BabyBjorn Baby Carrier One

As the mom of a 2-year-old and an infant, I have baby items galore tucked away in nearly every corner of my house. Some have never seen the light of day. (Diaper warmer, anyone?) Some I use on a daily basis. And, then there is one that I can’t live without for even a minute: the BabyBjorn Baby Carrier One.
Before I tell you why the Baby Carrier One is hands down (or should I say “hands free?”) one of the greatest inventions ever, let’s talk deets:

• The Baby Carrier One has a weight range of 8 pounds to 33 pounds. In other words, I can use the same carrier for my newborn and my 2-year-old, if need be.
• The carrier has four carrying positions. It can be used with your tot facing in or out or worn on your back, and there is a special position for newborns, which allows them to sit higher up on your chest. (The manual recommends you keep your tot facing in until she is 5 months old and on your chest rather than on your back until the 1-year mark.)
• The carrier has an ergonomic design with a well-padded waist belt that is meant to keep the stress off of your shoulders and onto your hips.
• The carrier is machine washable. (These BabyBjorn folks obviously know a thing or two about spit up.)
• The Baby Carrier One is worth its weight in gold.

Okay, so that last one may not be technically true, but you’ll have a hard time convincing me otherwise. Without a doubt, this newest carrier by BabyBjorn is the most indispensable item in my motherly arsenal—and for good reason. Since having my newborn, I have found myself telling friends and family how easy it is being a mom of two. “Even easier than just having one,” I’ve found myself frequently saying. I can make this surprising declaration not because I’m some sort of superwoman, but because the Baby Carrier One (I’m convinced) is infused with magical, baby-soothing powers.
Before I tried the Baby Carrier One, I was skeptical of babywearing. With my firstborn, I had tried using a sling but found myself constantly fussing and fidgeting to get comfortable and make sure he was in a position where his head wasn’t slumped forward. (A position I feared was potentially blocking his airways.) I also tried the not-so-deluxe baby carriers that you can pick up for a Hamilton. With those, I spent more time trying to figure out how to get them on (what are all those straps and buttons for anyway?) than I did actually wearing my baby. With the few that I tried, I noticed that within minutes of wear, my little one’s legs and feet felt ice cold. Not exactly a reassuring sign for a new mother.
So, it was with a healthy dose of skepticism that I pulled the Baby Carrier One out of its packaging. Would this carrier really be any different than the others I had tried? It didn’t take long for me to realize the answer.
Eager to try it out, I skipped the manual and slipped it on over my head. The Baby Carrier One came ready to put on right out of the box, and the design was intuitive. No fussing around with a million straps and snaps. (You pull it on over your head like a shirt then snap the waist belt together.) In my first attempt, the carrier was on and ready to go in less than a minute.
Next came the real test, I looked over a handy set of visual instructions attached to the inside of the carrier—they’re designed to be read while you’re wearing the carrier. How genius is that?!—and single-handedly snapped my little one into place. (For those who need even more of a visual, you’ll find a how-to video here.) Within moments of slipping her into the carrier, she was quiet as could be. Minutes later, she was asleep. (And her tootsies were still warm!) That was our first introduction to the Baby Carrier One, and the three of us have been inseparable ever since.
Every day, I wear the Baby Carrier One as I go about my usual activities. I read stories to my little boy, type out work emails, set my hair in curlers, and do the laundry without interruption. Without the Baby Carrier One, I struggled to accomplish even one of these tasks. (I told you I wasn’t superwoman.) I didn’t have the carrier for the first two weeks of my baby’s life, and to keep her from crying, I had to hold her around the clock. By the end of the day, my arms ached, my house was a mess, and I felt like I had neglected my toddler and my work. The Baby Carrier One has changed all that. Trite as it may sound, it allows me to be a better wife, mom and employee by simply freeing up my hands—and keeping me comfortable enough that I can wear my baby for long stretches.
With the other carriers I had tried in the past, I couldn’t keep them for more than a few minutes without having intense back pain. (Side note: I have scoliosis and a number of other back issues.) Not so with the Baby Carrier One. I can wear it for a couple of hours before I notice any discomfort. Usually, just taking baby out for feeding breaks is enough time to allow my back to rest before another babywearing session.
Because I know that the carrier’s padded shoulder straps and waist belt will keep me and my baby comfortable, I don’t hesitate to take my toddler and infant on solo outings. It’s made trips to the park and the grocery store not just possible but enjoyable. Thanks to the Baby Carrier One, I don’t have to tote a bulky car seat into the store, leaving me with plenty of room in my shopping cart. And at the park, when it comes time to wrangle my unwilling toddler back into the car, I can simultaneously carry him on my hip while wearing her. (Okay, maybe I am superwoman.)
Of course, not everything about the Baby Carrier One is perfect. I would love if it had some sort of a pocket to carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer or Chapstick. (It does have loops that I can attach my keys to.) Also, it doesn’t fold up easily for storage, so in the (rare) event that I’m not wearing it, it is a bit of an eyesore sitting around the house. But these are obviously minor issue for something that allows me to accomplish so much with ease.
And, while the Baby Carrier One has made me infinitely more productive, that really isn’t the best part of the carrier. It has allowed me to experience what babywearing is supposed to be like. It’s a joyous feeling knowing that whenever I carry my sweet bundle in the Baby Carrier One, she feels safe and secure and is under my watchful eye and close to my heart, right where she should be.
Price: $160
To buy: babiesrus.com