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Original poster

My baby is becoming a toddler but I'm addicted to the baby backpack handsfree get up & go life. Any solutions please?

40 replies

19fran76 · 07/08/2009 20:39

At 11 months of age the basic bit of nylon strung from a metal tubular frame is no longer the answer. My shoulders are protesting. What is the baby carrying next stage? Please advise me. I love it so. (DD likes her crows nest too FWIW).

OP posts:
CMOTdibbler · 07/08/2009 20:43

Get a Mei Tai - great as you can carry on your front or back, and they spread the weight out nicely. And as they get bigger and start to be up and down, you don't have extra weight to lug round.

The Babyhawk is a good brand, but there are loads of different ones.

I'm still carrying DS who is 3, and he loves it - as do I

FaintlyMacabre · 07/08/2009 20:45

I would second that- we have a Babyhawk too and we love it. The baby doesn't get that 'crowsnest' view but apart from that they are much more comfortable than a framed backpack. (Not to mention prettier, cheaper and smaller!)

Original poster
19fran76 · 07/08/2009 21:04

Ooh, I don't know about cheaper. T'was £4 from the charity shop so a Babyhawk would be a lovely luxe upgrade. They sure are pretty faintly & comfortable is a soothing word.

Your point about stop/start carrying is a good one CMOT, as I'd been musing about that in my minds eye. 3 years is a convincing number. Thank you both.

Any alternative suggestions?

OP posts:
FaintlyMacabre · 07/08/2009 21:15

If you would like to go down the soft rather than framed route then I would advise getting to a Slingmeet. You will be able to try lots of different carriers and see which ones suit you both. You are unlikely to find anything for less than £4 though .
We are so happy with the Babyhawk that I can't recommend anything else - before that we were using a woven wrap and an Ergo, both of which are good carriers but hardly get used at all now!

misdee · 07/08/2009 21:20

you could try wrapping, i can get dd4 up in a sercure high back carry which gives her a great view.
or a mei tai

or a buckle carrier.

my faves. all of the carriers i have can be used on the front or back. i also occasionally let my small 4yr old have a carry

Original poster
19fran76 · 07/08/2009 21:45

Faintly, I made full use of your link & expressed an interest in meeting all known Devonish babywearers. Have you ever been to a meet yourself?

misdee, thankyou for sharing the photos. The faces of your children were so adorable I was quite distracted from the task at hand. Is a secure high back carry difficult to master?

OP posts:
misdee · 07/08/2009 21:51

the secure high back carry is a bit trickier to master than some of the others, but plenty of practse and you tube tutorials and i can now do one easily without the need for a mirror. think i spent one evening watching and practising in front of the screen, and one day i just gave mysekf an extra 5mins to get ready and did it.

i tend to use a reinforced ruck carry, which is what the bad wrap job in the stripey wrap was meant to be.

dd4 is 18lb and 9months almost

CMOTdibbler · 07/08/2009 22:07

You can also do a high back carry in a podegai.

All of the slings and wraps can be bought second hand on the UKBabywearingSwap Yahoo group. The great thing is that you don't tend to lose much if you buy second hand and then sell on, so you can change with time

Original poster
19fran76 · 07/08/2009 22:14

Thanks, not sure how compatible I'd find that with an older baby/toddler who will be in & out of the carrier regularly. Presumably I would have to reconstruct each time?

Finally, anyone out there putting in a vote for an expensive tremendously pro-looking back pack. One advantage to this option would be its DP -friendliness. Don't think he'll be sweet on wearing the mei tai floral option .

OP posts:
misdee · 07/08/2009 22:16

connecta do a plain carrier.

misdee · 07/08/2009 22:17

www.connectababycarrier.com/catalog.php?category=10

alittleteapot · 07/08/2009 22:19

I found my mei tei really uncomfortable once dd hit 1 having completely lived in it till then. I got an ergo which was supercomfy because the weight is on your hips not shoulders, but the payoff is that it's a low carry and so she wasn't high enough to see over my shoulder. She's two now but I'm pregnant so not slinging but will go back to it afterwards and hope by now she's tall enough to see over shoulder despite low carry. The Beco is a higher soft carrier but payoff is more strain on shoulders...

