Ergo baby carrier - how the heck am I supposed to get DS onto my back without help?

[Mummyfor3]

I just cannot get the hang of it. I have watched instruction DVD and tried but still need lovely assisstent which defeats the purpose of me being hands free and able to deal with other 2 mad monsters when I am on my own, arghhh! Major frustration! I want to love my Ergo, invested into a new one, lovely "Retro" design, but seem to be all thumbs.
Any tips? Thanks.

[cheesesarnie]

you do get the hang of it-then watch peoples look of horror as you expertly swing your dc over your back!
practise over the bed so if theres an accident it'll be safer.is it getting dc in or getting the ergo on your having trouble with ?

[Mummyfor3]

LOL - look of horror!! You should have seen my mum's face at one of my attempts!

I find the chest strap v fiddly - impossible if it is on my back in front carrying position. I would like to carry 10month old DS mainly on my back when out and about to avoid pram/buggy situation whilst chasing DSs 1+2 on their bikes - I must be a scary sight at times! I can get the carrier on but just cannot get DS3 on my back. He is not used to it (we only used BabyBjorn v briefly when he was tiny and then ring sling until I found him too heavy for one shoulder), and is very wriggly impatient child who gets upset and I then give up.

[mawbroon]

How old is your DS? Is he old enough to step into it if you sit on the floor?

I do it the way they show on the DVD where you put DC on the hip and then feed one leg through then shuffle then round. It took a bit of practice, but ds was 20 months when i started using the ergo, so was quite co-operative.

Keep trying, it is well worth it in the end!!

[JoyS]

1. Spread out Ergo on the couch

1. Arrange DC on Ergo, sitting up against couch, legs splayed etc

1. Sit down in front of DC, pinning DC to back of couch so he/she can't move

1. Quickly do up waist strap

1. Arrange DC's arms and legs

1. Pull on shoulder straps and buckle

1. Stand up and bounce a bit to get DC properly situated. Make sure Ergo is pulled up around DC's back

Works best if your child is amenable to the idea but if you're quick you can manage it with a squirmer too.

[SuperBunny]

Loosen ALL the straps

Put Ergo round waist, do buckle up and tighten a bit but leave it loose enough to be able to move round your waist.

Position the carrier part on your left, so it is dangling round your left leg

Pick up DS, put him on your hip, as you would if you were going to carry him on your hip without a carrier

Reach down and pull up the carrier, making sure it is right up his back and under his arms. Put your left arm through the left strap then, if you can reach, grab the other strap, put your arm through and jiggle the carrier & baby round to your back. Do up all straps.

Not a great description but it works!

Good luck

[bababelle]

Very interested in this as I'm thinking of buying one but wondered exactly this - how would I get it on back when on my own with DD? It sounds as if there are several possible ways so am reassured! Can I ask whether you would all recommend the Ergo in general? And how long have you continued to use it for? Is it really useful up to 3 or whatever they suggest the age range is?

[mawbroon]

bababelle - I would recommend the ergo. It has been great for me. I didn't buy one until my ds was 20 months, but we still use it most days when he is too tired to walk, or I haven't got time to walk at 3yo pace. He is now 3.2yo and weighs 15.5kgs, so still within the 40lb weight limit

[ZoeC]

As soon as dd2 could stand, I would get her on my back like a piggy-back and go from there.

[bababelle]

thanks mawbroon! I was very impressed by a colleague using an ergo for a baby younger but bigger than mine long after I had ditched the traditional front baby carrier. I have a just-staggering 13-month-old and an ongoing struggle with our flat management people over pushchair storage/muddiness so am considering packing the pushchair away and switching to a combination of toddling and ergo-carrying for our outings. but just wondered if I would be mad to consider buying a new carrier now. sounds like it would be good though!

[ZoeC]

They resell well too, I sold mine on after I was done with it with no problems at all.

[Mummyfor3]

Try ebay, or for more choice, ebay.de, that's were I got mine.
I am encouraged to hear all your suggestions, also that 2 and 3 year olds are still being carried. I had been beginning to wonder whether I had made a poor investment..

[rookiemater]

Sorry to be unhelpful, but darned if I know how you do it. I bought one and never quite got the hang of it, even though I have the excellent visual aid of seeing mawbroon swinging toddlerbroon into it with ease. Now it sits in the hall cupboard taunting me when I walk past and occasionally DH gets shouted at when he suggests we put it in the NCT sale.

[CaptainKarvol]

at all of these. I used to bend over from the waist, pick up DS and balance him, tummy down, on my back! (over a bed the first several hundred times). The ergo already around my waist, then reach down for the straps, and stand up, catching DS in the 'pouch'.

It worked fantastically, but is prob not hte recommended method...

I used the Ergo pretty much daily from about 5 months till he was over 2, btw.

[SuperBunny]

Ergos are great - I have carried my 3.4 year old several miles in it recently when the snow has been too deep for him to walk.

