So, you thought you were all set for your new bundle of joy. After agreeing on a name, you picked out the new furniture, panamas, bedding, and just the right color for the nursery. But of all the choices new parent must make, few are more bewildering than what baby backpack carrier to buy. The number of brands and different designs of baby backpack carriers is dizzying.

Parents must consider safety. Over the years there have been baby backpack carrier recalls. Beyond safety, there are considerations such as comfort, durability, and, of course, price.

Here are 5 tips for picking the baby backpack carrier that will work best for you.

• Before you buy, walk around the store for a few minutes with the baby in the backpack carrier you are considering. This is a big help in gauging comfort level. A few extra minutes here can benefit both your baby and your back!
• Read and follow directions. Some baby backpack carriers are simpler to use correctly than others. Certain models must be adjusted in a specific way in order to position it as recommended.
• Some backpack carriers come with a video; take the time to watch it! Of course youre busy, but this will save time (and possibly literally a pain in the neck) in the long run.
• Do a dry run. Some models require you to do little more than plunk the baby in the backpack carrier before youre ready to go. Others require you to manipulate zippers, latches, ties, or hooks while you balance baby. By placing the baby in the backpack carrier before you pay for it, youll get an idea of how easy or awkward a process it is. Remember, this is the routine youll be repeating a couple thousand times over the next year or so. Make sure you can handle it comfortably.
• Before buying a baby backpack carrier, think about what you will most often be using it for. Will you frequently be somewhere it becomes important to simply fold up the carrier and put it in a diaper bag? If so, you might want to consider a sling of some sort. Even the best baby backpack carrier will require a place to store it once baby is off your back.

Kids form strong attachments to their dolls and stuffed toys; so it’s no wonder that they like to take them wherever they go. And because kids like to imitate their parents it is also no surprise that children enjoy toting their favorite inanimate friends around in the same fashion moms take babies. That is why the baby doll carrier is such a beloved accessory for doll lovers.

The popularity of – and market for – the baby doll carrier might not be limited to children, either. Not long ago, while in graduate school, the professor asked how many in our early childhood development class still kept a favorite doll or stuffed animal. To my amazement and that of the other males in the class, virtually every woman raised her hand. Even more surprising, several women laughingly produced their small friends for everyone to see. More than one, I just then noticed, had with her a baby doll carrier.

Today there are several popular baby doll carrier models available. But the Princess Alexa Baby Doll carrier offered by Mattel is so elaborate as to make even a ten-year old blush, much less a grad student.

Product literature for her Royal Highess Princess Alexa is meant to appeal directly to little girls’ desire to play grown-up. The promotional copy includes the claim that “Princess Alexa dolls can ride like royalty in this beautiful cloth baby carrier, modeled on the kind real mommies use.

And if that doesn’t sell your little girl, it goes on to tout the baby doll carrier’s sturdy stitching, adjustable straps, and satin-like material that is “shimmering pink” on the inside and “silky blue” on the exterior. But it doesn’t stop there!

This regal baby doll carrier comes replete with “tiny prancing unicorns, floating crowns, and twinkling stars.” But wait! Theres more! This not so “simple” baby doll carrier, features a pink bejeweled pacifier that actually lights up when the princess wears her crown. For good measure, Mattel throws in “a hair comb for the little queen.”

I guess Mattel decided that all that retched excess was too much even for a princess. Because by the end of their description of Alexas baby doll carrier, the good Princess seems to have been promoted; now shes a queen.

The carrier even comes with a jeweled pink pacifier that lights up when Alexa is wearing her crown, as well as a hair comb for the little queen

Baby Annabell Doll carrier

Princess Alexa Baby Doll Carrier [MATTEL

Editorial Review

Princess Alexa dolls can ride like royalty in this beautiful cloth baby carrier, modeled on the kind real mommies use. Sturdily sewn from satiny fabric, the carrier snugly holds the doll on a busy little girls front or back so she can take her wherever she goes. A soft, shimmering pink on the interior and trim, the carrier has a silky blue outside with tiny prancing unicorns, floating crowns, and twinkling stars. A cushiony border gives it shape, and the adjustable pink webbing straps make it suitable for girls ranging from 3 to 6 years old. The carrier even comes with a jeweled pink pacifier that lights up when Alexa is wearing her crown, as well as a hair comb for the little queen. Emily Bedard

