How long do you NEED the infant insert for the Ergo?

MagickalNarwhal · April 2012

I have a somewhat giant 7 week old (13 - 14 lbs-ish) and if I try and use the infant insert for our Ergo, he seems so squished and miserable. And he barely fits. He has goood neck/head control for a 7 week old I guess (he's my first) but the Ergo site says you should use the insert until 4 - 6 months to help spine and hip development. If that's the case then I think I will just have to wait until 4 months to use it anymore as I can't seem to make the insert work. It's the heart2heart insert, by the way.

Thanks!

StefandTodd · April 2012

Pull the little pillow part of the insert out of the wrap part, and just use that. I think 4 months is on the early side, and that 5.5-6 months is a better estimation of when you can go without anything in it. But I never used the full wrap part after like a month or two. Just the pillow part.

MagickalNarwhal · April 2012

So it's the pillow part that supports the hips and spine dev they are talking about? I have tried that half-heartedly and it feels like his butt and feet sit on the top of the pillow, is that OK? I can't get it to be that his butt is on the pillow and his feet and on the, well, floor? of the ergo...

StefandTodd · April 2012

His butt should be sitting on the pillow, and his legs can spread a little around your middle. The problem with them not having a pillow is that the hips have to splay WAY out in the very seat of the Ergo, which they can't do comfortably until older.

See here how even though she's using the whole thing, his little leg are sticking out a little? That's okay b/c his butt isn't way low in the seat of the Ergo with his legs widely splayed. So yes, you can remove the wraparound part and as long as his head/neck is not too weak, he should be nice and comfy in there.

Hope that makes sense.

MagickalNarwhal · April 2012

Aha! Thank you! That pic is super helpful.

What about having him in w no pillow, but kind of froglegged? Legs inside/knees bent? I think thats the correct position for a newborn in a mei-tai, could that also work?

StefandTodd · April 2012

I've done that too, but honestly the pillow became much more comfortable early on so that he wouldn't sink too low. Without the pillow, I'd have to keep hiking him up to be comfy, and I hated disturbing him sleeping. If I was going somewhere where I might need a blanket, I'd roll up a blanket and put it in there instead. Or once we were traveling and I couldn't decide if I wanted to bring my Ergo or moby, so I used the Moby as a pillow so I could have an excuse to have both with me

I was curious if I had anything on my baby blog and dug up this photo of me with my guy in the Ergo, using only the pillow. He was 6 weeks and 2 days old in this picture and weighed about 13 lb. We were comfy like this for hours, walking around a Fall festival picking out Pumpkins for Halloween. Good luck

poison489 · April 2012

DS was able to use the Ergo without the insert at 4 months. He was already 27 inches tall had great head control. You might just have all of the straps pulled to tight if the LO looks squished.

TheMrs1009 · April 2012

DS is three months old and we stopped using the insert and pillow maybe two weeks ago. DS is a big boy and long, so he's able to sit securely with his legs inside and head well above the top of the carrier. I think you just want to make sure your baby is secure inside and has plenty of room to breathe at the top.

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How long do you NEED the infant insert for the Ergo?

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