Let me first start by saying I’ve tried a number of baby carriers including Infantino’s Eurorider, BabyBjorn classic, and Wrap ‘n Wear to name a few. So, since I’m a baby carrier floosie I know a thing or two about ERGO’s competitors. I think for the most part ERGO really stands out from the crowd. While there are a lot of different carriers structured like ERGO and some big name companies are making their own versions of the ERGO, ERGO seems to have all their pieces in place.I was so excited to try my ERGO organic baby carrier out. As soon as I pulled it out of the box I read the manual, with safety instructions and tells you about the many ways you can carry baby/child. Please note there are several videos and instruction booklets on ERGO’s website to help a mother out too. You can wear baby on your front, back, and hip and even change positions while baby is in the carrier….which, I’m not gonna lie, made me a little nervous hearing.

Aside from the different positions, ERGO is great for newborns up to 40lb children, and since once in a while *sly smile here* I like to push the envelope. I decided that since Miss A is about 38.5lbs I’d just test her out in the ERGO to see how it would hold up. Fortunately for me, and my back, DaddyB was the test dummy, guinea pig, sweetest man ever and decided to help me out. Here he is carrying almost 40 beautiful pounds of Miss A, they were both very comfortable and she loved going for a quick ride on Daddy’s back.

When I tried out the ERGO with Baby C I wasn’t sure if I’d need the newborn insert that’s recommended for babies 4 months and under, but Baby C was holding her head up great and very close to 5 months. After trying it out I discovered she was too big anyway, but I think that the insert is a great addition, especially for moms who want to carry their newborns safely and have that closeness/kangaroo care.

I really like ERGO above the competition. Not only is it super comfortable for even my short self to wear, but the fabric seems very durable. I love that the shoulder straps are very cushioned and don’t dig into my shoulders and that all the straps have elastic bands to wrap up the slack, so they’re not just hanging down waiting to catch on things around you. I also adore the sun cover, the other carriers I’ve used do not have this and I typically end up covering baby’s head with a hat or nearby burp cloth, it’s great to have it attached to the ERGO and even have a place to store it amongst the other storage pockets. Did I mention that the sun cover is adjustable to Baby C’s size and position?? I love ERGO!

I’m a huge fan of baby wearing  and not only is this carrier great for Baby C but I’m carrying around an additional 15+ pounds and am getting a great workout when using my ERGO. Speaking of the added weight, I want to remind parents alike to remember when first carrying baby/child in the ERGO be sure to do so in small increments working your way up so as not to wear out your body, also stretching before and after use will help prevent your back from being sore.

Although I love my ERGO carrier and the ERGO branding I need to tell you one thing that I, (and some other mommas I’ve talked to,) the top buckle, specifically when putting on in the “front carry” position. For some reason, long or short armed moms have found it difficult to buckle because of the position behind the back. I consider myself somewhat flexible but still have a hard time each time I put it on, and the manual also warned about this being a possibility as well. The solution? I’m not quite sure, I just do what works for me, so I put on the bottom buckle, place Baby C in the carrier, put the shoulder straps on and then grab one buckle piece at a time and with a couple minutes of struggling, stretching, and reaching voila, I always get her buckled. Of course if you’re near a friend or family member it’s a ton easier for them to just buckle it really quick for you.

Even though the top buckle is a pain for me all of the pros of the ERGO outweigh the cons. I would rather use the ERGO that is more comfortable for me, and ergonomically better on my baby’s spine and body.  ERGO is very versitile and will grow with Baby C, so it’s a great investment for any parent out there. There are several different styles and fabrics to choose from. Try out the organic, performance, sport or original and I guarantee you’ll be happy with it. Check out ERGO Baby’s website here: http://www.ergobabycarriers.com/ to read more or buy your own.

Do you own an ERGO? What do you think of it??

ERGO Baby is giving one lucky MommyB Knows Best reader a chance to win their very own ERGO Baby Carriers.

