Best Baby Carrier for bad necks/shoulders

[Cornishchough]

Hi everyone, I am due beginning of September and I am now looking for carriers to carry the NB in but I suffer from a condition called Dystonia which is muscle spasming in my neck and shoulder. I have been recommended the Baby Bjorn collection and the Ergo collection but I still cant work out which is best for me so I would be really grateful if someone could help. Which is the best carrier that distributes the baby's weight more on my back than shoulders/neck??
Thank you :)

Hi
I have only heard bad things about Baby Bjorn's in that they put all weight on shoulders and put the babies hips in a bad position. I did try one and had to stop after about ten mins as my lower back ached so much (i have lower back problems). I borrowed a Manduca and it was amazing, the weight is put onto your hips and the baby is in a good position. It can also be used front, back and side carry. I got mine from Amazon. No experience of Ergo. hth

Hello hello - I have a Bjorn, the one with added back support, and frankly it did me no good at all! DS is too heavy for it now (14mo), but even when he was small it did my neck and shoulders in after a short while, and the aches lasted days.

I used a BabaSling for ages, I found that great, but it did start to strain my shoulders when he got heavier, and I don't use it anymore.

Best thing I've got is the HippyChick HipSeat, I got mine for £10 secondhand on eBay, and it's been fan-bloody-tastic. It's not a hands free sling, it's a seat that straps around your waist/hips, so the weight is taken on your hips/lower back. I still use it regularly, and have carried my 2.5yo nephew on it (for a short while!).

I've been looking into the Ergo recently for using in as a back-sling for day trips into London - can't hack taking a buggy on the tube!

HTH

Ergos are good for back carrying older babies (6mo on) but for a newborn you're best off with a wrap sling like a Hugabug or a Moby, or if you want something with more structure and less having-to-learn-how-to-tie-it-on, a Mai Tai or similar.

Stay FAR away from BabyBjorn. They are uncomfortable for you and for baby. Horrible things.

I hated the baby bjorn - I had no shoulder/back problems before using it and loads of pain afterwards. So I tried and loved the Didymos sling - it takes a few times to get used to tying it but it's so worth the effort. It spread the weight evenly across the whole back, was incredibly comfortable and I used it till ds was almost 3 instead of a buggy. I now have a v strong back (and didn't before). Can't recommend it highly enough. Good luck!

best bet would be to find a local sling meet or sling library - you can get advice and borrow a sling to try them out when your LO arrives. We did that and have now bought a stretch sling (Hana Baby). We borrowed a Kari Me and I loved it, so we knew a stretch sling was what we wanted to buy.

We went to the Sling Library in South London when I was heavily pregnant. DH tried all the slings on (my bump got in the way!) and we discussed our options with Emily (aka the sling lady) and when PFB arrived my husband went there again to borrow the KAri Me (although we could have borrowed it via the post if we had wanted to).

If you are in London Emily will also do consultations in your home. One of my NCT group did that when her LO was a few weeks old as she could not get to the library during the opening hours.

I have heard bad things about the baby bjorn, although men seem to get on with it well. The Ergo and Close carriers also come highly recommended by friends of mine.

Hello all,

Just wanted to say thank you for ALL of your feedback it has been a real great help for me and I really appreciate it all!

Thejoyfulpuddlejumper - I am based in SW Cornwall so there are not many Sling library groups around here..

Do not get a babybjorn. It is not as supportive as other carriers.

An ergo/manduca both have much better support, and big fat belts round your waist, so essentially you can carry with a lot of weight on your hips, just like a proper hiking backpack. Certainly with the manduca you have lots of things to pull and tighten, so you have better choice about weight distribution. (I have a manduca and love it).

Something like a mei tai would be similar and you can learn to tie it in a way that suits your needs. Also, a stretchy wrap (like a mobywrap) is good. Probably better than a close carrier, as it is more versatile in the different ways you can carry and tie it, so again you can make sure you support where needed.

OP if there are no sling libraries near you how about trying the South London sling library where you can borrow by post? Try Emily by email or phone. She may know of a sling meet local to you too...:
Emily Williamson
South London Sling Library
www.southlondonslings.com
www.facebook.com/SouthLondonSlingLibrary
mob: 07793823539
post: 34 York Hill, London, SE27 0AD