Does anyone know of an Ergotype carrier where 9 month + can be on front facing out?

[cityangel]

We have a Wilkinet but ds is so wriggly its hard to get him in it and it works its way loose. Dh is looking into backpacks but I like the look of the Ergo but would like ds to be able to look out. Any ideas?

Soft structured carriers (SSCs) like the Ergo don't tend to work so well in a FFO position for larger babies. There are a couple of main reasons why that is.

One is that the design of most SSCs is such that the baby is supported from knee to knee, which usually gives them good weight distribution (across the bottom and both thighs) and so makes for a pretty comfortable ride - in order to make that work as your DC gets bigger they need to wrap their legs around you. If you have them FFO their hips won't bend the right way and so the support can only be at the crotch - and with an SSC the stitching and fabric means that just won't work.

Another is that its much easier to carry a child that is leaning into you than one that is leaning away. Carried facing you, your DCs centre of gravity will pull them onto your body - put them FFO and gravity is pulling them away from you, which will make it much harder work for you and your back will start to suffer much more quickly.

Is your DS used to looking out? I've only just stopped carrying DD on my front (now she's 2 she's just too big!) - I've always carried her facing me and she's never had a problem with it. I started with a stretchy wrap but progressed to woven wraps and Mei Tais as she got bigger (personally I don't get on with buckles, but that's just me)

How about using something like the Ergo as a back carrier?

What tangle said!
I have a pikkolo which is similar to an ergo and when my daughter is facing out it is considerably more uncomfortable than when she is facing in. It's not about the carrier but about her body's pull and her shape. My daughter is now 17 months and occasionally still goes in it but faces me and turns her head sideways to get a look around. She doesn't mind at all. But if you want full visibility it does need to be back carrying in the longer term.
You could hip carry for a while longer too. I wearn my daughter on my hip with a ring sling still at 17 months.

W Tangle S ... get DS on your back and he can look over your shoulder

thank you all this is very helpful

I have back and tummy muscle not going back together issues so carrying him at all is a bit of a struggle.

Thing is he's very inquisitive and facing in only works when he's asleep. Also ds is very tall for his age.

I am also trying to work in a sling backpack that dh can use when I'm not around that is pug n' play.

DH likes Ergo style ones. His fave is the Connecta though.

For what its worth, getting your DS into an SSC on your back can be a bit more tricky than using a framed backpack until you get the nack - but from my experience its much easier to carry them once you have. When DD was about 1yr old I used to go walking with a friend and her DS (same age) - I used a sling, she had a backpack. DD was tied on snug and if she had a wrigley moment it didn't really both me (and still doesn't), but if her DS did the same he could knock her off balance enough that she'd have to take a step not to fall over.

Have you come across slingmeet? If you can get to a meeting you'd probably be able to have a try of a few different carriers and get some experienced advice on what might work well for you and your DS (and your DH )