[mrsgboring]

You can probably see lots of demo videos on Youtube. I can do it but found it very tricky to learn at first.

Ironically, the thing that made it click for me was using an onbuhimo carrier, which you put on using a "santa toss". You can't do it with an Ergo, but once I'd cracked one back carry, even though it wasn't the same one, I found I could do any. Maybe you could practise by doing a ring sling back carry (which is quite similar to the feed the child round from hip of the Ergo) since you're more familiar with that carrier?

CaptainKarvol, that is my preferred Ergo method too. I also find it easier if doing the hip scoot to do it without the carrier being involved and then just pull it up once DC is in position.

Finally, if you are happy to do it, and keep up your strength by doing it regularly, you can just carry on using front carries most of the time - I generally didn't bother with a back carry unless doing something fiddly or dangerous for DS to be on the front. I carried him right through to walking reliably (just before 3) in a selection of different carriers, and he's not a light boy.

[mrsgboring]

Admittedly, with other DCs to chase after, a back carry is more important to learn.

Oh and just one more thing, you're not trying to do it with the changing bag attached are you? I have never ever mastered this art in back carry format, though it seems a really clever setup if you can manage it.

[mileniwmffalcon]

for a front carry put on the waist belt, do up the clip on the shoulder straps and slip them over your shoulders (so you're wering it all done up but empty). lengthen the shoulder straps to their full extent, drop baby into pouch, tighten straps. even as an experienced ergo user and bendy yoga type person i can confirm it's physically impossible to do up the clip behind your back

i flip them over my shoulder to get them on my back - do up waist strap, leave body of carrier hanging behind you. sit or stand dc facing away from you. grip them at the waist with your thumbs facing towards the floor and fingers curled round towards their back. flip over your shoulder and lower into position on your back. hold in position with one hand while you grasp the dangling shoulder strap from behind you with the other hand, put strap on your shoulder, then do the same for the other shoulder strap. hang onto straps and jump up and down (really, this bit's essential! it gets them settled down into the carrier) then tighten shoulder straps and do up chest clip.

i prefer this to sliding them round cos it gets them properly central on my back, without tangling with the straps. and obviously it's easier when out and about than finding a bed or sofa to lie them on

usual disclaimer: practice with a teddy in front of the mirror first

[mrsgboring]

I can do the chest strap up behind my back in a front carry You need to move the straps right up to the highest position for the front carry and lower for back carry - adjust before you put the carrier on.

[mileniwmffalcon]

lol, always happy to be corrected you have a new gen, right? mine is the very first version with the unattached chest strap, so i'll admit it may be different with different models. but still you must do the chest strap up fairly close to your neck? i can do this with mine but it's in no way comfortable, i need someone to pull it down behind me. doing it up first gets it in the middle of my back where i need it (well, where i would need it, i always use a mei tai for front carries as i found the ergo so unwieldy on the front).

[Mummyfor3]

Gosh, just got back to this: thank you so much for all replies!
Will carry on practising but would really like to be able to do it in @ 3 weeks when we will be flying to see my parents; they have buggy so no need to lug one along but equally do not want to have to carry DS on my arms whole lengths of airports.
Practising with teddy, eh? Good idea!
When you scoot kid round from hip to back do clothes not get all twisted round too? And how about room for big norks - I always felt disadvantaged in regards to carriers due to them .

[mileniwmffalcon]

here's a video showing over the shoulder, but without the flip (the fun bit). you can see the lady in the vid is by no means norkally challenged

[geraldinetheluckygoat]

i learned to do it after watching a really helpful video someone linked on here. I had the waist strap quite loose so it swivels round easily. Put the carrier on so that the pouch hangs on your hip. Make sure the arm straps are really really long at this point. sit baby on your hip with the arm on that side round him. use other hand to pull up carrier round your baby and arm, then when its up, move the arm round your baby so it is also round the carrier (as if you are just holding on to the baby on your hip but youre holding the carrier round him too.. Bounce him round a bit so he is starting to go towards the back, and slip your arm furthest from the baby into its strap, tighten it a bit so it half holds the baby in position, shuffle him round a bit more and he should feel secure enough that you can lean forward to support weight and put other arm in its strap. Tighten straps and bounce around to get comfy. Yes i found clothes got twisted, but if you leave the waist strap loose till you are comfy, you can twist them back again then tighten it up!

God its hard to explain this without demonstrating, did that make any sense? will try to find video!!

[mileniwmffalcon]

here's my way only you don't have to do it that quick! also she does both straps at once. you can do it with a sitting baby too, if they're not yet standing. notice she does the jumping up and down, said it was essential

[mileniwmffalcon]

here's sliding around keeping the carrier behind you (with a mei tai, but is same with ergo) rather than sliding it round from the hip. i love how easily she does this

[geraldinetheluckygoat]

heres more or less how i do it!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fngwvv7lOQ