Mothering › Forums › Natural Family Living › Babywearing › DH got me a Moby for Valentines day! Now how do you use it to wear them on your back? PIC POST #11.
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DH got me a Moby for Valentines day! Now how do you use it to wear them on your back? PIC POST #11.

post #1 of 15
2/18/10 at 1:21pm
Thread Starter 
I know you can just need some pointers. DD2 is 4.5 mo. has good head control. and weighs about 14 lbs. i tried it once all ready but when she fell asleep her head wasnt secured enough and it was floppy.
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post #2 of 15
2/18/10 at 8:07pm
Please don't use the Moby as a back carrier. I know that Moby has in the past published instructions for it but unless you are a very experienced wrapper (in which case you'd be using a different wrap for back carries) a stretchy wrap like a Moby is simply not a safe carrier for back carries for a novice wrapper.

It would be much better to get a carrier that is appropriate for back carries -- a buckle carrier, a mei tai, a woven wrap, or even a hybrid wrap like the Wrapsody BaliStretch. But cotton jersey knit wraps like the Moby (and Sleepy Wrap, Cuddly Wrap, Hug a Bub, etc.) are simply too stretchy to get a good, secure wrap that baby can't lean/fall out of.
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post #3 of 15
2/19/10 at 12:07pm
Thread Starter 
i cant afford to buy a different wrap. that is why i asked for advice on how to do it. i have been baby wearing for years. just never had a moby before. i was doing the torso carry with a kanga (strip of fabric with no ties etc). and if that can be made secure than so can my not so stretchy moby.
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post #4 of 15
2/19/10 at 12:13pm
I have a karime, basically the same as a Moby.

I take it you are tying the wrap on and then having DH or someone put the baby in?

My tips without any further info are a) tie it on tighter than usual - you usually have belly and boob on the front which help support the babe, on your back it's more or less flat so the carrier has to do all the cuddly-securing, and b) be in company and have your helper put the shoulder part over babe's head to hold it steady as soon as he falls asleep (or before, if you're WANTING a nap to happen asap when you put him in). That stops the flopping about ness i found.

I will admit i preferred a meitai for back carrying, but mainly because i was a single mama and getting the baby securely onto your back in a wrap is not at all easy! With my homemade meitai it was much easier.
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post #5 of 15
2/19/10 at 12:17pm
Thread Starter 
actually i swing the baby on to my back first. then pull the middle up over her to he back of her head. then i tightly pull it up and over my shoulder. then diagnally down across her back and under her legs. then bring the ends up and pull them under then shoulder strap then tie together in front. it was very tight and felt very secure. she rode in the sam position she ould have been in the kanga torso. she was very comfortable but when she fell asleep her head would tilt backwards.

so i am thinking i either dont have the middle up high enough on her head or the diagonal peices arent spread out enough?
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post #6 of 15
2/19/10 at 12:25pm
probably the latter - i did exactly what you describe to get DD up on my back! It's fun figuring it out getting them into it on your own isn't it!

I would try checking in a mirror or even just by feel which way her head is likely to loll when she falls asleep, and then spread that side wider and also, if you can (i figured it out, it's not hard) try pulling the outer edge of the diagonal straps tighter than the middle of the strap - the way you do to make a pouch in a ring sling...? That make sense?

The middle being high helps to some extent but i found i had to have it actually ON the back of DD's head for it to help prevent floppiness, because the edge of the knit fabric has a tendency to roll up without much pressure, especially when it's tied on tight (which it has to be).
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post #7 of 15
2/19/10 at 12:37pm
I just wanted to say it's really sweet of your dh to get you a carrier for valentines
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post #8 of 15
2/19/10 at 1:42pm
Thread Starter 
thanks lyterae, i thought it was sweet too!

GoBecGo- i cant find the video that shows how i did it. but it felt good on my back and i was able to carry her longer than usual. i am going to try it again today (got housework to do and baby is teething and fussy lol)

and i do love figuring out how to do it own my own. its not like Dh cn come home to help me lol.
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post #9 of 15
2/19/10 at 1:50pm
Is it easier/more comfortable than a Kanga? I was looking at a Kanga because it's not stretchy, and it seems to work so well for African ladies! It just seems like it would actually be more secure. Is the Moby working out okay?
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post #10 of 15
2/20/10 at 11:22am
Thread Starter 
it worked great. the trick is to put it on on your back the way you would on front but without the straps tucked through. that way when baby falls asleep it isnt hard to tuck the strap around the back of their head t keep it secure. just like you would in front. it worked great. i like it better than the kanga because their isnt the baby sliding down your back feeling. i reccomend a woven wrap instead though. they are more secure. but if you already have a moby there is one video on you tube that shows you how to do a back carry, just search moby back carry.
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post #11 of 15
2/21/10 at 1:14pm
Thread Starter 
here i got a pic of me with DD2 on my back in the moby.

http://s366.photobucket.com/albums/o...t=100_3701.jpg

she looks great in there. what do you experts think about her position?
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post #12 of 15
2/21/10 at 11:44pm
I think it looks like a great wrapping job! Nice and tight, knees up-bum down position.

I gotta tell you, though, back carries with a stretchy wrap make me nervous. It's not something I would do myself, as DS is a back-archer. I know the moby is less stretchy than some, although it does get more stretchy as it's 'broken-in'. I think it's working for you, and I know you said you are a pretty experienced babywearer, so you should have good judgement about what feels secure.

Aren't back carries great?! I love the freedom and comfort of it. It's a whole new world of babywearing, compared to front carries.
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post #13 of 15
2/22/10 at 12:11am
I know lots of people here are very against back carries with a stretchy wrap but I did quite freqently with ds from 4-6 months. He was heavy (almost 25lbs) & we had no problems with it. I could feel immediately if it was starting to loosen (which it rarely did).
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post #14 of 15
2/22/10 at 2:11pm
The positioning of your LO looks good -- maybe getting a little higher would be good, but other than that...

I will say that yes, carrying a baby on your back with a stretchy wrap CAN be done. It can be done safely if you know what to watch out for and are experienced enough to wrap very very carefully. I would simply say that I would never recommend it to anyone. In my opinion, stretchy wraps just aren't meant for that and it's far too easy to have an unsafe situation.
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post #15 of 15
2/22/10 at 3:27pm
She looks great and you both look happy! I would imagine it'd be very easy to roll the fabric in on either shoulder strap to cover her head if she fell asleep

I don't think higher would be better. One thing i found with a stretchy wrap back carry is that you want all the fabric already running over the smallest distance possible - it will give a little because it's stretchy, but if you tie the waist strap well up on the waist/ribs it will tend to slip down towards the hips, which potentially loosens all the fabric up and that CAN get dangerous.
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Mothering › Forums › Natural Family Living › Babywearing › DH got me a Moby for Valentines day! Now how do you use it to wear them on your back? PIC POST #11.