Euri's been colicky since she turned 5 weeks. It was difficult to calm her down, especially when she finds it hard to burp. Feeding her would make her stop crying for a while, then she would spit up milk (a sign that she's overfed), then cry again. I would put on aceite de manzanilla (anti-flatulence) or give her Restime (simeticone drops, advised by Euri's pediatrician) hoping that it would stop her from being upset but it would take several minutes to an hour before the (already tired) baby starts to calm down and (finally) sleeps.
Now, though the colic episodes lessen, my just-turned-2-month-old little princess loves to be close to Mommy and still demands to be cuddled when we're out at the mall or even at bed time, hence, the crib/playpen ended up folded and kept in our storage room and the beautiful Capella stroller looking like new. The nanny and myself however, have started to develop dark circles around our eyes, coupled with firmer muscles on both arms -all thanks to my heavyweight bundle of joy.
To solve this problem, I decided to do my own little research on how to calm a colicky baby and how to lessen (if not avoid) her being carried around too much. Turns out, one way to calm a colicky baby is to swaddle and cuddle her close since they miss the warm temperature when they were still inside our tummy. So in short, we can't really avoid the almost 24/7 "karga-hele-sayaw" scenario.
Solution? A baby carrier that would free our hands even for just an hour, enough to do some household chores.
My search for "the best baby carrier Philippines" suggested several brands.
- SaYa
- Next9 Ring Sling
- Beco Gemini
- Ergobaby Carrier
- Baby K'tan
- RJellyBean
- New Native Baby Carrier
To cut the chase, I bought a SaYa. It's the perfect carrier to "swaddle and cuddle". I love the idea of cotton, so I bought the SSK type instead of the more expensive and stretchy VersaTekk Blend. They have many colors too but most of the good designs were out of stock so I ended up with the black Hunter design.
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| SaYa Semi-Stretch Knit, Hunter Design |
I honestly can't count how many times I watched tutorial videos on how to properly put the sling on. When it felt and looked like I did put it on correctly, putting Euri "in" the sling proved to be a difficult task. My little girl wasn't "happy to be in", sad to say.
I'm not going to give up on my Php950 investment though. The unused SaYa carrier is back in its original bag, together with the "manual" and a post-it note with my handwriting: "for Eugene to use when Euri is a bit older". I'm still hoping to use my SaYa in the future.
Now desperate for a better, easier to use and most importantly, comfortable baby carrier suited for my sensitive little girl, I opted for the "high-end" Ergobaby Organic (Cotton) Carrier. The price is 9x more compared to SaYa and if your baby is below 6 months, you need to invest another Php1200 for the infant insert. See, comfort has its price.
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| Ergobaby Organic Baby Carrier in Dandelion Design with the Ergobaby Infant Insert. |
The Ergobaby has some features that add comfort not only to the baby but to the mother/father (or anyone using the carrier) as well. It is super padded that's why it's big and bulky. You can't put it in your diaper bag, sorry - but why put it in your baby bag anyway? I walked around Robinson's Magnolia wearing the empty Ergobaby carrier while my little princess is enjoying her ride in the stroller. When it's time to put Euri in the baby carrier, there were no objections from the little one. She snuggled up inside the baby insert and fell asleep in less than 5 minutes!
If asked if shedding almost Php10k is worth it for a baby carrier, I think most practical Filipino moms would say "no", but for me, it depends on how comfortable your baby is when she's in it, and how often you intend to carry your baby in it. Like always, when it's a pricey necessity, consider it an investment.
Notes:
Ergobaby Carriers are available at Baby Company stores. I got mine at SM The Block.
SaYa Sling Carriers are available online. I got mine at BabyMama.