Carriers

I consider this an essential because I've gotten so much use out of mine. The two brands I've tried are Baby Bjorn and Ergo and both have some great qualities.

Baby Bjorn was perfect for my newborns up to about 6 months. It's easy to put your tiny, floppy, new baby into. They can face you until they're more interested in their surroundings, then you can face them foward to look around. The only problem is that it gets hard on your back when your baby gets heavier.

The Ergo is great for your back. The waist support really distributes the baby's weight well. It can be used in the front (but baby can only face you, not foward), as a back pack type carrier, or as a side carrier (where it looks like baby is sitting on your hip). Cons are that you can't face baby foward, and when using the side position, it gets confusing when you switch around the straps.

I really liked using carriers at times when I had a newborn and a two year old. The carriers keep your hands free and you can use a carrier and a single stroller to get around instead of a bulky double stroller. Plus I found my babies would sleep longer when I was running errands because they were cuddled up next to me. And it's easier to run errands with a sleeping baby instead of a screaming one.