Slinging a toddler in early pregnancy

[Hopefully]

I don't use my sling all the time, probably once a week or so (for off road walks etc), and my ginormous 16 month old weighs just over 30lb.

We've been TTC number 2, and I've just (probably) had a MC. DP is all worried because I had DS in the sling the other day. I didn't really think it would affect anything in the very early stages as everything's below the pelvic bone, but should I avoid using the sling from whenever I fall pregnant? Obviously can't avoid having to pick DS up occasionally (he doesn't walk yet, lazy bugger).

Did other people use slings in the early days of PG? I probably won't want to once I've got a bump (have never mastered back carries), but until then...

a sling will have nothing to do with the miscarriage.

I carried dd1 at 3yo in early pg, right up to 30+ wks pg. And I had SPD.

Lots of women carry heavy loads in early pg - think of all the women in Africa who carry water for miles every day, day in day out in all stages of pg and probably with a baby on their back too.

i have always carried mine in slings in early pregnancy, and even my consultant told me its fine. what he told me is that u are more likely to get an injury to YOURSELF (ie bck or shoulder)

if u can master back carrying, u can carry them right up to delivery, as long as you feel comfortable

Thanks very much for the reassurance! I thought it was probably OK, but nothing like MC to make you question everything you do to protect a pregnancy...

Sorry to crash, but how are you doing back carrying with a bump? I have a Connecta and a freehand mei tai. I also have a moby but I can't imagine DS would have the patience to be wrapped on my back (he's 16 months). And I have a wilkinet but I've bought that since pg so not used I yet. Would any of these work? I would be concerned about doing myself an injury - would it be more likely as I haven't been carrying for six months? (DC2 arriving in April).

back carry in a mei tai is easy just tie it below or above your bump instead of across your tummy.
wrapping is best in my experience because you can have all the material on your shoulders and bust so nothing is restricting your tummy (although you cant really use a stretchy carrier past 6 months or so, only woven, so the moby no good)

never tried a connecta, i dont like buckles.

Sorry about your MC Hopefully. AFAIK the only reason to avoid general heavy lifting is to protect your back, it wouldn't threaten the pregnancy. I'm also TTCing just now and have been wondering about this though, so thanks for asking the question. My feeling is that my back/joints will be more protected with DS in a well-spread wrap job than being up and down in my arms!

Sorry to hear about the possible MC. I can't add anything about that particularly, but wanted to add a word of warning based on my experience. When I was 4 months pregnant with DS2, I put DS1 (17 months) in my Babasling to do a bit of hoovering (as I did each week before then) because he was frightened of the noise. It was okay at the time but I woke at 6a.m the next morning and could not lift my head off the pillow as had pulled muscles in one side of my neck and shoulder that had stiffened over night. Due to lack of stomach muscles, I couldn't do a sit-up to enable cradling of my head with both hands so had to shout for DH to help me get up!! It hurt for about 3 weeks so be warned. I think the main thing to consider is that activities might not feel sore at the time but might stiffen up later on. I'm certainly no sling expert, but it sounds as if lots of you use one that goes across your back so that should balance the load more than mine which pulls across one side.

Ouch Bethylou! Sounds sore. Am hoping that DS will have bothered to start walking by the time I'm four months pregnant (he's got to start one day, right?) so won't be slinging him much.

Have definitely MC'd, which is sad, but (just in case anyone checks this thread for information) MW at EPU was doubly reassuring that carrying in early PG wouldn't cause MC.

sorry to hear that but good that the MW was reassuring.

MC are common, try not to beat urself up, no one knows what causes them x