When you are getting started to think about buying all your baby needs and your self to be prepared for the parenthood, the most certain thing you would come across is a Baby Stroller. With the evolvement of technology and latest trends, things once were ignored can some times be the best choices in the current conditions. Many parents or going to be parents have always had a question if a Baby Stroller is Good or A Baby Carrier? To me, the answer depends on various factors & keep reading to understand why i say that.
Some parents may be ok with just a Baby Stroller, while some parents may be ok with just a Baby Carrier. A few of the parents (like us) have both a Stroller & a Carrier. While it is not a must, it is good to have both if you can afford. If you are in a shopping mall and if your baby fell asleep, you don’t want to disturb your sleeping baby while you want to try different clothes right? You can easily use the stroller and let him/her enjoy the sleep while you continue your shopping.
Why Pick a Carrier Over a Stroller?
As i mentioned, there are many factors that come in to play when choosing what is best. If you have both a carrier and a stroller, you might not need to worry much as you can easily swap when needed. If you have to make a choice and if you are trying to understand why should you even consider, think about these and ask yourself for answers to below questions.
Compact & Lightweight – Baby Carriers are way lighter, compact when compared to a Baby Stroller. If you are running short on storage space at your home or car, Baby Carriers are best. There are many models available in the market which can even get folded to very compact sizes. Eg., Sukkiri Baby Sling can be folded to pocket size. I could never compare this with even the best compact Baby Stroller, when it comes to storage space and weight.
Cost Effective – Baby Carriers like Infantino Flip Front 2 Bak Carrier starts at lesser price check latest price on Amazon. A Baby Stroller which can be used at a Baby Weight of 8-32 lbs can never be available that cheap rate. While the rate can be varying based on the deals and season, Carriers are relatively cheaper than Strollers.
Easy maintenance – While Maintenance of Stroller is not at all a big deal, Maintenance of a Baby Carrier is much easier. Based on the type of carrier, you can even wash the carrier, or just wipe off, etc., They are just like any other bag but should be maintained well clean.
Health Benefits – Reviews and forums indicate that usage of Baby Carrier can help in reducing postpartum depression for Moms relatively faster than normal and even enhance the bonding between Mom & Baby. It is also observed that a Baby in Carrier (front carriers) help soothen a crying baby more than a stroller.
Easy Control/Access – When it comes to shopping, a family trip which can involve longer walking time and more work on hands, it is easy and comfortable to use a Baby Carrier than a Stroller. With non-busy hands, you can enjoy your trip with lesser hassels while your baby is enjoying his/her time snugging to you as close as possible. And ya, no more waiting in the line for Elevators, you can straight away use escalators (Be careful about your center of gravity though)
Why Pick a Stroller Over a Carrier?
Well, it all sounds good to get a Baby Carrier. But it is good to limit the usage of carrier to certain time and conditions. It is not a good idea to let baby be in the carrier for longer time. A few of the reasons that you should consider before relying only on a carrier can be all of the below or few of the below,
Health & Impact to body shape – Baby’s body is too tender in the initial days of his/her birth. Putting them into incorrect posters can impact the growth ability. Doctors suggest the baby to be laid down in proper positions to avoid any later time effects. Be sure to talk to your pediatrician before you start thinking of getting a carrier. It is not a good option to let the baby be in curled position, it could impact his tender spinal bones, neck bones, etc.,
If you are new parent, it is worth to take some classes or watch some videos on how to use, improper positioning of baby can impact and lead to suffocation. General comment from may Moms who use carriers is that baby can get hot being in the carrier for longer period.
Dis Comfort – While we keep saying Free Hands give more freedom while carrying the baby, it might not be true if you carry your baby for longer period. Being a new mom & just out of the biggest workout, your body is not as it was 9 months back. It is advisable to give lesser impact to your body to enable it regain its strength. Carrying baby who is now growing much faster than in the womb continuously can hurt your back if you did not hold right. Though there are many products which give you extra cushion it is good to avoid in those early days. And if you are trying to carry a little older baby then you need more strength than you need for strolling.
Though having the baby in carrier helps in increased bonding due to relatively higher skin contact, it doesn’t help baby to be by him/herself much. Just compare how comfortable it would be for the baby to stroll with good air flow in his little bassinet or car seat Vs carrying him/her in the carrier which could cause more discomfort and increased sweating.
While above is our major observation, many parents also felt comfortable when they used premium products from branded manufacturers.
Usability & Lifespan – Based on the weight of baby and strength of the parents, usability of the carriers vary much. You can carry your baby in their younger days, as long as the baby weight is lesser. As the baby keeps growing, it might impact your ability to use the carriers. Certain carriers like slings can only be used at younger ages, will you keep buying more and more as the baby grows? On the contrary, though you need to keep changing the car seat (which is un avoidable in any case) if you have considered a stroller related to Travel System segment, your usage would be for longer period and may later be replaced with a much lighter Umbrella Strollers.
Since the price of a Carrier is relatively cheaper, it doesn’t hurt to give a try. We personally use the carrier as a stand by option and is definitely an Item in the List of Items to Pack in a Baby Stroller.
