When do people stop carrying babies in baby carriers ?

[marilenagrace]

I had a small one but would like to start carrying my 15 month old again sometimes, as I find it convenient. Is that weird ? I have no idea when people tend to stop carrying them in a baby/ toddler carrier ? They definitely sell them for her weight category.. but just wondering if it's a bit weird to carry them like this ?

I only stopped carrying my 3yo when I was a few months pregnant as it became uncomfortable - if it wasn’t for the pregnancy we’d have carried on!

3-4 for me too. I did get some comments very occasionally but usually people were just a bit surprised. (Although a weird proportion of people will always say “oooh I couldn’t have carried mine past 6 weeks, he was such a big boy” when you’re carrying a 3-year-old!)

Definitely get a toddler carrier rather than a baby one though even if your DD still fits in a baby one for now - dhe won’t for long!

Tula brand make ones which go up to 60lb I think they are “preschool” ones. I’ve just ordered a toddler Tula, but I use woven wraps and carry my DD in them daily. I can’t see stopping anytime soon. She’s in age 3 clothes but younger than that.
I’ll probably carry her until she can confidently walk the distances I need to walk with her.

I have 3DC and carried each child more than the last. With DC3 I barely used the buggy and he was in the Ergo until he didn't need it at 3 or 4ish. I actually think the sling makes them walk more as toddlers so it's better to sling when they are older, I found if we took the buggy they wanted to be in it whereas with the sling we could stick it in a bag and get them walking initially but if they got tired we could whip out the sling. So for the school run in particular DS would walk the first part then go in the sling as he got older the length he walked increased.

All have mine have been nearly 4 when I stopped, gradually reducing usage. I've done school runs with a baby in a wrap and toddler on my back for a short period. We have a child who is quite unwell and she's still carried sometimes at nearly 5. I will admit that those walks are more a necessity than enjoyable though!

I had an Ergobaby, which went up to 36 months I didn't use it a lot as it was more for youngest but my eldest did try it out a number of times on my back. I have hip and back issues and found it supported me loads better to have them in a carrier than just carry them when they were tired.

I carried my two on my back until they were 4yo. My eldest was much easier to carry because she's skinny and leggy whereas my youngest is like a sack of potatoes!

We hired a toddler Wompat for holidays a few times and I loved it, if I had my time again I would buy one.

We stopped carrying DD when she was 3-4 I think. DS is nearly 3 now & we use our Toddler Tula - used it yesterday at the beach. Will carry on until either he doesn't want to anymore or it becomes too difficult/heavy.
Also front facing car seats aren't bad - they just not as safe as rearward facing. It's up to you whether you want to use it - both our DC forward faced from around 2. Others leave it later. Each to their own.

I'm still carrying my younger child (2.5) occasionally - but he's not keen on regular carrying, would prefer to walk and is sufficiently opinionated (and has no qualms about biting parents when angry) that generally I tolerate the hassle of walking him. DH carries him in a big rucksack carrier (with frame) on "big" hikes and he likes seeing mountain views so long as he gets to run down some of the hill. Not sure we'll get more than a year more of this as he will be too heavy for our (DH's) knees and will argue about walking too much.

Would not want to need a sling to leave a park until reasoning/bribery is possible, too close and personal for an angry toddler!

When they get too heavy?

I don't but I do carry my 2 year old on my back in a piggy back style, so then I think I should really just have her in a carrier 😁 Not weird.

I was still front carrying mine in a Connecta regularly until a couple of months ago (she's 22 months) and I still use it for back carrying occasionally.

I got a ring sling when DD was 2. When we went to museums, farms etc, she always wanted to get a better view, chatter a way etc. Having her at my height was brilliant.

Used it to just after her 4th birthday (she was tiny by the way!)

I switched my son to my back when he was about 18 months or so. Carried him until 2.5, when I was pregnant, but can still manage him on my back now at nearly 4. Don't do it that often as his baby sister is usually in the carrier now

Great to hear. It definitely makes sense and is so practical..

Any recommendations on which carrier to get for a bigger child ! My DD is huge and heavy. She's already 12 kg and over 80 cm.

Toddler Tula was our carrier of choice or a Mei tai (or is that the cocktail?)

We stopped at 4 months, when we realised we were doing it because we thought we should, when in reality, we both bloody hated it.

I stopped with mine because they are both fat knackers and it was killing my back and shoulders in particular.
Have often thought about getting one for the toddler ages though, especially for holidays

@marilenagrace

Great to hear. It definitely makes sense and is so practical..

Any recommendations on which carrier to get for a bigger child ! My DD is huge and heavy. She's already 12 kg and over 80 cm.

Try your nearest sling library and try a few preschool or toddler carriers there's lots f different kinds
Everyone will come on and say you simply must get a tula or ergo or even wrap but it's all personal choice and what suits you. They can also help with back Carries (I found these easier when they were bigger as they could cling on like little monkeys while I tightened a wrap

Probably regularly until about age 2 upon which point he could pretty much walk everywhere or he went in the pushchair for the school run until age 3 where he could use a scooter or balance bike instead. Still got the occasional piggyback on long hikes.
It's a fairly commonly seen thing here in Sheffield.
You can get the hiking backpack carriers if he's getting too big but I managed with mine on my back in an ergo sling.

I stopped around 18m for DS1 and around 1 for DS2 - DS1 had really long legs that kept getting in the way and DS2 wants to walk all the time.

I used a toddler tula until dd was about 4.5. I used to get comments about my 'poor back' but the whole point of a proper carrier is that it doesn't hurt your back.

I used mine until about 12 months. At that point DD wanted to be up and down like a yo-yo and it got to be a pain. As fast as I strapped her in she wanted to walk again. At that point I started using the hipseat all the time. Ours was about £30 from Amazon and it's the best £30 I've ever spent.

I also wanted to ask just to make sure it's not somehow bad for them. There seem to be lots of things that seem fine, but then I come here and realise they're not.. front facing car seats for example ! I had no idea they were not good

Carrying them on your front facing outwards isn't recommended past 12 months, so the lady from our sling library was just telling me anyway. On your back is fine though and I'm assuming on your front facing towards you is fine too although im not sure how easy that would be in an older child? Mine is only 8 months and I go through phases of finding the sling easier and phases of preferring the pram, mostly depends on her moods.

my twins are nearly 2 and I only stopped carrying them because I'm pregnant, DH carries them seperately in a wrap though. DD4 loved being carried until about 3y.