Here’s how to win: Using the entry form directly below this post (NOT the comment form), submit your name, an email address that you check regularly, and the entry/entries you are submitting all at the same time. There is no need to fill out separate entry forms for each item you complete. *Please note the Mandatory Entry MUST be typed into the form before you can qualify for additional entries.

cforms contact form by delicious:days

Giveaway ends September 22nd @12:00 am. The winner will be chosen at random, verified, emailed, and announced in a Winner’s post. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the email from MommyB to claim the prize, if the prize is not claimed within 48 hours a new winner will be chosen at random. You must be a US resident and 18 years or older to enter.

I love Tushie Huggers, not only do they take the guesswork out of getting baby dressed, (you already have two bottom pieces matched,) but they’re great for when you want your child to be cute but dressed for the cooler weather.

As Fall is upon us and hopefully the chilly weather too, I’m so over this heat, Tushie Huggers make the perfect article of clothing. You can mix and match Agoo tops or your own since all of the styles come in all sorts of colors. I love the Daisy Drop and Polka Dot Pop, not just for their names but the color combinations are oh-so-adorable.

If you think Tushie Huggers are just for girls you are sorely mistaken. I thought they only had skirt versions too, until I looked at their website: http://tushiehuggers.com/ a little more and found these cute boy shorts with legging! Check these Little Prince Tushie Huggers out, don’t you just love the mock belt??

All in all there are currently 20 different pairs of Tushie Huggers to choose from in sizes 0 to 36 months and believe it or not are eco-friendly! Yep, you heard right Agoo makes Tushie Huggers and other great clothing out of bamboo, you may remember my Leg Huggers review here. Bamboo is sensitive skin friendly which is great for Baby C’s eczema. Hooray no scratchy fabrics for gentle skin.

Baby C just learned how to roll over, but I can’t wait to see how these things hold up when she starts crawling, they seem pretty thick, so I think they’ll protect her knees pretty well.

Tushie Huggers are a little pricey at $25 a pop, but if you figure buying 2 pieces as opposed to 1 and they’re made from bamboo, so compared to a lot of other eco-friendly lines this is pretty reasonable, and great for the environment and your child!

I really like Tushie Huggers and would recommend them to anyone who wants a fashionable, eco-friendly, or has a sensitive-skinned child. Buy your Tushie Huggers here: http://tushiehuggers.com/ and be sure to “Like” them on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/TushieHuggers

I love the fact that these products are fun for kids to collect and that they come in bright colors. You can’t really see the necklace in the photo too well but the package comes with a necklace “string” with an enclosure, and several Charms to hang from the necklace, the nice thing is you can add so many more to the necklace, and if you really wanted you could probably even use the necklace to store your Googly Bands when you weren’t wearing them.

I love how the Googly Charm Necklaces hold all of the charms though so you don’t have any loose pieces, this may be a great choice if you have little ones that just have to have Googly gear or if you have a child that puts everything-in-the-mouth and like me are nervous about little pieces. The vibrant colors of the Googly Rings and Charm Necklaces help them to not blend in with the carpet or flooring, also helping us parents on the look out for choking hazards.

The Googly Rings are very cute, but not really for my 3 year old, because of their size they would probably fit bigger fingers easier, right now they’re way too big and easily fall right of Miss A’s little digits, so we’ll probably give them to Aunt H, who just turned 13, she’ll love them for sure.

Just like Googly Bands, Googly Rings and Googly Charm Necklaces come in many styles to appease the girls AND boys in your life, and you can collect them all, or mix-and-match at a great low price that won’t break the bank. That’s my favorite part!

Want to get your own or some for your kiddos? Check out Googly Bands Website here: http://googlybands.com/index.asp?pagetype=buynow to find a retailer near you. They’re pretty easily accessible.

Would you rather have the Charm Necklaces or Rings?

The winner for the Dipe N’ Go giveaway is……Celeste L. Congrats Celeste, I am emailing you, but please be sure to email back so you can receive your very own Dipe N’ Go.

Thanks to everyone who entered and remember there are still two more giveaways going on on MommyB Knows Best so be sure to enter while they last.