Nice Carrier for Princess Alexa, December 27, 2005

Reviewer: Julie L. “devoted mom & educator” (PA, USA) – See all my reviews

This is a nice carrier for the Princess Alexa doll. It is designed well, so the straps actually hold her in (unlike others Ive seen, where the doll tends to fall out head first!). My daughter LOVES giving her doll the light-up binky the only draw-back is that it is attached to the carrier with a long ribbon! (I may cut the ribbon and tie a cute hair clip on the end, so we can have the binky unattached, or attach it to the carrier with the clip when we want to havent decided yet!) The comb for the child is cute and sturdy plastic. This is a cute accessory set. I love the whole Princess Alexa line!

Graco Travel System: Stroller, Travel Seat and Car Seat in Princeton Print

Just get a plain stroller, no carrier/carseat., December 23, 2003

Reviewer: Anonymous

I bought this for my daughter, 3 years old. She absolutely loves to play with it. We havent had any problems with the actual stroller but the car seat/carrier didnt take long to break. The knobs on the handle broke off so when she tries to carry her doll in the carrier, the handle wont stay up and her doll flips out. It would have been better to just get a stroller without the carseat/carrier. I am now looking for my niece and plan on getting just a stroller

18? La Baby In Doll Carrier With Pink Square Pattern

WHAT A WOUNDERFUL BABY DOLL!!!, September 13, 2005

Reviewer: A Kid

I am 12 years old and still love baby dolls.I was on this website looking for a baby doll.I instantly just fell in love with this one! I looked at all the others to try and change my mind but I just couldnt,I had to have this baby doll and no other! About three days ago,I finely got her.When I pulled her out of the box my eyes got bigger than saucers and my jaw dropped. She was the baby doll of my dreams! She looks and feels so real.The day I got her we stopped to get something to eat at Wendys and the girl who was taking our order looked over and said Such a cute baby! Once she got another glance at her she finely relized that it was a baby doll.She was histarical.She could not get over how real it looked and neither could I.Also I love the carrier it comes with too.It is so cute and is of very good quilety.I definetly reccomend THIS baby doll to every little girl who is looking for a baby doll! It is the best baby doll on the planet!

Kindergardenb Babies Fruit

I love this doll!!!!!!!!!!!!, May 25, 2001

Reviewer: A Kid

I bought this doll myself from Amazon and I honestly think that she is among the best Ive ever gotten. She is very durable and i can take her almost anywhere thanks to her sling and baby carrier. I have had her almost a year now and funnily enough she has not lost her smell, it is still lovely and as strong as when I got her. I now want to collect Rita Raspberry to keep her company! Read more

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Kindergardenb Babies Fruit

Poorly designed doll very dissapointing, September 27, 1999

Reviewer: Anonymous

The tv adds are great but the doll was not great for my 3 year old the hat is too small for the doll and does not stay on. There is no hole in the mouth for the binky or the bottle the carrier is too complex for a small child. The straps are so short it is like a choking necklace on my child nothing like the add on TV . It has been sitting on the floor of her room since we got it. Very dissapointing. I wish I could get my money back. Read more

Rock A Bye Chou Chou Doll

The Best Baby Doll!!!, December 17, 2001

Reviewer: Anonymous

We bought this Rock A Bye baby for our daughters 4th Birthday, after receiving a Zapf Chou Chou for X-mas last year. We all loved that baby and knew this baby would be just as fun! They truly are the best made baby dolls weve ever bought (we have over 30). We also bought the Baby Born for Santa to leave The clothes and accesories are also very well made, we use our daughters old new born clothes which makes it real exciting for her to share with her Baby. This doll is not annoying at all, several friends are now looking for these babys after seeing and playing with ours. The baby carrier really makes it fun to take the baby everywhere it also locks into the car seat belt next to our daughter. We have bought other real life type dolls and this one is deffinately the easiest to grow attatched to! Soft, cute and cuddly!

