Could anyone reccommend a new sling for us?

[Mrschn0804]

My 18 week old ds is a big boy at over 18 lbs already! We've been using a caboo sling since birth which has been great but I find now that after a while it makes my back ache lugging him around in it.

Can anyone suggest a sling that will give me more back support? He has v good head control so preferably with the option for him to forward face on occasion.

I'd really recommend a Connecta. My DS is big too but I can barely feel his weight at all when he's in it. It doesn't face out but his head isn't in a super snuggled position so he's fairly free to look out and around

ErgoBaby carriers are quite popular on our site and are designed for children up to 20kg. The only problem is that the original ErgoBaby is only for parent-facing. There is a lot of hip support (for you) to help alleviate back pain.

They've just designed the 360, which allows baby to forward face as well.

Baby Bjorn carriers are also very popular, are made for forward facing.

Boba 4g

Love my ergo. I can carry 22lb dd very comfortably on my front and back.

Connectas are great. I can still carry 2.5yo 12kg DS in mine and it is comfortable.
Forward facing would probably put more strain on your shoulders/back as baby's weight pulls away from you, rather than moulding to your shape like they do facing inwards.
At 18 weeks with good head control, you could probably manage back carries, if you felt confident. If you have a local sling library, they can give you a demonstration and you could even borrow a few slings to see what works best for you.
At this age I used a BabyHawk - a square of fabric with four straps coming off it that you tie to you like an apron. It was very comfy with DS and I used it for well over a year (until his legs got too long). I like the reinforced panel at the top that still provides some head support when they are little, especially when they fall asleep. You can generally pick them up second hand for £45ish. Can be used front and back.

Love my ergo, no forward facing option but you can use a hip hold or a back hold...DS loved the hip hold when he was small as he was still snuggled but could see what was going on. Now (1yo) he mainly goes on my back and I can barely feel the weight as it's so well distributed. highly recommended!