Ergo 360 Sophie la Girafe review

Ergo 360, ergo sophie la girafe, ergo baby carrier

As Finn has got bigger and more capable of walking, we have started being able to explore sometimes without a buggy.  We can never manage long and we  don't do it often, but being out without a pushchair feels so wonderful and free.  The three boys can explore and we are free to follow them without worrying about going off the beaten track, and Cora can cuddle up close and watch the world from my level.

She has always loved being in a sling or carrier as she gets the reassurance from me as we walk.  She loves being cuddled up and being able to watch the world go by, and she sleeps soundly with my familiar heartbeat in her ear, my warmth against her.  

The Ergo 360 is a wonderfully designed sling that adapts to the baby with the adjustable sides and head support.  I have the neck support folded down for Cora as she is still quite petite but as she gets bigger I will fold it up using the higher buttons to give her more support as we walk.  Tucked inside it is a hood which is perfect for when she snoozes as it keeps her head supported and is lovely and breathable.

One thing that really stood out for me with the Ergo 360 was the waistband.  It is thick and really secure with strong velcro and then a seperate clip over the top.  Even without the clip, the velcro feels secure enough and the thick band means it doesn't dig in like some others.  The lumbar support is great and my 19lb baby feels very light.

I love the design of this, it is a beautiful blue and the inside is covered in a delicate bunting print.  The carrier has a Sophie Girafe on the side as well as a seperate toy loop perfectly designed to hold the iconic teething toy (we have attached ours already for Cora to chew on).  

Cora is a petite 9 month old and this carrier feels a perfect fit for her.  I don't know how long it will fit her legs knee to knee for, but currently she has the perfect seat with her knees a little higher than her bottom.  

The Ergo 360 works in 4 positions so as well as the classic front carry, you can also carry a baby facing forward and the leg support adapts via hidden buttons to ensure the child is still supported in a seat like position.  As Cora gets bigger I can wear her on my back too, and I have already tried it out around the house this way and found it really comfy.  You can also use a hip carry which we still haven't tried, but it looks simple so I will give it a go and update the post.  For newborns, there is an insert cushion you can buy to keep their legs in the optimal position.

I am really enjoying using the Ergo 360 Sophie la Girafe carrier for Cora.  I find it really comfortable and I love the classic blue colour and the print.  It feels secure and well padded and she seems content and happy when she is in there.  The adjustments are all easy to make and this carrier is so flexible with the different carrying positions that it suits most parents.  The carrier can be used from birth/7lb (with a newborn insert) until 33lb (roughly age 3 to 4).

You can read more about this carrier over on the Ergo website

I was sent this carrier for the purpose of this review but all thoughts and opinions are completely my own

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Baby Wearing with the Ergo Stowaway

I am a huge lover of babywearing and now that I have two under twos, I honestly don't know how people get anything done without a carrier! I have a variety of slings and carriers, but the Ergo Stowaway is perfect for me at the moment.  It is a soft-structured carrier suitable from birth up to 44lb toddlers and I have been wearing both my boys in it.  The handy part is, that it folds in to its pocket and it incredibly compact when not in use.

I usually take out a double pushchair, but Archie is not the biggest fan of buggies and he won't fall asleep on his back so I rely on a carrier when he gets tired.  The Ergo Stowaway fits easily under any pushchair, even with all the other bits I like to carry around and my baby boy is asleep within seconds as he cuddles into me.

The stowaway is comfortable for both parent and child and keeps baby in the best possible position for carrying, with their knees higher than their bottom and curved towards me.  Babies should ideally have knee to knee support to keep their hips in the ideal position and this carrier is suitable for babies with hip problems such as hip dysplasia  

Although Dylan is no longer knee to knee in this carrier, I find it incredibly supportive considering he is 35lb and he loves having a stroll on mummy's back.  I have carried him for two hours without having any issues or strains and he had no complaints either.  The beauty of this carrier is that whichever child wants to be picked up can fit and I don't need to carry two separate slings around with me.  He loves being able to see over my shoulder and as we walk we can see all the same things and chat as we go.

The carrier is softer than the regular Ergo carrier and although it doesn't come in the same variety of designs, I like the simple green and it is very dad-friendly so perfect for families where both parents baby-wear.  Unlike the standard Ergo, the stowaway doesn't have a storage pocket but I very rarely use the pocket on my Ergo so it wasn't something I missed.

It has a black sleep hood that can be tucked in during normal use, but when baby falls asleep, it attaches by poppers to your shoulders and stops their little head rolling back.  It is also perfect for encouraging sleep as Archie found it very calming and dark with the hood on.

