Ergo is falling off my shoulders!

[paranoid2android]

Am I adjusting the straps wrong? Or am I just too small for it? (5foot2). I have been using moby wrap since birth but wanted to use ergo when I'm doing stuff round the house so that DD isnt wrapped as tight, and has her hands free to play with a toy now she's 6 months old.
How can i get the ergo to work for me, or if not is there another baby carrier I should be trying for a 6 month plus baby? I want one as comfy as the moby!

Have you adjusted both the back strap and the ones under your arms? I found had to do both and actually make under arms ones quite small to get optimum fit

Has it got a chest strap? I have a carrier similar to an Ergo and it has a small strap that clips the shoulder straps together to stop them falling down.

thanks Gigondas, I'm gonna have another try with the straps, really want it to work!

Hi queen, I just had a look and realised that the chest strap had slipped down to the so I have fastened it across the middle of my back instead of the chest, will put back up and try again, DD is sleeping now, so will report back when I try later.

I'm having the same problem (I'm 5'5", I don't think it's to do with height) - I've found that the problem lessens if you tighten the chest strap before the shoulder straps - to pull the shoulder straps into the correct position before tightening them IYSWIM

I love this sling for my 1-year-old but do find it very difficult to get him in and adjust everything on my own, hopefully practice will solve both our problems

It is a fiddle but once you get right strap combo it is ace (I only stopped using it when dd turned 3). Doing chest/back strap first is a good plan

Definitely try it with the chest strap. However, I'm 5'5 with a short torso and size 10, and find that the ergo straps are a tad too long on me with a 6 month old, even if they are cinched the whole way down. It is useable, but not as comfy as other things.

If you loved the Moby, I would look into the idea of a woven wrap. They take a little bit more practice to tie than a stretchy, but if you've used a stretchy it shouldn't be too big a learning curve. Will last all the way through to school age. Are you near a sling library or sling meet where you could go along and try one and get some help in tying it?

thanks Pootle a woven wrap sounds good, I do have sling courses near me, but think I have to pay, will investigate.
I liked the idea of the Ergo, because the baby has a little space to move and use hands, whereas the wrap is so tight, my baby doesn't like to be still in the moby for long, is there any tie you could recommend for a wrap so a baby can use their hands, e.g to hold a toy, or touch things? If i have her in the hug old her arms are covered by the shoulder straps, and can't move.

sorry I'm not sure if I wrote very clearly! She can spend ages in the moby but only when we are out and about on the move,
in the house she gets a bit wriggly in it,

You can wrap with her arms out. Just make sure that you have the top of the wrap as tight and high as possible but still allowing her arms to be out. It does depend on the baby - if you have a baby who likes to hurl herself backwards at every opportunity you'd be better with a woven for arms out wrapping, but other babies will be fine in a Moby.

Keep the wrap nice and high like in this pic here newsmomsneed.marchofdimes.com/?p=5190 so that the wrap is only just under her arms. Pretty much wrap as though she'll have her arms in and then wriggle them out.

You can learn to use a woven wrap without a sling meet etc via YouTube videos (I did!). Most people start with Front Wrap Cross Carry which is similar to how you tie the Moby except with the 'pocket' bit underneath instead of on top

oh thanks pootle that's so useful, DD loves to hurl herself backwards at every opportunity! Is there a woven wrap make you would reccommend?

There are lots. For a first one my criteria would be:

• Easy to wash (so 100% cotton or a cotton/linen blend. Not wool or silk blend or anything)
• One you like the colour of!
• Buy 2nd hand so that if you don't get on with it you don't lose too much value.

They come in sizes.... if you are UK size 10 or below you'd be fine with a size 5 (~4.2m), if you're UK12-16ish then size 6 (~4.7m) and if you're bigger then size 7 (~5.2m)

Check out Natural Mamas for sale boards, Ebay, www.ebay.de (check they'll accept paypal and post to the UK though)

Good starter wraps: Didymos standard line (not limited editions which tend to be pricey), Girasol, Hoppediz, Natibaby, Lenny Lamb, Colimacon et Cie, Dolcino, Bebina etc.

There's a Bebina Blue Jeans here for £37, which is reasonable value I think (nothing to do with me, I just scanned the board for reasonably priced stuff):
www.naturalmamas.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=138641

Some basic info on brands and carries here www.becomingmamas.com/babywearing/wraps/

I thought I would love the ergo, but didn't . I found the connecta a much better fit and more comfortable. I can't recommend it enough.