Recommend your carrier for a toddler

nd&ka

Hello!

I'm still loving baby wearing my tiny 14 month old (18 pounds) but it seems my current carrier is beginning to hurt.  Any recommendations on a new one, I need something she can be on the front of me and face out or inward.

TIA!

nd&ka

Im a little leary of the back carrier...

Can your LO see?  How to you get them in and out???

 

Thanks!

C-Charm

I would not recommend carrying a 14-month old in a front facing out (FFO) carry.  Even if your LO is on the smaller side, at that weight and length, I can't imagine how it would be comfortable for either of you.  Imagine this:  If a petite woman were excited to see her husband, she might run and jump into his arms.  He could carry her around for quite some time if she was facing toward him with her knees up and on either side of his body.  Imagine how long he would be able to carry her if she were facing away from him with her legs bent--knees up and out.  Not very.

You'll want a carrier that will mimic the way you carry her when she's not in a carrier--something that will align her closer to your center of gravity than FFO.  You'll also want something that will support her from knee to knee and pull her knees up higher than her butt.

I'd recommend any two-shoulder carrier--a mei tai, wrap or soft-structured carrier. Any of those will allow you to do a back carry.  However, you may not be able to do a high back carry (so that your LO can see over your shoulder) with an SSC. If you've been comfortable with wrapping, a short wrap is perfect for toddlers.  You can use it like a ring sling for quick one-shoulder carries.  You can also use it for quick, single-layer back carries. More info on those three types of carriers here:  Choosing a Baby Carrier,,  Sling Guide.

Like MandJS said, there are three ways that people usually use to get LOs on/off their backs--santa toss, hip scoot and superman.  My go-to method is the superman with a wrap.  I may do something different if LO is asleep or if I use a mei tai.    Here's a vid showing all three methods.Babywearing - three ways to get a baby onto your back - YouTube. 

She also mentioned sitting in a chair first to get your DD onto your back.  That could work well with a mei tai.

 

nd&ka

Thank you so much ladies!

I feel a lot better about getting her onto my back now.

I will update you on my purchase tomorrow (and my chosen "toss" technique!)

 

Thanks again!