Have Ergo, Will Travel

I finally took the first step to venture out of the house alone with Ying Ying and Mei Mei in tow, not without the help of my new Ergo carrier! We went for a walk around the neighbourhood which lasted for about half an hour. Managed to drop by a bakery shop and got some delicious otahs, a hotdog bun and some small cakes. Ying Ying was attracted to some chocolate coated doughnuts on the shelves and kept saying, "I want to order this!":D (I didn't teach her the word 'order' - no idea where she pick up the word!). Then she looked longingly at the colourful agar-agar in the glass display of the fridge and said the same thing too. I was a bit reluctant to get anything for her because it was so close to dinnertime. But since she has been quite well-behaved on the walk, I decided to get one agar-agar for her which was less sinful compared to the fat/sugar-laden doughnuts. So I asked her which colour she wanted. She thought for a short while and said "Green!". I asked her a couple more times (just to be sure :p) and she gave me the same answer. (A decisive girl! Definitely takes after husband on this and not me! heehee.) The shop assistant then put the green agar-agar in a small plastic bag for her and the little one held on tightly all the way home. On the way back, she stopped and wanted to put her hand in but I told her to wait until she reached home so that she could wash her hands first before eating and she did as she was told (good girl!).

Overall, it was a pleasant and enjoyable walk. It gave me the confidence to go out with my girls in the afternoons instead of waiting at home for husband to knock off from work. Boy, I am so raring to go out on my own! heehee...

After using one BayB Supplies sarong, one BabyBjorn Active carrier (priciest of all) and one MIM sarong, I must say this ergo carrier is the best of the lot. It gives both Mei Mei and I the much needed back support and she slept so soundly like a log in it. On the other hand, she cried the minute I put her in the sarong. I know some mothers swear by sarongs, but unfortunately it doesn't work for me. I find it cumbersome to deal with the pulling of the fabric and my shoulder will ache after a while as all the weight lies only on one shoulder.

As for BabyBjorn, Mei Mei cried too the minute I tried to put her in, probably because the upright position was uncomfortable for her since her neck muscles weren't that strong yet despite using the head support feature for infants.

In my opinion, Ergo wins over BabyBjorn in every aspect though the two look similar at first glance. (1) You can do a variety of positions with Ergo e.g. front (with baby facing inwards), piggyback and side but BabyBjorn can only be carried front (with baby facing inwards or outwards). (2) BabyBjorn supports the baby at the crotch whereas Ergo supports the baby at the hips which needless to say, will be more comfortable for prolonged period of time. The fabric of the BabyBjorn carrier tend to rub against baby's inner thighs so it is better for them to be wearing pants or shorts. (3) Last but not the least, the weight of the baby lies on the mother's hips for Ergo instead of the mother's shoulder for BabyBjorn. Ergo's generous shoulder and hip paddings also help to offset the weight of the baby. Say goodbye to achy shoulders!

So if u need to get only one carrier, I would recommend you invest in an ergo - you will have no regrets! :)