BIKE:

12 G Dream Weaver

Great Bike – And Doll Gets to Come Along!, November 26, 2003

Reviewer: Linda Coerr

(Chapel Hill, NC)

I’m sorry this bike has no photo because it is really a great bike. We have had it about a year now and my daughter has really enjoyed it. The training wheels give the bike a lot of stability and my daughter loves the doll carrier that is mounted on the back. Now she is needing a bigger bike, so we are hoping to transfer the doll carrier to the next size! Great bike! Read more

Baby Annabell Play Doll

Wonderful doll for soon-to-be Big Brothers or Sisters! Could use better outfits. , August 18, 2005

Reviewer: A. E. Dunbar

(Southfield, Michigan USA)

the Baby Annabell Doll Carrier which lets your child wear the doll on their front or back (Dr. Sears would approve, I believe!) and my son has requested to be the Daddy for several days now with Baby Annabell strapped to his front. (So darn cute!)

Some people are just plain passionate about the importance of using a baby sling carrier. Two New Zealand sisters, Emma and Julien Lewis, went so far as to found a nonprofit program to promote their use, the Third Arm Baby Sling carrier project. These women should know what they’re talking about. Between them they have had seven children and claim to have been “carrying babies, toddlers and small children constantly for 14 years!”

Besides everyday activities, the Lewis sisters have done stage performances, gone camping, and traveled the world with children safe and secure in a baby sling carrier.

There is wide consensus that the use of a sling carrier enables moms and dads to be more productive throughout the day without sacrificing physical closeness with their children. In addition, baby sling carriers make it possible for the child be engaged and partake in the experience, the beat, and the rhythms of life.

Putting Parents’ Concerns to Bed

Despite rave reviews, however, some parents have worried that transporting a child in a baby sling carrier might interfere with its cardiorespiratory functioning. Research from the University of Cologne, in Germany, claims parents can put those fears to rest.

German researchers studied two-dozen preterm and a dozen full term infants. Doctors monitored babies’ oxygen saturation, pulse, nasal airflow, breathing, and overall movements, comparing cardiorespiratory function while the newborns were lying in a pram versus being transported both upright and lying down in a baby sling carrier.

The study’s results showed that a child transported in a baby sling carrier was not at risk of any changes across all measures studied. Doctors concluded that the use of a baby sling carrier “is not associated with an increased risk of clinically relevant cardiorespiratory changes in term and preterm infants.”

Now parents as well as children should have no trouble taking a nice deep breath!

Children’s Hospital, University of Cologne, Koln, Germany. waltraud.stening@uni-koeln.de

OBJECTIVE: Parents in industrialized societies make increasing use of infant slings to carry their infants. This study was conducted to determine whether infants who are carried in slings are at risk of experiencing clinically relevant changes in cardiorespiratory measurements. METHODS: In a 3-period crossover trial, 24 preterm and 12 term newborns were continually monitored while being carried horizontally or vertically in a sling or lying in a pram. Oxygen saturation, heart rate, nasal airflow, abdominal breathing, and movements were recorded. RESULTS: Infants who were carried in slings were not at risk of clinically relevant changes of oxygen saturation or heart rate. The 90% confidence interval of oxygen saturation in both infant sling positions remained within a +/-2% interval around the average oxygen saturation in the pram. However, a significant decrease of oxygen saturation was observed while infants were carried in a sling with a mean oxygen saturation of 96.3% (standard deviation [SD]: 1.8) in the vertical and 96.1% (SD: 2.0) in the horizontal sling position compared with the mean oxygen saturation in the pram (97.1%; SD: 1.5). The degree and the incidence of desaturations and bradycardia did not change while the infants were carried. Both types of episodes were seen only in preterm infants. CONCLUSION: The use of carrying slings is not associated with an increased risk of clinically relevant cardiorespiratory changes in term and preterm infants.

The American Chiropractic Association offers these tips:

• Only transport very young infants in a sling.
• Your baby can become uncomfortably hot inside the sling, so be aware of the temperature around you.
• Make sure your baby’s breathing is clear and unobstructed by the sling’s material.
• Don’t run or jog while carrying a baby in any backpack style carrier. An infant’s body is not adjusted to the cyclic pattern of running and jogging, a motion that can damage your child’s neck, spine or brain.