Crippling back carrying my toddler

[KissyThief]

Hi,

I’m not sure whether I should be posting this here or elsewhere.

My lo is nearly 2 and he isn’t walking. We’ve only just started getting the ball rolling with support for him but right now the biggest challenge is that he weighs over 2 stone and I carry him almost everywhere. We live on a third floor flat and when I carry him he leans backwards and goes into a paddy.

My back and neck is killing me. I wake up and it’s so painful just to move.

Any advice?

You need to go careful as I slipped my disc this year trying to get my son in the car. Have you looked into slings as they do them for children with additional needs (who are of average size but can't walk for whatever reason) xx The lady i contacted said they can be used for kids up 6 ish years old x

This does not sound sustainable. A Hippy chick hip seat might take some of the pressure off. Honestly I think some proper advice from a physio would be a good investment - appts round here are around £35. You protectng your back is absolutely essential to you both getting around so don't be a martyr, you need to avoid worse damage for both your sakes.

So private physio isn’t going to be possible in my area it’s like £60 for just an assessment. So I’m guessing I’m going to have to go to the gp about it.

I’ve already considered a hippy seat and I think it would cause more problems than it would solve. Might go to a babysling group, chaz was the lady you spoke to local to you or from like an organisation?

There are several toddler carriers available - Tula and Connector are two brands off the top of my head. You can also carry a toddler in a woven wrap, but this is a bit more distillery to get the hang of - takes practise

Hopefully there's a sling library near you and you can get some in person guidance and try a few different types out. If you don't have access to a sling library there are several Facebook groups that sell slings at reasonable prices and second hand slings tend to hold their value, so you can resell if it's not suitable.

Fiddly not distillery in my 1st paragraph!

If you go to a sling library you should be able to get some help, or at the very least a point in the direction of someone who can.
Sling groups often have people who carry older children for a variety of reasons so finding something suitable for a large 2 year old will be very normal for them I would think.

I went to a couple when looking for something for my dd, I ended up with a soft structured carrier (brand names - Tula, connecta, rose and rebellion, manduca, ergo to name a few) They are essentially a large rectangle of basic with straps from the top and a waist strap. Most use buckles and are easy to use with minimal practise, (I LOVE my rose and rebellion and used it for my very long legged dd when she was 4).
My only advice is to get the one with the widest fabric panel possible as this gives a more comfortable seat for your bigger child and will last you for a longer time as a result. Most of these are labelled toddler or preschool to help.

I also had a hippy chick, but I will say if your child is heavy I found I couldn't use it much past age 2 as it dug into my hipbone no matter how firmly I did the belt up.

All the very best and fell free to pm me if you want photos or further help with anything I've mentioned. Remember to take care of yourself too.

P.s. when I say 'bigger child' I don't mean to be rude. I simply mean some people want a sling suitable from a newborn baby right through which makes slings with lots of fabric harder. So having a bigger child makes the selection easier as they aren't likely to get swamped and they have a stable head.

I used an ergo for mine until he was actually quite old. I found the straps in it really did distribute the weight more evenly. (he didn't start walking past 20 months, and I used it well past then - as often easier than buggy when on buses etc) but def see if there is a sling library you can go to try out. The ergo was good because it wasn't bulky, and the child basically sits like a piggy back behind you.