Carrier recommendations needed (bad back)

[hipstamom]

Hey everyone! I'm expecting #2 and starting to research what carrier to get.

I had a c-sec w/ DS. My lower back was never the same after the epidural and c-sec. I had a ring carrier which both of us hated. I also had the Baby Bjorn and it killed my back so my hubster used it.

A decade later I find myself here again and the dizzying array of choices has me gobsmacked!

The OB's goal is VBAC but a c-sec is still possible.

Any recommendations/suggestions?

Ange

[ABO Mama]

I had 2 c-sec's. My preference is a wrap. I had cool weather babies, so a moby was fine, but for a warm weather baby, I would go for a lighter wrap, like wrapsody, or a woven wrap.

[lizzywednesday]

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!

[crl]

I really did not like the wrap. Stretchy wraps get so many recommendations I decided I should give it a try, but I found all that fabric really frustrating. I loved my pikkolo. (I don't have a bad back, but I do have a bad neck.). I also loved my freehand mei tei.

Catherine

[roseyloxs]

Another vote for a wrap. I only have ever used a moby so I can't speak to anything else but nothing is as comfortable for me as a wrap. For itty bitty's my second favorite style is a Mei Tai with wide straps like the ones from Sweet Slings or Sugar Tai.

As the kids get bigger then I use a soft structured carrier (like the ergo, beco, etc). My favorites are kinderpacks.

[swissair81]

As the kids get bigger then I use a soft structured carrier (like the ergo, beco, etc). My favorites are kinderpacks.

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

[acmom]

Loved my Beco Gemini

[jam224]

If you're thinking about getting a wrap like the Moby, I would suggest looking at the Boba Wrap. The Boba Wrap has spandex in it, so it's more stretchy and doesn't require re-wrapping throughout the day.

Yeah, the Bjorn was rather popular for a while, but I actually don't know of many parents that liked it, so you're not alone! If you're looking for a soft-structured carrier, definitely check out the Boba 3G. You can use it with a newborn without needing an insert and then when your baby gets bigger, you can use the removable foot straps for their longer legs.

If you have more questions about carriers, you can contact FrogMama and see what she recommends for you. She has a 30-day return policy, if you wanted to test-drive something.

Good luck with the VBAC and babywearing!

[lizzywednesday]

...

Yeah, the Bjorn was rather popular for a while, but I actually don't know of many parents that liked it, so you're not alone! If you're looking for a soft-structured carrier, definitely check out the Boba 3G. You can use it with a newborn without needing an insert and then when your baby gets bigger, you can use the removable foot straps for their longer legs.

...

I think it might be a personal preference - one of the leaders of my babywearing group here didn't particularly care for the 3G for the newborn stage, because she felt the snap-down was too fussy and the body was too floppy, but, again, it's probably a personal preference thing.

[ckso]

I second the beco Gemini. It's allows forward facing like the Bjorn but soooo much more comfortable, like the ergo