To hike with my toddler in the Ergobaby?

[DorothyLNaySayers]

DD is 2.8, 15kg and very tall at nearly 100cm.

I used to do a lot of hiking before she was born and really really miss it. Yesterday, I had the bright idea of putting her in the Ergobaby and walked up a hill with her in it, on my back. The Ergobaby blurb says it can be used until 20kg/48 months, so I thought she'd be fine.

She grumbled to get down after about 20 minutes, but was otherwise ok, and I was fine carrying her.

DH says she looked very uncomfortable, he didn't like her legs dangling, and in general he thinks she's too old and too big for it. (He can't carry her himself as he has a bad back, before anyone questions it.)

AIBU to carry her in the Ergobaby? And if I am BU, any suggestions of other carriers that don't cost the earth please?

At 2 don't her legs dangle all the time - like whenever she sits on an adult seat? Does your DH object to that?

Our local 'sling librarian' says that manufacturers are often quite optimistic about how long their carrier can be used for, so 4 might be a stretch - but if you and DD were both comfy (I think she'd have let you know sooner if she wasn't!) then it's not really up to your DH to say you aren't - it sounds like he might think it's 'too babyish', rather than actually unsuitable anyway.

Of course YANBU. People sling toddlers and preschoolers all the time. That said, if she is an average to large 2yo she might be getting too big for the Ergo - it should still support her legs in the M shape and from knee to knee. I easily carried my son until 2+, but he was small for his age and I had a Tula which runs bigger than the Ergo.

Why not try renting a toddler carrier from www.itsaslingthing.co.uk ? £10 for two weeks.

The obvious alternative if he doesn't like her being carried is that he looks after her and you go hiking!

The obvious alternative if he doesn't like her being carried is that he looks after her and you go hiking!

Well, yeah, but I like the idea of hiking en famille. I tink it's good for all of us.

Tbf, he isn't being all tyrannical "thou shalt not carry my child in the ergobaby!", just being a bit "'yes, but..."' and not as enthused as me about it.

I'm not in the UK, unfortunately, @ZackPizzazz , but I might see if there's an equivalent here, thanks!

I carried my 3 year old in it when I needed to. I thought it was great as you can let them walk and pick up when necessary without having to carry something big and heavy. I think your DH is being a bit U.

Yes, hopefully there's a sling library in your country as well. I know Rose and Rebellion carriers are very popular for preschoolers. Or Tula have a toddler size which runs quite big. If you identify which one you want, ex-rental and secondhand carriers can be picked up online easily (and as long as you have proof it's genuine, you can sell your Ergo to fund it; Ergos are the most frequently faked carriers so knowledgeable folk generally won't buy them secondhand without a receipt or proof they were bought from a genuine Ergo supplier).

Good luck!

I follow a travelling family on IG (travelmadmum) and not so long ago they hiked somewhere with her 3 year old in the Ergo and she said it was such a bad idea, a few miles in and she was in agony, her dd's long legs were flapping around everywhere. She is a very experienced babywearer so I don't think it was lack of practise on her part.

I hike with my 3.5 year old in the Ergo all the time (she's probably slightly bigger than average) and she's absolutely fine. She still falls asleep sometimes so she must be pretty comfortable. We have DS9 and DS7 as well so if we didn't carry her we wouldn't be able to do the lovely long walks the boys can now (finally) manage.

I switched from Ergobaby to toddler Tula around then, which is bigger and comes higher up their back so feels roomier/safer. Was absolutely fine to back carry until 4-ish though.

Thanks for all your responses.

I think I will plan to continue carrying her in it until she either actively objects or it clearly becomes too uncomfortable for her. Tbf, she's not usually shy about objecting to things she doesn't want to do , so if she finds it uncomfortable, I'm sure she'll let me know.

Thanks again.

Personally I'd hire a toddler carrier, my DS is much more comfortable in a toddler tula than an ergo - it helps as the panel of the carrier reaches knee to knee in a toddler one, so there isn't the pressure on the thighs which can make it uncomfortable (just like when an adult sits on a very thin seat such as a fence rail or loo seat).

But hiking with a 2yo in a carrier is not an issue.

Mine is 11 months (wears two to three year old clothes) and for the last month i have tied another scarf around my neck that supports her thighs when using ergobaby omni on the front. Works well. No more her thrashing and stiffening out of discomfort. Try it. Just a long scarf to keep the M shape in the legs. .

You could get a toddler or preschool carrier, or try a woven wrap (the latter takes a while to get used to tying).
Definitely visit a sling library and find what works for you!

The Ergo is small as SSCs go and not massively suited to older toddlers, though it is certainly usable.

Her legs should be supported into a sitting position, otherwise it's not great for her hips to be in it for so long and she might start to get uncomfortable. The scarf trick is definitely doable, but if you want to keep being able to carry her long term, the Boba is one of the best for bigger toddlers as it has footrests. It's on sale for £75 at the moment on their official site which is a fantastic deal IMO. uk-boba.com/collections/boba-carriers/products/boba-4g

There are plenty of options now anyway. Back in the mists of time when DS1 was tiny I had a Toddler Patapum which was considered better than the Ergo back then but even that I found too small after he was about 2, which was disappointing. There are much better toddler and preschooler friendly options now which really will see you right up to age 4 or 5 if that's something you're interested in (and you don't topple over backwards by then.)

I would do a google for "best toddler SSCs" or "best carrier preschooler" and see what comes up and have a look, see if there are any comparison options. It might also be worth googling for SSC vs framed carrier if you think your DH would be happier with a framed carrier, to see what the different arguments are about these. They do tend to be a bit more expensive, though, and are sometimes less comfortable for women than men. My preference personally is the SSC because I feel like I'd be much more aware of LO's body temperature and general comfort in there. I've heard of cases in frame carriers where the baby gets too cold but the adults aren't aware until later, because they are warm themselves from the exercise.

we use a kokadi flip toddler xl, but i carry our 2 year oldcwhen hiking :) stay away from framed carriers and you should be fine. toddler tulas suit some (not us). try to find a sling library (there are online ones!), and there are some facebook sling groups

Maybe size up. It doesn't looks comfy when their legs are squished...try a preschool/toddler Rose & Rebellion, Kinderpack, Tula