# is the baby bjorn that bad?



## SarahO (Feb 7, 2005)

hi! i bought a kangaroo korner pouch for my newborn, but can't seem to get her in it properly. she freaks out each time i put her in! she likes to be upright and she doesnt seem to like her feet bound up in the sling like that, so i decided to try the baby bjorn that we had laying around. she's happy in it! is this carrier super terrible for baby? like is there research about it being bad for body position and whatnot?? i would rather be using my sling, but this is working to get her to stay asleep for any length of time (cant put her down!). thanks for any thoughts....


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## True Blue (May 9, 2003)

I don't know where the research is to back up the positioning issues, but I can say from experience that Bjorn loses its usefulness by the time babe hits oh 20lbs....your back will be killing you. It doesn't offer enough support.


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## XanaduMama (May 19, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *True Blue* 
I don't know where the research is to back up the positioning issues, but I can say from experience that Bjorn loses its usefulness by the time babe hits oh 20lbs....your back will be killing you. It doesn't offer enough support.









:

We had a Snugli and couldn't use it after 15lb, which for us was at 2 months. The problem is that they're designed so that the babies hang from their crotch, which puts pressure on their developing spines and hips. Personally, I don't think it's a huge deal unless they're in it a LOT, all day every day, but the comfort issue is reason enough to investigate alternatives.

Sounds like you might like a mei tai or a wrap. We have an Ergo, which is like the Bjorn but the baby "sits" rather than hangs (and it's REALLY comfortable, even with my 26lb toddler). Big $$ but totally worth it. Oh, and you can use it on your back, which (I believe) you can't do with the Bjorn. The Beco is a sexier version of the Ergo: more $$ but nicer colors etc.


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## counterGOPI (Jan 22, 2005)

i heard they damage baby's spine.


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## summerbabe (Nov 12, 2006)

I don't have any research on the Bjorn, but I thought it was uncomfortable anyway. Try the tummy-to-tummy carry in the pouch. Also, you could try a Moby wrap or Gypsy Mama Bali Baby Stretch Wrap. These are awesome for newborns in upright carries, and very ergonomic and comfy for both you and baby. Not as hard to learn as you would think.


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## SamsMuffin (Sep 11, 2006)

The Bjorn, and any carrier that puts all the pressure on a baby's crotch area, are bad for its spine. There is an article about it....I will try to find the link for you. If you want a front carrier, try an Ergo. The seat of the carrier goes completely under the baby's bottom and thighs. This takes the pressure off of the spine.

Here is the link http://www.continuum-concept.org/rea...nalStress.html


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## JenMidwife (Oct 4, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SarahO* 
hi! i bought a kangaroo korner pouch for my newborn, but can't seem to get her in it properly. she freaks out each time i put her in! she likes to be upright and she doesnt seem to like her feet bound up in the sling like that, so i decided to try the baby bjorn that we had laying around. she's happy in it! is this carrier super terrible for baby? like is there research about it being bad for body position and whatnot?? i would rather be using my sling, but this is working to get her to stay asleep for any length of time (cant put her down!). thanks for any thoughts....

I had the exact same experience w/ my dd! Still wear her in the BB occasionally (she's about 18lbs), but just got a toddler patapum & we love it!


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## maxmama (May 5, 2006)

Try different carries with the Kangaroo Korner. My 4 month old likes to ride on my hip or in the kangaroo carry, but doesn't like the cradle carry much. Also, if you seat the baby in it more upright, they're not laying down, but sitting up and can see out readily.


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## AllyRae (Dec 10, 2003)

I have found carriers like the Snugly/Bjorn terribly uncomfortable for the baby and the mama, but if the baby's happy and not sitting in a bucket seat for hours, it can't be all that bad.







:


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## Pandme (Jan 31, 2007)

I love my mei tai (and my son is now enjoying it too, YAY!), but I'm also going to get an Ergo based on what everyone has said here. I also think my husband would like the Ergo more...as it looks a bit more masculine. It IS pricey, but it looks fabulously comfortable...and most importantly, the people here LOVE it. That's all the recommendation I need!


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## SashaBear (Aug 24, 2006)

I've heard the same thing about the damage to the spine and hips but have never seen the research.
I know that weight and comfort wise they don't last very long so thats an incentive not to buy it.
Also it keeps material between you and your baby so you are not as close physically.


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## rzberrymom (Feb 10, 2005)

My DD went through a stage where she only wanted to face out, and the Bjorn made her VERY happy. We didn't carry her in it all day, so I took my chances.









But, now that I've learned more about babywearing, I would get a stretchy wrap. With a stretchy wrap, you can do the same carries as you do with a Bjorn, but you make more of a seat for the baby (and therefore eliminate the spine issues). And the wrap distributes the weight across your back, so much less achiness than you get with the Bjorn.

Good luck!


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## pixiepunk (Mar 11, 2003)

when DD was a baby, we were seeing an orthopedist for her club foot. when she found out that i was wearing DD in a Bjorn, she asked that i limit it to 1 hour per day because of spinal stress and potential hip issues. i was really surprised, and that's when i started to look into different types of carriers and such. but the Bjorn didn't last long anyway because she was a chunk and after about 15 pounds it hurt my back/shoulders terribly. and i can still wear DD (now almost 4 and 35 lbs) in a MT just fine, and wear DS (19 months, 31 lbs) almost every day and don't notice the discomfort i had with a 15 lber in a Bjorn.

but here are some links to some info, and i cut/pasted part of a summary from the second link:

http://www.thebabywearer.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=32347

http://www.thebabywearer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=936

Quote:

This is the basic argument:
1. Certain Eskimo and Athabascan populations use babycarriers that resemble the Baby Bjorn for carrying their babies
2. The adult populations of these groups have a high incidence of spondylolisthesis, a spinal problem that can be quite painful.
3. Researchers who have analysed these cases believe the causes are most likely a mixture of the genetic and the environmental.
4. Casses believes that the position in which a baby is held in a Baby Bjorn style carrier is not developmentally sound.
5. Therefore she surmises that the cause of the spondylolisthesis in these populations is most likely environmental and specifically, due to the use of these babycarriers.
there's a lot more, but that gives you an idea of where the idea of spinal stress is coming from...

it's far from being proven, but for me i felt that there were so many better ways to wear my baby anyhow, why risk it?


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## ATruck (Mar 6, 2006)

I have a Kangaroo Korner pouch that my newborn loved. We are using it and a mei tai right now. She loves the tummy to tummy position (good instructions came with the pouch), but the cradle hold can be tricky with a newborn. Tummy to tummy is upright. Try it if you haven't already. I had to walk with my baby in the sling for several weeks before she would tolerate being in it just being around the house.

All of the suggestions people gave are great.. I am definitely getting a moby wrap at some point.. but you may as well try and make what you have work, too.


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## New Mexico Beach (Mar 13, 2006)

The bjorn style carriers just seem unnatural to me. In MY opinion they are not good, but it's just that - an opinion. I have spoken with a chiropractor (who is very pro-baby wearing) and she said that bjorns are bad for both baby and parent, that slings are better, and carriers like ergo's and mei tais are best.


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