when to give up front carry?

[fluffikins]

Currently front carry my one year old at least twice a day, usually 2x 40 min dog walks. She's getting heavier though and I'm wondering about back carry. The only issue is she naps at the moment on these walks and often continues to sleep when I get back. If I back carry then I'll have to sit perched forward until she wakes up! And there's I don't think she'd stay asleep if I tried to move her.

Do I continue front carry or give up with sling naps entirely or is there another option?

What do you carry her in? Could you try an SSC with a sleep hood to solve the back carry problem? Have you attempted to transfer her?

I front carried DD in a toddler Tula until about 15 months. I only had to stop once she got too long.

Yep she's in a Tula, which I love. I've not tried to transfer her from a back carry to a cot or anything but given she wakes up every time I move her e.g. From car seat then I'm pretty sure it won't work. At the moment she falls asleep in the sling, I come back home and sit down, unclip the neck clip and sit on the sofa until she wakes up. If she was in back carry I obviously wouldn't be able to sit like that

OK, I'd suggest either trying a back carry with the sleep hood up to keep her head in place, or attempting a transfer - you can do this really, really gently with a sling. I did it by bending all the way down to the bed to deposit DD and then unbuckling, leaving her asleep on top of the Tula. Worth a try?

Timing is important though - with DD I knew that she would be most soundly asleep about 15-20 mins into the nap and would transfer without a peep. From about 40 mins she would be coming out of a sleep cycle and sleeping much more lightly, so I'd have to wait another 20 mins or so to transfer.

Coming to this late, but my son is 4.5yrs. He sleeps in his carriers on my back - I have a Lillebaby Carryon ssc and a woven wrap. Neither have sleep hoods (well the Lille does but it doesn't reach now). I've never found it a problem as long as I get DS high enough. He slept for 1 hour today in the wrap. If I feel his head roll back I just give a little jiggle.

When I transfer I unbuckle or unwrap and then sit on bed/sofa and lie back almost flat until he's down.