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I see this all the time. Had no idea it was "wrong"

Well it can depend on a few things. First of all, is the carrier designed for a forward-facing carry. I ask that because I am pretty sure I saw a lady this weekend cramming a baby in an Ergo (not a FF carrier) facing outwards. The babies' legs were crammed in there somehow and it didn't look safe or comfortable.

Secondly, you will find a lot of people against "crotch danglers". So if this is the kind of forward facing carry, many people do believe its not safe.

However, IMO, there are some safe carriers/wraps that are safe for a forward facing carry. So without knowing more details, its not something I would go off on a rant about.

I wouldn't do it until he/she had REALLY good head control

We do it with our toddler in our beco. He loves it.

It seems as if you may not value all the advice this particular friend is offering, so don't listen. You are Mom and you do what is best for you and your family! Who cares what the judgy Mom's think?

Wrong? No. But it may not be very comfortable for parent or child for extended periods of time or once they get a bit older.

@lawbee11: I was just chiming in to say the same thing. The worry with forward facing carriers is that they can aggravate symptoms of hip dysplasia. Some minor cases of hip dysplasia go undiagnosed so there is a chance that you can unknowingly worsen the condition. Many also argue that it isn't as comfortable as a more ergonomic carrier. Like you, I have let my kid spend lots of time in the jumparoo and I put him in a baby walker from time to time, so clearly I am not a stickler about these things!

Mmm. You have entered the Thunder Dome. Yes, most serious babywearers will tell you that facing out is an awful thing to do. It CAN be rough on developing hip joints, but there are ways to do it that reduce that particular issue. Many people will tell you that it doesn't allow you to monitor baby's needs as easily (so you might miss hunger or sleep cues or what have you), and that it can lead to over-stimulation as babies don't have a parent to hide on if things get to be a bit much for them. I am not pro- or anti- (surprisingly, perhaps?), but I do think it's always a good idea to gather information and make an informed choice. If for no other reason than you can fire facts and information right back if someone decides to hold you up as an example. I actually have worn both my girls facing out in a wrap during infancy.

@looch: seriously! it is like there are 2 worlds too. when i went shopping and talked to friends who were not on all the parenting websites, i was recommened the bjorn, so i got it without researching it. I also saw it everywhere i went so i never questioned it until i read about it on HB!

Well, it may not be "ergonomically ideal" but anyone who makes it their mission to "correct' other people like that is a douche waffle, anyways.

@lawbee11: @rahlyrah: re: hip dysplasia, I agree with my limited medical knowledge that FF probably doesn't cause it but can exacerbate an existing condition. I found it interesting that my baby was screened at birth and 6 weeks for hip dysplasia (she was normal). However, I remember seeing babies in the maternity ward already in the harness to correct hip dysplasia and a friend of mine had a baby with hip dysplasia that was diagnosed at birth and she was in the harness for about 6 weeks.

I find it hard to believe that FF would significantly contribute to hip dysplasia in babies that do not have an underlying condition. Baby Bjorn has been making carriers for 30+ years and if there were a real problem, I imagine they would have modified their design long ago. FWIW, we wore my son FF in a Bjorn from 3 months until he was about 9 months and we switched to an ergo. He is totally fine.

All in the same week I noticed DS straining to turn his body around in the Ergo so he could see out and a few days later during a routine checkup our pediatrician (unprompted) told us to switch to an outward facing carrier!

I did my research first and ended up with the Beco, like a couple other Bee's on this thread. I had heard that the "crotch danglers" are not only harmful to baby but also very uncomfortable for the parents as well. DS LOVES his Beco and I only take him to and from daycare in it and for a quick errand on the weekend. I do get nasty looks sometimes but no one has actually approached me.

We have the baby-torturing-device known as the "crotch dangler," and wear Sadie forward-facing. The horror! Now that she's walking, she doesn't actually like to be worn anymore (she is an explorer), but from about 6m on she would only be worn FF. I don't think I ruined her. If someone came up to me and told me I was parenting wrong I would very promptly tell her that she is clearly doing life wrong & needs to check herself. Your "friend" is not my kind of buddy.

@T.H.O.U.: I agree. Everything in moderation right? I think I could only wear my chunker of a baby up to an hour anyways.

I think it's a much bigger issue for smaller babies in terms of over stimulation. I mean, doing the ergo in a back carry is perfectly fine for hip alignment but TECHNICALLY the baby is facing the world and could be over stimulated. But I don't worry about that much with my 17 month old. Hell, I worry the world is overstimulated by HER when I let her run wild.

Seconding (thirding, fourthing?) the comments regarding HD. That's why we choose not to. But more because LO loves the walker/jumper so we figured we keep limiting "crotch danging" to those arenas, since there isn't another option for those, while babywearing has more than one option.

Your friend is nuts. It's more of a concern- probably less risk than say, someone eating junk food! But you wouldn't walk up to strangers all day and say YOU ARE KILLING YOURSELF EATING THAT BURGER AND 40 OZ SODA! I think it's a preference/educated choice you can make. Real risks that you see every day (like unbuckled kids in cars, or carseats propped on a shopping cart) are far more dangerous and are ACTUALLY "bad" or "wrong" or "dangerous" as opposed to someone wearing a baby forwards. CRAZY! Give me popcorn for the crazy girl show here.

@T.H.O.U.: you are very right about the hip dysplasia diagnosis, I know people in my support group whose kids were diagnosed at 3 or as late as 5!

Well, we had a car seat back in the day but it's not something I would use today, so just because something's been around for a long time doesn't mean that it can't be improved upon.

I think, as with most things, it's the delivery of the message that also impacts people's feelings towards things. If someone comes at me all judgey and making me feel like a dope, of course I react more strongly. If someone shows me information that leads me to a better or different choice in a neutral manner, I am more likely to embrace it. I see this the same.