bad back-which sling?

[tzs]

while still preggos i had intended to get a maya wrap. it just seemed more my style. but in the meantime i have been lent a variety of front carriers (mei tai, ergo...), followed by testimonials from people who love love love their moby wrap.
problem is, i have a bad disk in my lower back from 10 yrs ago which usually causes me no problem, not even during my pregnancy, but i can wear my 9 pound 8 week old for literally 2 minutes on my front and the next day my back goes out.
i had borrowed a moby just the other day to try the hip hold and maybe choose it over the maya wrap but in the process of getting the tying right and wearing the kid very briefly on the front (i'm talking minutes and half of it sitting) i hurt my back to the point that i actually fell to the ground when it went out later that night.
ugh!
will any sling work better than another? she's too young for back carries and i'm not sure the maya wrap would work any better.

[pixiepunk]

she's not too young for back carries. and that's what i would do - front carries are very stressful on the low back especially post partum when you're lacking in core strength due to still stretched abdominis recti and weakened transverse abdominals which normally work to protect the lumbar spine.

good back carry instructions for using a mei tai on the kozycarrier.com website, as well as many youtube videos.

it's also important to remember that you will, to some extent, and no matter what carrier and carry you choose, need to build up your babywearing muscles in order to comfortably wear your baby for longer periods of time.

[tzs]

this seems soooo scary to have her on the back.
i had her on the front with the ergo the other day and because her legs are too small to go around the straps, within a few minutes she was sliding out the bottom. i felt really lucky to have even noticed.
is it better with the mei tai? i might feel more comfortable with the moby since it goes around the legs and under the butt???

[lizvt]

I think with a bad back it is best to stick with a two shoulder carry.
Do you have the newborn insert for the ergo to use with her? I found that my DS wasn't big enough to use the Ergo straddled until he was about 5 months old or so. If you don't have the newborn insert, you could probably use a small, thick quilt to fold her in and then place into the Ergo with both feet to one side. The insert should be folded up at the bottom, creating a thick wall, so she will not slide out.
As far as back carries, it is possible to do one with a young babe in a wrap or mei tai. There are a lot of videos on you tube or maybe a local babywearer could show you . Basically, you want them nice and high so that their head is resting on your shoulder and the fabric from the carrier is supporting their neck. With their head on your neck you can hear and feel them breathing.

I found a warp to be the most comfortable way to wear my DS when he was really young and I also have a bad back. With something like to Moby you can tighten it so that the fabric completely molds to you body giving you a custom fit. You can also spread the fabric all the way criss-crossing across your back (or front) so that the weight is really distributed (not just on two straps on your shoulders)

Good luck!

[pixiepunk]

i would think she'd be too little for legs out in an ergo. a mei tai is totally different because you can adjust the bottom to have legs out, or froggy the legs in and tie the shoulder straps to close the gaps on the sides.

[ms.shell]

while i loved loved the sling with my older ds and carried him comfortably until he was like 3 (using a maya, an otsbh, and also some pouch style ones i made myself), something has happened since then and i have not ever been comfortable with my 2nd son in any sling. or i might feel comfortable, but then hurt badly for days to weeks afterwards. Not sure if i am older and more crotchety or if its because this baby is much heavier than ds was. He also seems to intensely like being confined in a sling and will squirm uncomfortably if i try to use it. I got a strap on carrier by infantino that we do love. the straps criss cross in an x on the back and it seems to be just perfect for carrying this chunky monkey. i can wear him for hours without discomfort and he seems to love being strapped to me with his legs free and looking out. this carrier can be worn with babe facing in or out in the front, or on your back. it can also be used to strap baby to a regular chair if no high chair is handy, or in the front of a shopping cart- tho i havent tried using it in either of those ways yet. It is called the infantino 6-in-1 carrier and i think it was only like $30- but is weight rated up to, i think, 35 lbs and like i said, has been comfy and perfect for this older mama and big baby.