Bye bye Baby Bjorn, Baby bye bye!

Well the fateful day arrived a few weeks ago - Number 2 has grown out of his sling. No longer will I be able to stuff him, silent and unmoving, arms akimbo like some tiny Michelin Man, into the sling strapped to my chest and set off on a roll through my local village. The reason is simple - he is now so big that he can stand on my thighs and completely obscure my vision. He further increases the discomfort by gleefully throwing his head back and cracking me on the bridge of my nose with his rock-like head! So - goodbye Baby Bjorn!

Before any children arrived my wife and I spent some time trying out every conceivable sling. It was obvious to me that the only type that would work for me would be a forward slung carrier type. The backpack designs would be too dangerous - the risk of tipping the wheelchair over backwards is just too great. The side-sling designs (which my wife prefers) are impractical as I need full freedom of movement with both arms. Simply sitting the child on my lap is not safe until they learn to hold on - something that Number 2 still has not quite grasped at 16 months. Of the chest carriers that I tried, the best was by far and away the Baby Bjorn. It was comfortable to wear, easy to put on, and both children loved being in it. The only complaint is that it can get very uncomfortable in hot weather - but they introduced a lighter material version after ours was bought.

When the children were small it worked very well. As they grew, the problems grew. Once their feet could reach my legs, while in the sling, they would push against them, almost over-balancing me on occasion. However, it is such a convenient way of carrying the children that I lived with this.

Number 2 is walking now...staggering around like a drunken sailor is more accurate. So the sling has been hung up for the last time. Unless a number three is Bjorn again...