I can see us getting a lot of use out of this carrier as it is perfect for quick trips and I have also done full days with only a single pushchair and the sling for Archie.  I have actually found myself reaching for this carrier more than any other as it is incredibly comfortable and unbelievably practical.  I would recommend it to both experienced baby wearers and new ones as you really can't get it wrong!

Disclaimer:  I was sent this carrier free of charge for the purpose of this review but all thoughts,

 pictures and opinions are completely my own.

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Baby Wearing and Pregnancy

With this week being International Babywearing Week, I thought I would write about my recent struggle.  Although never a full-time baby wearer, I have always loved to take Dylan out in a carrier or sling and sometimes the convenience is unbeatable.  When I found out I was pregnant I made the most of those first few 'bump-less' weeks and found the Ergo got more use than the pushchair as I enjoyed our cosy cuddles.  It wasn't long until little Mr Squish started to get in the way though and I believed my baby wearing days were over until baby decided to make an appearance.

After 10 weeks without a sling, I decided to give it another go. I researched how best to carry without tying round your waist  ( As I have no idea where my waist is hiding nowadays! ) and discovered a double hammock carry which is tied all above the bump ( I used this video as a guide ) .  Although my body was not used to his weight,  I decided we would give it a go and I managed to get Dylan comfortably on my back quite easily.  We set out on a little stroll to test it and after 45 minutes, I was still finding him comfortable, with no strains on my back or tummy.

He may have been a little distracted by the shower curtain

It is wonderful to discover that I can still share that closeness with him even though there is another little person determined to get in the way and as we walk we have a little chat, pointing at and naming everything we see.  Wearing him on my back means his head is next to mine so I don't need to shout to be heard and we can have our own little private conversation and singsong.  

I know that it is only going to get more difficult as both of us are growing and I need to be careful of my back as my front gets bigger, but all the time it feels comfortable and is safe, Dylan and I will enjoy our little walks without the pushchair.  My favourite thing about it at the moment, is that I can manage to hold an umbrella and keep us both dry - something I struggle with when pushing a buggy!

I love having the option to carry Dylan or take him out in the pushchair and it is lovely to know that pregnancy does not have to get in the way.  Have you worn your baby whilst pregnant, or do you intend to? Do you have any tips for me?

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ERGO Carrier Review

I have been asking around about the best way to carry my son.  At eleven months he is a chunk at 27lb and the stretchy wrap we had for those early days is tending to droop now with his weight.  Everyone had different recommendations as there are so many choices out there but the idea of the ERGO carrier stood out.

A soft structured carrier, the ERGO carrier is more dad friendly than a wrap and more comfortable for baby than many other structured carriers.  The carrier consists of a soft panel, padded waist and shoulder straps and a handy sleep hood to stop little heads from rolling back.  It can be worn on your front, back or hip and there is a seperate newborn insert which can be purchased making the carrier suitable from 7lb to 44lb!

I was still dubious about how comfortable it would be considering the size of Dylan but decided to jump straight in and wear it for a day out at Wingham Wildlife Park.   That meant four hours of baby on my front or back (haven't attempted a hip carry yet) but that is what I want from a sling - the comfort to wear it all day.  Luckily it didn't dissapoint.  I wore him comfortably and at the end of the day could still have carried on for longer.  The straps spread his weight throughout my body making him feel so much lighter than usual!

He loved being carried on my back as he could see everything I could.  He had no problems seeing into all the enclosures whereas in the buggy he may not have seen over the fences.  When he got sleepy I had him on my front as I did find putting the sleep hood on from behind a little tricky.  It kept his head comfy and sheltered and he happily napped cuddling me!

I was really impressed with the carrier and have been putting it to the test rather a lot lately!  I find it so much easier to pop him on my back for a short trip or going to the beach than to pack up and strap him into a pushchair and we can chat as we walk.  I point out cars, flowers and people to him and we can have our own private conversation as his head is up by mine.  

I am absolutely loving my ERGO carrier and would recommend them to anyone who wants to carry their baby or toddler.  Suitable from birth to 4 years they are perfect for both long or short journeys and really distribute the weight well.  So much better for your posture than carrying a child on your hip for long periods of time and 'daddy friendly too'.  They come in a range of gorgeous designs although my favourite is still the galaxy grey that we have tested, make sure you purchase them from an approved supplier though. They retail for around £90 which I think is great value as they last for a several years and hold a high resale value.




Disclaimer:  We were sent an ERGO carrier for the purpose of this review but all thoughts, words and photos are my own.

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Wildlife Park Adventures

There are some definite advantages to being a stay at home mum and one of them is getting to go on little adventures when everyone else is at school or work.  Today we went to Wingham Wildlife Park to see the Tigers and penguins and had beautiful luck with the weather.  One of the best things about our day was that the zoo was so quiet, we could mooch at our leisure and enjoy the animals.

We set out nice and early (I still consider

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