Which carrier makes it easiest to do housework?

rmaxim · February 2013

Hi all. I'm pretty new to AP, I had some curiosities about it with my first baby, EBF'd and wore him a lot in an Ergo (he was a fussy baby), but I am just now finally getting around to reading Dr Sears' The Baby Book with #2 being 2 months old.

So now I have some questions about babywearing... the book talks a lot about being able to do anything while wearing - housework, nursing, working... and that sounds fabulous. But having used a Moby for the first month or so, and now mostly using the Ergo now that DD is big enough to not need the infant insert, I am finding that it's still pretty hard to get things done. Having baby in front of me makes it hard to do anything 2-handed. I cannot get into a comfortable position for nursing with either carrier. I find the time I most need to wear her (fussy times) are when I'm trying to prepare dinner, which doesn't seem safe (while using a knife or cooking at the stove).

It seems like the book endorses ring slings, so I ordered a Maya Wrap ring sling a couple days ago and it's supposed to be here tomorrow. Hoping that helps...

I'm wondering if anyone can offer suggestions for how to overcome these challenges, or if there is a particular carrier that is better than the Ergo for freeing up hands? How do you get housework done while wearing? Do I just need more practice? TIA.

tokenhoser · February 2013

A back carry is the most useful way to get things done while wearing a baby. You can start that in the Ergo around 5-6 months. If you want to do back carries with a younger baby, you kind of need a mei tai or a woven wrap.

Nursing in a carrier also becomes easier with age; around 5 months, DS had the head control that I could just loosen the Ergo straps and slide him down. He's nurse sitting upright, then I'd tighten him back up. I wore shirts I could pull a boob out of the top of to accomplish this.

skibunny59 · February 2013

I cook dinner wearing DD in the Ergo in a front carry. I am just super careful. I will chop veggies and stir a pot of pasta. The only cooking I won't do while wearing her is reaching into the oven or frying stuff.

I can't get the hang of nursing in any carrier. DD is 10 months old.

rmaxim · February 2013

skibunny59:
I cook dinner wearing DD in the Ergo in a front carry. I am just super careful. I will chop veggies and stir a pot of pasta. The only cooking I won't do while wearing her is reaching into the oven or frying stuff.

I can't get the hang of nursing in any carrier. DD is 10 months old.

This is what I mostly do now - and I put an apron over everything to keep food off the carrier and baby!

Thanks everyone for your recommendations. Never did try a back carry - DS got so big so fast I stopped when he got too heavy! Maybe DD will be different

tokenhoser · February 2013

A back carry is way more comfortable than a front carry, weight wise. It's more like a piggy-back ride and puts more weight naturally on your hips.

lizztheo · February 2013

I second a back carry. We have a mei tai though, and I love it. I hate the super bulky straps of the ergo but I'm also only 5 feet tall so the whole thing is rather large on me. The mei tai is awesome for a really high back carry and housework. It takes a ton if practice getting him in it, I'm still working on it.

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Which carrier makes it easiest to do housework?

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