is a very important difference.
I only have hopes right now that it will be as good as I think right now or I will have to make a prototype number 5. Soon I will have photos to show you but now the carrier is only a black pile of fabric pieces on my living room floor. I really would like to have a big sewing room but I gave it away so we could have a bigger living room/kitchen. Maybe someday......

Unfortunately the backpack can't be big enough for a laptop as I have hoped because then it will not work for carrying children the way I want to. A carrier should be comfortable both for the child and the adult and that has to come anything else.

Rethinking my carrier

I spent a week with my family skiing and snow shoeing and just having a great time. All that time got me thinking about what I want in a carrier. I usually have a backpack on me with everything I might need but when my son wants to be carried I put him on my back but that means I have to carry the backpack in my hands. I really hate that so I would like to be able to carry my son and still keep my backpack on my back (hmmm) I have to think about that some more before I can make that a reality.

A good looking backpack with laptop pocket inside that can be modified to a child carrier when needed, that's what I want. I you agree please let me know of any other specifications you would like to see to make it a perfect carrier.

These are my ideas just now.

• Backpack
• Be able to snap it onto a stroller
• Laptop pocket inside
• Pocket for keys, wallet accessible when on stroller
• Easy to change in to a child carrier
• Black
  

Here is a picture of me with my son on my back in my latest carrier prototype with my snow shoes on. As you can see most of the snow had blown away but it was very icy.

Review of the Manduca Baby Carrier

The Manduca looks a little like the Ergo baby carrier, the whole carrier looks a little padded, It might be more comfortable for the cild or maybe just warmer I don't know. This is another carrier I haven't tried and I would love to try one on but I am sorry I don't like the look of it, it looks so old.

• Comes i several soft colors
• Made of cotton meaning darker colors will fade i washed many times
• Has a zipper across the backpanel so you can change the size as the child grows, sounds great but then I have had several zippers fail but this zipper will probably not get a lot of use so that will not be a problem
• I am not sure what I think of the looks of the carrier, it looks modern but at the same time outdated
• Doesn't have a lot of storage
• Can be used from birth using an upper seat.
• Made from organic cotton, this I really lik

Would I buy this carrier?
I don't know, it looks practical enough, grows with the child, organic cotton but at the same time no storage and I don't like the look of it, especially for a bigger child when the zipper is opened up. So I would probably not buy this carrier unless it would be absolutely perfect on if I tries it on.

Review of Beco Baby Butterfly 2

I am really sad that I haven't tried this myself because it is a carrier where you can strap in the child before getting it on your back. That is a neat feature for a parent the first couple of times but after that I can't see the need for it. I have always flipped my son over my head on to my back when putting on a carrier to the sound of his happy laugh and after trying it on a bed for the first couple of times it was very safe. Ok, so he is three now and too heavy to throw over my head so I have to do it differently and definitely slower.

• Nice fabric choices, to much patterns for my personal taste but still nice fabrics
• Looks comfortable and well designed
• Has a baby insert so you can use it from birth
• Not a lot of storage
• Neck support for a sleeping child, it's stored in a pocket when not in use, does that mean I need help putting it on with a sleeping baby on my back?
• Cotton fabric, fading in dark fabrics will be a problem after many washings
• The child is hanging on two plastic buckles, for me it feels unsafe but that is probably just my imagination

Would I buy this carrier?
I am not sure, I would love to try it because I like the look of it but I don't think I would like that the baby is strapped in the carrier after using another solution before. And I'm not sure I would feel safe with the buckles holding my baby from falling on the ground, my fear is that they will open up unexpectedly. But when I think about it that is just stupid thinking because all carriers have some plastic parts holding the child from falling down even if it usually isn't buckles.

Review of the Patapum Toddler carrier

I really like the look of the Patapum toddler carrier because it is so simple looking and I really like that the shoulder straps attaches both to the hipbelt and the back panel and therefor distributing the weight better when carrying a heavier child. I kind if like the idea of a waist pouch but I'm not sure I would like to use it because I don't like the look of it.

• Streamlined design, I really likes that
• Hipbelt and shoulder straps are contoured to fit the bearers body better
• The toddler model is made for the heavier child, I like thet
• Comes with a waist pouch, like the idea but I can't see myself walking around with a waist pouch in a mall but for a walk along a beautiful desert beach of course I would use it
  
• Made in cotton and that means that darker fabrics will fade and lighter fabrics will get dirty
• The back panel is bigger than the back panel on the Ergo and will therefor fit a bigger child better.

Would I buy a Patapum Toddler?
I think I would if I didn't think the prototype I have already made is superior :-) And I hope the new one will be a lot better. But at the same time everyone is different and different carrier fit different people different, so the only way of knowing if you like a carrier is to try it on.

Review of The Ergo Baby Carrier

Today i will start looking at the Ergo Baby Carrier, to help me see what I like about it and what I don't like. It is a really nice safe carrier used by a lot of parents. I think they have some strange fabric choices but that is just my personal opinion and the same fabric that I don't is probably someones favorite fabric and that is a good thing that there are options for everyone.

• Simple, nothing flashy just the bare minimum
• Very short back support for the child, good for the very young child but might limit the use for a taller child
• Different colors, nice with options but some of the colors are scary if you ask me, I don't fancy a carrier with pink roses on it and my husband would get a heart attack if I asked him to use a pink baby carrier
• You can buy a back pack that attaches to the carrier when you carry a child on your back, that is th best thing about this carrier even if the back pack isn't too good looking.
• It is made of cotton that fades a lot when washed but you can get it in eco fabric and that is nice
• Has a head support for a sleeping child
• Soft padding, I prefers padding that is a little firmer

Would I buy this carrier?
I don't think so, mostly because of the low back support for the child and the fading fabric and because I don't like the look of the backpack. This doesn't mean that I think it is a bad carrier, I don't but it is not the carrier I would buy.