Since then I’ve received a number of comments from friends and strangers about how cool this products is. Well, the owner of Dipe N’ Go has emailed me to let me know she’d like to run a giveaway, and I’m always up for getting you amazing, free products.

One lucky MommyB Knows Best reader will receive their very own gender neutral Dipe N’ Go changing system.

Here’s how to win: Using the entry form directly below this post (NOT the comment form), submit your name, an email address that you check regularly, and the entry you are submitting. *Please note the Mandatory Entry MUST be completed before you can qualify for additional entries.

Giveaway ends August 18th @12:00 am. The winner will be chosen at random, verified, emailed, and announced in a Winner’s post. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the email from MommyB to claim the prize, if the prize is not claimed within 48 hours a new winner will be chosen at random. You must be a US resident and 18 years or older to enter.

I’m not going to make them walk around covered head to toe, but I also think I need to be an example to them setting standards for the way they dress. If toddlers and preschoolers are wearing clothing that is suggestive, then what will they wear when they become teens, young adults and adults?

In general, I think children, mainly little girls, are dressing proactively even from toddlerhood (I can’t believe I just included toddlers, but that’s the reason I feel led to write this post), and at that age it’s gotta be a question of the parent’s judgement.

You may wonder why I’m even talking about this, but last night I went to another mom blogger’s site to enter a giveaway for a girl’s swimsuit line, Lil’ Bettie Beachwear. I have to tell you I was a little shocked at some of the scantilly clad suits I saw and the poses that some of the girls were modeling (Daddy B agrees with me). Some of you may thinkI’m crazy, and you’re entitled to your opinion, but I could never see my girls in some of the suits pictured.

Personally, I prefer full coverage suits above all else but, Little Miss A received a couple of two-piece tankinis from her Nana. I let her wear them even though her little belly pokes out a little, but the bottoms are full coverage. So, I’m not saying parents have to keep their children covered at all times, I just hope that as parents we will consider where we draw the line in regards to modesty when we’re picking out our children’s clothing. In general, I like little girls who are more covered up than this beautiful Lil’ Betties Model:

Some of you may not see a problem with the swim wear, and my issue isn’t just with this suit specifically, I’d just rather not have to worry about my girls body parts poking out of their swimsuits on the public beaches. Of course I know there are nude beaches for all ages and that the human body is beautiful, because God made us, but there’s also the modesty issue and I’m an advocate.

Where do you stand on the modesty issue?

Unfortunately, I’ve had the opportunity to deal with several blow-outs from both girls, which is why I carry an extra set of clothes for both Baby C and myself…because, well you never know! That’s why I love award winning Dipe ‘N Go, because you never know when you’ll need a changing station.

I installed the Dipe ‘N Go that I received, for lack of an easier word, really putting the Dipe ‘N Go in your vehicle is as easy as tearing off a strip of sticker backing. And of course after it was in my van Baby C gave me a great opportunity to use it….we were shopping at Target and I had Baby C in the front carrier and all of a sudden the Earth shook and I could tell the Dipe ‘N Go was going to come in really handy, blow out city! Don’t tell anyone but I had a few more items to get and my cart was already full so I finished up my shopping, don’t worry CPS (child protective services), it only took me about 5 minutes.

I loaded up the car, got Miss A buckled into her car seat, and prepared for my review. I love how the Dipe ‘N Go just folds right down for easy access. The 3 large pockets hold Baby C’s extra outfit, diapers, and wipes with extra room to spare and everything is right at my hand so no need to run to the front of the car or leave Baby C even for a second. I think the best part about this product is the large changing area. Most of my changing pads have come with my diaper bags and I’m not sure if a.) my babies are mammoth or b.) they just don’t make them very big. I’m thinking probably the latter, but not in Dipe ‘N Go’s case, they made their changing area large and I really appreciate that my baby doesn’t have to have half her body on and half off or be in an extremely awkward position for me to change her.

