what am i doing wrong with the ergo?

cia · February 2012

I feel like an hour or two after wearing DD in the ergo my lower back starts to hurt really badly, like it's seizing up. Isn't the ergo designed to not hurt your back? What am I doing wrong?

angelaggie · February 2012

Is it snug on your hips. And are the straps really snug. I don't have one but I would think those two things are very important in replacing all pressure. Otherwise you are going to lean back instead of letting the ergo do the work.

atlantic · February 2012

I love my ergo but honestly couldn't wear her all day in it. I hav a bad back and Anytime I had her in it that long and walking around my lower back would hurt too. But compared to other carriersvthat would literally hurt within minutes, I still always though the ergo was great. Sometimes I would put my hands under her bottom to shift the weigh for a bit (p.s. I'm talking about a front carry, never tried the other ways!)

Taytee · February 2012

Back pain while wearing baby is all about your own adjustments to the baby's position. If the baby is too low, some women thrust their hips forward with the shoulders counter balancing back which creates strain on the lower back from those muscles constantly being tense. This is similiar to the position many women take in late pregnancy to accomidate their belly. And also why their backs hurt

Alternately, when baby's entire body weight is at the hips and none of it is being taken up by the shoulders, some women stick their rear end out (like a chicken?), holding the baby with their hands to help feel like the baby is secure. I see that a lot at Whole Foods for some reason! When baby is the proper postition, your posture should be as close to normal as possible. It should look and feel like you're not wearing a baby at all! So when you first put DD on, pay attention to how you're shifting your posture to determine where to move her or the Ergo or both to stop unnatural movement.

Try putting her up higher and tighter against your body. Depending on your body shape and size , that may mean adjusting the waist position higher. I have a very long torso and I couldn't place the Moby low on my hip bones as most people do because that's NOT where my center of gravity would support it. It was almost at what most people would consider their waist to be but that's where I needed it to keep Emily high and tight against my chest instead of resting on my belly. If I couldn't kiss the top of her head, it would hurt my back something fierce. Mind you, this was all <6 months but the ergonomics is the same.

The Austin Babywearers meets at BabyEarth in North RR monthly too. Their last meeting was just last week though =( M_and_M may have some suggestions for you though.

Sinafey · February 2012

Taytee:
Back pain while wearing baby is all about your own adjustments to the baby's position. If the baby is too low, some women thrust their hips forward with the shoulders counter balancing back which creates strain on the lower back from those muscles constantly being tense. This is similiar to the position many women take in late pregnancy to accomidate their belly. And also why their backs hurt

Alternately, when baby's entire body weight is at the hips and none of it is being taken up by the shoulders, some women stick their rear end out (like a chicken?), holding the baby with their hands to help feel like the baby is secure. I see that a lot at Whole Foods for some reason! When baby is the proper postition, your posture should be as close to normal as possible. It should look and feel like you're not wearing a baby at all! So when you first put DD on, pay attention to how you're shifting your posture to determine where to move her or the Ergo or both to stop unnatural movement.

Try putting her up higher and tighter against your body. Depending on your body shape and size , that may mean adjusting the waist position higher. I have a very long torso and I couldn't place the Moby low on my hip bones as most people do because that's NOT where my center of gravity would support it. It was almost at what most people would consider their waist to be but that's where I needed it to keep Emily high and tight against my chest instead of resting on my belly. If I couldn't kiss the top of her head, it would hurt my back something fierce. Mind you, this was all <6 months but the ergonomics is the same.

The Austin Babywearers meets at BabyEarth in North RR monthly too. Their last meeting was just last week though =( M_and_M may have some suggestions for you though.

:thumbsup: All of this!

We do have a meeting coming up at Cherrywood Coffeehouse at 10:30 this Tuesday, too. www.bigtent.com/groups/aabw

I'll also add that while Ergos are generally very well-liked they don't work for everybody. I find that I have a hard time getting a comfortable fit in any structured buckle carrier, but the more custom fit of a mei tai or wrap let me wear DD for longer.

Finally, back carries are your friend! I could never wear DD for long periods in front, but we'd both be good for hours in a back carry.

bluestreet · February 2012

I've been wearing M in the ergo lately too, and I can wear her on my back forever, but no more than 40 minutes on my front before my back hurts.

cia · February 2012

Thanks ladies, this is a huge help. I have been wearing her high on my waist, but maybe I need to switch it up and try it lower against my hips. I did the back carry yesterday and that seemed to help, although E fell asleep and had no neck support. I felt so bad when I caught a glimpse in the mirror and saw her hanging out the back!

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