Slings advice needed for a 15mth old?

[Lomond]

I have a 15mth old daughter and was wondering if this is too old for a sling? She is not quite walking yet and I hate putting her in her pushchair to do the school run or pop to the local shops. I thought a sling/hip seat type thing might be good as we can have more interaction.

Any good ones on the market or will my back break?

Thanks, L.

Get a Meitai or a soft structured carrier (SSC). shorter learning curve for you and your dd.

big mama slings has an excellent range and excellent customer services and gives advice too.

Thanks for the speedy reply foxy, will have a look!

Can recommend the Beco Butterfly (SSC). www.naturalconnection.co.uk/beco-butterfly-p-72.html Have carried DS 6mo and DD 2.3 yrs comfortably. Not at same time mind.

ack! not that big mama! sorry, will try again.

www.bigmamaslings.co.uk

I use a babytrekker. Very well padded, comfy, adjustable to a wide ange of sizes. I still occasionally put my 3.5 dd in it. If you don't want to hurt your back keep carrying her often. As she grows older gradually, you will get stronger and she won't feel much heavier. People often ask me how i manage my two or three year olds, but IME, people who say "Oh I couldn't manage, she was too heavy" suddenly decide to start carrying their child having not done so for a number of months.

FromGirders: The babytrekker was the original buckle carrier, I believe. Ergo copied it's design and tried to patent it, imo. there has been a v. long legal case in the US over this as Ergo was trying to patent the design in order to keep WAHMs from producing their own carrier.

It was news and bemusing to the Babytrekker owners when they found out through the grapevine of the baby carrying community that someone was trying to patent the design and force WAHMs out of business.

Can I boast here and say that I carried my 3yo while 30 wks pg in a MeiTai?

That's mad foxytocin! My babytrekker was recommended to me by a MNer, ad I often recommend it, but hardly ever see anyone else using one. I've lent it to two other mums who've both bought one themselves. People rave about the ergo on here though. But surely you can't patent anything that's already in production or has been written about elsewhere? Bizarre!

I admit i have only seen a BT once. I didn't know what it was at the time but recognised it later when I read Ergo legal action story.

One reason it is recommended so much on MN is because it is the only carrier people recogised that wasn't a wrap or ring sling at the time, i suspect it has such a short learning curve.

Ergo was out for about a year when I started to recommend it on the back of a mate who had one. Then other people also started to recommend it, not saying I started the MN notoriety of it but when a few people started then lots tried it and said it was good, and it is.

Now I would never ever recommend Ergo to anyone because of the awful way they have behaved and wish I could take away ever recommending them.

They are all about money. When the truth is there are cheaper and better and prettier and more ethical carriers out there than the Ergo.

The butterfly one looks pretty. If I was starting over, I'd like to learn to use a mei tai, i tried a ring sling but never quite mastered it other than a hip carry, which is fine, but i like a back carry so I can get on with cooking etc. Also bought a wilkinet from ebay, but its straps were so thin they dug in everywhere.
I can't do framed carriers as I'm too small.
I'm very impressed you carried your wee one when you were pregnant - I didn't but probably only because I didn't have a back carrier at the time, didn't know they were available. Until I asked here, obviously!

I'm a lover of ring slings, I have a huggababy padded one and two home made ones and a mesh active birth one too. I like them because they are so simple and versatile, hip carry, piggy back (my eldest had a piggy backin the huggababy this summer aged nearly 5) and so easy to get them in and out of.

Foxy, I carried DD1 in my ring sling when she was almost 3 and I was around 30 weeks pregnant, clearly I am as mad as you!

Actually, I got caught out without my sling on Saturday - had a day out with the kids, and dd (3.5) fell asleep on my back while getting a piggy-back. Had to take the strap off dh's camera bag and tie her to my back to stop her falling off! Just about killed my arms, I'd have killed for a teleport device to bring my sling to me!

I also made my first Ringsling GM. It was from a cotton voile curtain and proper sling rings. I used it around the house when dd was tiny but I don't like the dangly fabric bit. Just personal preference. I doubt of us are quite as versatile at back carrying or Ringslings as this lovely Mexicana

Lomond, I still carry my almost 3yo ds in a back carry in the Ergo. He weighs around 35lbs and although I couldn't carry him all day any more, it is still manageable when he is too tired to walk, or we don't have time to go at 3yo pace.

I agree with FromGirders about having to do it regularly and not just expect to suddenly be able to carry a bigger child.

Thats awesome isn't it, she's just showing off!!!

I only do piggy backs with sling support when mine are older, when they are under 2 I carry them on the front or side.

I dont use the buggy for my 18 month old basically as it is such a faff getting it in and out of narrow front hall. Have ended up with her in a backpack and completely agree that as long as you keep doing it, the weight stays managable. The links to the soft slings look lovely but I have a Bush Baby back pack, with metal internal frame. I like it as there is a big space under the baby seat to put nappy bag, waterproofs shopping etc so you dont end up carrying another bag as well. I think the key is getting a model with a good hip belt and the right length for your own height.

I carry my 2.3 year old in a Toddlerhawk MeiTai - he's pretty big, and its very comfortable. My friend never uses a sling, but on Saturday we were out somewhere not pushchair friendly and she borrowed my spare, and comfortably carried her 23 month old all day. The children looked really cute as they decided to hold hands as we were walking around

We do own a framed carrier as well, but a soft one is much more practical as they get older as a soft carrier can be stuffed in a bag, or just tied tightly to your back when they aren't in it and don't get in the way.

OMG! Thank you so much for all of your replies. Will have a look at all those suggested.

If you can both do it when you're pregnant foxy/greenmonkeys then I have no excuse not to try!

Problem is I want them all now

I think I may have just developed a new obsession Will let you know which one I buy.

And I forgot to say, don't buy new, go to the Yahoo group UKBabywearingSwap so you can buy second hand and try them out - if you don't like one you can then sell it on for almost exactly what you paid for it.

Brilliant, thanks for that cmotdibbler, I don't want to buy one and then not like it!

I also used a mei tai comfortably until my lo was nearly three, so definatly not to late to start. If you havnt been carrying, I would suggest going somewhere fun with lots to look at, so your daughter enjoys her first outing in her carrier, also as others have said it takes a little while for you to get used to carrying a toddler, so start out little and often. It may also be worth checking on ebay, they often have used mei tai`s and slings at reasonable prices.

My dt1 21mths had her first go in a sling at the weekend. I back carried her in the patapum carrier I usually use for baby. We were cave walking so lots of ducking down but she loved it. Was a bit of a nuisance as they recommend someone else for getting her in/out but I had dh on hand to help.

Lomond, or anyone lurking, i have a Babyhawk in excellent condition for sale here