Using Dipe ‘N Go really saved me time and frustration and was easy to use with only one hand. I think Baby C appreciated the ease as well and ended up riding home, clean, fresh and happy and mommy was happy too!

Aside from my favorite things Dipe ‘N Go is gender neutral and cleans very easily, you can wipe the fabric down or throw it in the washing machine. I found Dipe ‘N Go was cheapest at Amazon.com but you can also buy yours here. Note that Dipe ‘N Go is made for hatch back vehicles with a good amount of room for baby this is not something you would want to use in a standard car. That would just be plain scary or funny, depending on the parent!

Have any funny diaper stories???

At the hospital all you see are rows of cute cherub babies wrapped like tiny burritos in the hospital blankies, most parents want to carry on the swaddling when they arrive home and Koala Kuddles is a great way to carry that on.

I’ve tried to swaddle with receiving blankets, and even the swaddler blankets but always worried that my hot blooded girls would be too sweaty, amazingly enough Koala Kuddles are made of muslin, a very light, breathable fabric often used in dress-making. You can tell the fabric is made for swaddling babies, it’s so soft and unlike some straight-jacket like swaddling blankets it allows baby to move a little.  When I first received my unwashed and washed Koala Kuddles I could tell the difference immediately and the more I washed it, the softer it got. So don’t worry if it seems a little scratchy when you first get them, I’d recommend washing at least once, if not more, before use on baby.

Another thing I really like about Koala Kuddles is that they are much bigger than your typical receiving blanket, at 39″ by 39″ even the biggest baby will fit and be cozy and comfy. Much like Little Miss A, Baby C does not like being confined with swaddling, so we stopped swaddling at about 2 weeks, but the Koala Kuddles are still great as:

- Nursing cover (when I forget mine)

- Car Seat cover, when I want Baby C to rest or not be around germy sneezing people

- And of course a lightweight blankie/or burp cloth

Not only are the 3 Koala Kuddles designs super cute, you can choose from Australian Animals, Polka Dots, or an Assortment and they come in a pack of 3. I’m all for products with multiple uses and lots of choices.

I wouldn’t really say there are any reasons not to buy Koala Kuddles except that they may be a little pricier than some of the other swaddlers you may be looking at, but if you figure you get 3 for $32.95 you’re paying about $10 per blanket, and that’s cheaper than most blankets separately.

Koala Kuddles is offering MommyB Knows Best Readers 20% off on all purchases from now through August 14th, 2010. Enter MommyB to get your 20% off right now! Great for your babies or shower gifts. Go to the Koala Kuddles website here: http://www.koalakuddles.com/ for yours.

Did you swaddle your child(ren)? If so what were your experiences?

Lately, I’ve been trying to shrink my footprint – not my actual footprint (but after pregnancy, that wouldn’t be bad either) but, my carbon footprint. I just thought it hasn’t been too becoming lately. So, I decided to head towards greener pastures, the ones with recycled plastics, sustainable resources and biodegradable what nots,. While on my search for all things green, I stumbled upon Esse’s reusable bags, and MommyB. The challenge was simple: try out the bags, and report back with my honest opinion. So with that in mind, here we go…

I have to begin by saying, this product is great. For starters, it isn’t just one environmentally friendly bag, but 7 – all in one compact Carryall Tote, seriously, it is the size of a bag of flour. On Esse’s website the Carryall Tote is described as having endless possibilities, and as corny as it sounds, it is true! The Carryall Tote is great for stashing coupons, grocery lists and all the stuff you would usually carry in your purse. I mean, come on, as mom’s don’t we already have enough bags to carry around!

Along with the great Carryall Tote, you get three grocery bags. According to Esse’s website, each grocery bag carries two times the amount of a plastic grocery bag. I’m not one to just read something and believe it, so, of course, I had to put them to the test on my  latest grocery store trip.

Now, in the O family, we do our grocery shopping at least a week in advance, so I need to be able to fit a lot of stuff in one bag! I was pleased to see that Esse didn’t lie, what would usually fit in two or more plastic bags, really did fit in just one of the grocery bags. Factor in the several steps I have to climb to get to our home, the grocery bags definitely made my trip easier.

