Carrying baby

lounakin

I've been using a mei tai and a wrap with my daughter, mainly using the front carry with her stomach against mine. I can't seem to be able to wear her on my back as it involves crossing the straps at the front and that's too uncomfortable...
Anyway, today an employee of mothercare told me I should carry her on my front but facing outwards because she's 9 months and likes to look around and he thought she'd get neck pains from contorting the way I was carrying her.
The only carriers I've seen that allow this position seemed quite bad and the legs just dangle.
Just wanted to get opinions and feedback from those who use carriers
One more question: are the ergo carriers ok for someone with a very short body?

Oral Slang

Totally wrong advice. Great way to carry baby, ergonomically correct, helps reflux, hip displasia etc. Don't know of the any of the types of carriers that you or I use, that carry the baby forward facing. Just look at koalacubs.ie or babywearingireland.ie. As you said, they are crotch dangler types of slings. People think the same about buggies - that you should move them forward facing so they can see the world, but in my opinion they like seeing mammy or daddy most.

I have the same problem as you though - find the connecta fine on my front, she's snug as a bug, but on my back, they cross is quite high, so not as comfy for me. Maybe a wrap would be more comfy, but at 16 months, she's quite wriggly if she's in a bad mood, so not sure she'd be patient enough for me to wrap her. If I use my jpmbb, I wrap it first & then put her into it. If you're not on it, you should join the babywearing ireland facebook page, always great advice on there.

lounakin

I figured it wasn't good advice, just making sure! I know the facebook page but didn't see any slings that were forward facing so was just wondering.
I have a wrap as well but both are very uncomfortable and painful with the cross at the front because of my anatomy! But she does contort in weird ways like this morning in the shop, I was squatting to look at the lower shelf and the woman who worked there came over to help, she bent down and my daughter was arching her back totally and looking at her upside down!! ha ha ha
As for the buggy, I had my baby facing me from the start, then she started grabbing the bar in front of her and pulling as hard as she could trying to look back. If I pushed for an hour she'd be doing that for an hour (she has abs of steel!) so I turned it around and now she is laughing and clapping and talking to people so I guess it depends on the child!

Oral Slang

Yeah my little one is forward facing in her buggy now, as I've moved to a stroller and she's fine, but I just think people are so quick to move them away from their mammies, when that's the biggest comfort that they get (not that she's in the buggy much). Much prefers being in the sling or running away on me haha.

lounakin

I agree, i had a forward facing stroller with a carseat on top, she always hated the carseat (facing me) so had no choice, by 6 months i put her in the stroller facing out. It looked so miserable that I actually bought another stroller that goes both ways so she was facing me again for a few months:) a big spend since i wasnt able to sell the first travel system but worth it... Kind of !

Little My

I used the Mei Tai on my back like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pp1Jbs1HE0Y as I didn't like the straps crossed over either.

January

I can never get my little miss to stay still while I get her up onto my back on the Mei Tai!

lounakin

January wrote: »

I can never get my little miss to stay still while I get her up onto my back on the Mei Tai!

I did it once with the wrap and she was laughing her head off because I was bouncing to put her in place! But she was moving too much so after about 10 minutes she was already sliding off.

Oral Slang

Must have a look at that link Little My. I bought a scootababy a few weeks ago, but just not getting on with it, even though everyone else I know loves them. My little one keeps on leaning over & it's quite uncomfortable. Think I'll sell it on & either get a woven carrier or maybe a ringsling or mei tai or something. The connecta is fine for front carries, as is the jpmbb, but for cooking etc., my little one is simply too big now for front carries, tries to grab knives, pots etc. Think there's a sling meet tomorrow in inchicore, so might try pop along & see can I try a few other carriers on.

galah

I use a Manduca carrier, which I can wrap in a way that baby is placed on my hip - that worked best for us when he started to get more interested in the world - found carrying him on my back very uncomfortable (f*cked back as it is) and mainly strapping him in was (I felt) not safe.

And carrying him at the front only worked until he really started to look around n stuff ;-) (also, one horror story but nonetheless - was carrying him on my hip, and tripped and fell (scariest moment of my life :eek:) - if he'd been strapped on at the front, I would have squashed him with my bodyweight, strapped on at my hip meant he was safe and luckily nothing happened to him, as I could use my arm to protect him and his head was to the side.

wmpdd3

It took practice but I can now get my 12 month old into the ergo on my back alone.
I lean forward and he holds my neck until he hears the chest strap click.

He never liked the front facing but I have to say my daughter loved forward facing in the tomy freestyle. I never let her in it more than an hour, didnt seem right but both of them have been in the ergo for 3 hrs at a time and are very comfortable and have no marks on them at all. It was only after this that I found out forward facing is not recommended.

The only issue I have is on cold days like today I have to wear a cardigan and he has to wear his fur all in one for heat. Padded just makes things too much hassle.

I have a Tula toddler on loan from babywearers at the moment and I love it, it will def be my next purchase if I sell the Ergo.