Good luck...

CMOTdibbler · 07/08/2009 22:22

We do have a framed back pack - but DH prefers to use a MeiTai (pics on profile) as it is more comfortable. Therefore the framed carrier has been used very little as also less practical

None of my slings have flowers - my black Toddlerhawk is dragons reversing to a geometric design, my TaiTasi is a red mythical horses (kind of stylised greek horses), and my Dream carrier is brown with a celtic tattoo print.

Original poster
19fran76 · 07/08/2009 22:27

Podegai has a great ring to it.

I will check the group out you mention CMOT, thanks, sounds like it could prove to be very useful.

OP posts:
Original poster
19fran76 · 07/08/2009 22:41

I will definitely go for a pretty print as I'll be the one using it constantly . Connecta also had some lovely prints.

Littleteapot, yep, I don't want to continue taking all the weight on my shoulders. Splitting it would be ideal, as one side sling I used made my tiny bit dodgy left hip ache. Have seen ergo before, will go & stare at beco

OP posts:
Original poster
19fran76 · 07/08/2009 22:42

Trade off descriptions helpful .

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fairyfriends · 08/08/2009 09:59

Two thumbs up for the Beco which I treated myself too last month and absolutely love with my dd (2y 9m). It's super comfy and beautiful too. Just about to shoot off and post a review.

Would also recommend the Babyhawk for beautiful prints and versatility, great price, but dh loving the Beco mostly due to quick click buckles - either is great!!

alittleteapot · 08/08/2009 10:39

fairyfriends - can i just ask - does your dd carry high on your dh's back? my dp is quite tall and with the ergo dd is just too too low down. i've always been tempted to splash out on a beco but bit ridiculous as have really rather a lot of slings!

claireybee · 08/08/2009 11:04

Misdee what is the other stripey one in your pics? Not the wrap but the MT? It looks really comfortable, my babyhawk slips off my shoulders and I don't really like the narrow padded straps so am thinking of selling it and maybe getting an alternative.

fairimum · 08/08/2009 13:07

I love my connecta - use it every day for dog walks - DD is 14 months now and have used it form 2 months - also carried my 4 year old nephew on my back in it wiht no problems!
Is a pic of DD in it on my profile I think! If likely to nap in it I would recommend one with a hood bit on it (just square of fabric that clips up) as this has been great as when tiny kept the sun off and when she sleeps we clip it up to stop her head bobbing about!

we have a solarweave one i think it is called! really is our best buy!

misdee · 08/08/2009 14:25

the stripey one is a wrap conversion. its made by ocah and is my most comfortable mei tai type carrier. it has wrap straps which can be spread for extra support and its really soft. the prices are high, but mine was second hand and a lot cheaper.

you could keep an eye here and see if one pops up on the for sale boards

lowrib · 08/08/2009 14:43

DS is just over 2 stone (heavy!!).

I got the Ergo baby carrier a while ago, it spreads his weight so much more than the Baby Bjorn I had before

(I wouldn't recommend the Baby Bjorn for little ones incidentally. We were given it and it was OK, but I would have much preferred a 'wrap')

A friend of mine used a wrap on his DS until toddler age, he says the secret with larger children is to do it up REALLY tight! I think it helps if you've been using one already for a while though.

I hadn't heard of the Babyhawk incidentally. It looks lovely. The advantage of the Ergo is that bigger children can be carried in the back or side holds. What happens with the Babyhawk? Do bigger children just grow out of it?

Original poster
19fran76 · 08/08/2009 14:56

Yes, poor Philomena (DD) has snoozed with her head lolling at times. A hood would be great. Must admit I'm becoming swayed towards a Connecta now. They offer good looks, buckle straps, competitive price & are made by a UK mama (nice to support her & her 6 babies ). All of them are so delicious though.

OP posts:
CMOTdibbler · 09/08/2009 09:01

You can do side and back carries with the Babyhawk. When they get above 18 months you can get a bigger version called the Toddlerhawk.

DS has always hated hoods, so have never used them even though he always sleeps in the sling

claireybee · 10/08/2009 10:55

Thanks misdee, I think I need one

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