Ergo - Am I doing something wrong? My back hurts!

[Limabean1975]

My gorgeously chubby 8 month old is 22 pounds. My back, with her worn on my back, starts to ache within 20 minutes or so. Mostly upper back, shoulders, neck. By the time I've walked to get my son from school, hung around the school yard a bit, and come home, my shoulders are burning and I'm dying to get her off my back (about an hour)...
But I really like back carrying her otherwise!

I read so many positive reviews of the Ergo, see people proclaiming that their 40lb child feels like a featherweight in it....is this all hype, or am I doing something wrong?

Thanks!

[lifeguard]

Do you have the shoulder straps & chest straps tightened sufficiently? I find I need to snug them up pretty well & kind of bounce ds up a bit as I do so.

Try to be aware of your posture as well - if you're hunching forward it can put strain on your back.

[Limabean1975]

Definitely well-tightened - actually, I wondered if overtightening could cause a problem. And I do the bounce, too.

Posture could certainly be an issue.

[skueppers]

Originally Posted by Limabean1975

I read so many positive reviews of the Ergo, see people proclaiming that their 40lb child feels like a featherweight in it....is this all hype, or am I doing something wrong?

I have worn my 40+ pound 5-year-old in the Ergo without it seeming like a strain (except when climbing stairs, but there the problem was with my legs, not my back). I'm not sure what could be causing the pain you describe, but I would definitely check the tightness of the straps, as the previous posters recommended. You want the child snuggled right up against you.

[Limabean1975]

The straps are definitely tight enough - almost as tight as they can get. I wonder if it's because I have the older version of the Ergo? It seems like it is quite low on her back, and could benefit from being bigger/higher.

[SallyN]

Honestly, I couldn't get the Ergo comfortable for me. It felt like it was smashing DD2 up against my back... so that hurt my back. If I loosened the straps, then my shoulders/neck hurt.

I sold it and instead got a Two Mommas Designs buckle tai... the shape and structure just works better for me. IMO, it's all about personal preference... interestingly, the Sachi mei tai that I LOVED with DD1, I don't so much love with DD2... DD1 was a near-constant nurser, whereas DD2 is not... so they definitely 'sit' differently when I hold/wear them.