For the first month of my daughter’s life, I would sit on the couch with her happily snoozing on my chest as I stared at piles of dirty dishes in the sink. The moment I’d put her down, she would cry.

Once I decided on a stroller for my coming baby, I began my search for the perfect baby carrier. Still pregnant, I imagined the perfect mother-son scenario: my little Alessandro blissfully napping in ...