Carrier recommendations needed (bad back)

[anne-girl]

I'd also recommend a wrap. If you've tried a long one and feel like it's too much fabric, you can use a shorter wrap if it's a woven. You can't tie all the carries that are great for a newborn with a shorter one, but it's less fabric to lug around.

I'm pretty sure the Boba wrap is the Moby wrap--I think I read somewhere that Boba bought Moby but I'm not sure. I did like a stretchy wrap for a newborn but DS was too heavy by 5 mos.

I have shoulder and mid-back issues, and I found my Gypsymama less comfortable and more likely to give pressure points. I switched to a heavier wrap when DS was one and wished I'd had it when he was born! Thin wraps are also a bit harder to learn to tie than the thicker wraps, although they're comfier in summer for sure.

[Liziz]

I vote for a wrap like a Moby. I have a Moby and a Pikkolo, and while I love the ease of just snapping on the Pikkolo, I find the Moby more comfortable. The Pikkolo is comfortable too, but the Moby beats it, hands down. There's just so much fabric that you can spread out, it really helps with weight distribution. And there's some great videos online of how to wrap it, so don't be intimidated by that!

[hipstamom]

I second the wrap for the newborn stage; I had a woven (EllaRoo brand.)

There are 3 active babywearing groups in NJ and they can help you choose a carrier beyond those if you'll be able to get out to a meeting. (They've divided themselves by region - North, Central & South - but it's a fairly "vast" geographic area to work with.)

Beyond the newborn stage, I did just fine with the ErgoBaby, but I'm a "bigger" person. I'd also recommend the Pikkolo (with support belt) and Beco Gemini if you're narrower in the shoulder. The Gemini is kind of like what might happen if the Bjorn and the Ergo mated - it's got the ergonomic design of the Ergo with the FFO option and narrower body of the Bjorn (oh and the straps can be criss-crossed in the back for front carries like the Bjorn, though it's perfectly safe to do them backpack style like the Ergo) ... and the back-carry option of the Ergo.

You could also try the Beco Butterfly II, which has a built-in newborn insert & an internal harness that can allow baby to be passed between wearers without removing him/her from it. The babywearers like this carrier as well because you can move to a back carry with more confidence because of the internal harness.

And, yes, a back carry is actually better for a "bad" back than a front carry.

Last, may I recommend that you not do a facing-out carry at all? It screws up your center of gravity because Baby pulls away from you, so you curve your spine backwards to counteract it ... increasing pressure on your lower back - OUCH!

I live in NYC now, so I will look for a babywearing group out here. ITA about the front-carry hurting my lower back.

[lizzywednesday]

I live in NYC now, so I will look for a babywearing group out here. ITA about the front-carry hurting my lower back.

There's a group that meets in Central Park that might be a good fit if you can get to them. This is a link to their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Carry...21595484524104

[ecdyses]

There are cute new kinderpacks up for preview right now. I think the sale starts tomorrow.

Kinderpacks are amazing. Really good at transferring weight to the hips and they are generously sized so they last much much longer than other SSCs (such as the ergo). Well made here in the US to very high standards. The infant size has an adjustable base and fits newborn to well past a year. My 30 lb toddler fits perfectly in the toddler size. It is by far the most comfy SSC I have see tried (I've had many) and worth every penny.