And in the name of all things green, the Esse reusable bag combination also offers two produce bags. That is right, no more flimsy plastic produce bags.

But, out of all the bags, the everyday bag is by far my favorite. It is light weight and is perfectly comfortable to carry to and from the store. I even used it as a make shift purse while running errands!

Mission complete. All Esse reusable bags used, and all passed my mommy test. I shopped with them, carried them around with me and my wobbly toddler, and easily carried them up several flights of stairs. I loved the variety of bags offered, and the ease of folding them up into the compact tote. In a world of complication, this really is a simple solution to everyday needs!

Go to Esse’s site http://www.esselife.com to check out the Carry-All Tote and their other products and for a limited time Esse is giving away an additional everyday bag with the purchase of a Carry-All Tote, so that means you get 2 everyday bags.

We’d love to hear from you: what are you doing to make your life a little greener?

Breast feeding my two children has been one of the most important commitments I have made to them in their lives. The emotional connection I have with them as well as the health benefits for both of us has been wonderful. It is a commitment though!  With my first child, I was very modest and discreet about nursing him. Sometimes I would even go into restrooms to nurse just because I didn’t want to feel uncomfortable. Sitting in a restroom nursing is not the most pleasant especially if they don’t have a “mothers room.” Covering him up with blankets just seemed  like it was too hot (he was born in August). No blanket or “hooter hider” ever covered me enough. I always felt like my wobbly bits were hanging out. Anyone who is a mother knows what areas I’m speaking of – your tummy, your sides and now newly huge breasts full of milk! Let’s not forget to mention the juggling act that has to be preformed when getting your breast OUT of your bra to nurse, then back IN with the nursing pad – with one hand because you still have to hold the baby right? Wait, we are sweating too right? Maybe crying too? Love those hormones!  Or how about us mom’s of toddlers and infants. Ever try chasing a toddler around while nursing? At home it’s okay – in public….. not so much.
Ahhhhhhh…. makes going out tough.

We are in luck ladies, because an ingenious mother of five, Amy Maschue, invented a simple yet very effective garment to help us all out in these moments. They are called Modest Middles and bascially it is a camisole/tank top with the neck cut out to fit underneath your bra. So bascially, you can lift up your shirt to nurse and your back, tummy and sides are all covered. My mother found this for me and sent me three. They come in nude, black, and white. I used them immediately. What a difference this makes when nursing. I did not feel uncovered at all!! In fact it has empowered me to nurse my daughter wherever and whenever. At the same time, if i need to run after my son, I can without being exposed. I’m sure people still know I’m nursing, and that’s fine with me. The point is I feel comfortable and therefore, my baby is getting nourishment from a relaxed mommy instead of a mommy who is fidgety and nervous she is showing the world her deflated tummy. Just to show you how comfortable I am, I nursed my daughter on the ‘L Train’ the other day and I didn’t even THINK about it.

The quality of these shirts are great. The fabric is light weight and breathable with a little stretch to them. I thought at first that they would be too hot under my shirt but they really aren’t at all. The instructions say to hand wash them and lay them flat to dry. I’ve washed and dried mine a couple of times (whoops! sleep delirium!) and I didn’t ruin them. The fabric does not pill and any stains I’ve had on them seem to come out with some stain remover. The shirts are made in a number of different sizes and are extra long so no matter what size you get, you are able to tuck them in or wear them out but most importantly you are covered up. The shirts are $29.99, a small price in my mind for the convenience they have provided me. When I received the “middles” it was hand addressed to me by Amy I’m sure. I always like supporting other moms so I immediately order two more.

To me these have been added to my ‘mommy must haves’ right next to the oxyclean, the Lansinoh and boppy pillow! Anyone I know who is having a baby or who is newly nursing is getting a Modest Middle from me. A simple solution for the nursing mother!

What are your mommy “Must haves?”