Mei Tai back carry questions!!

[Xavismom]

We just got a Babyhawk, and I am soooo in love with it. Its the only carrier that DS will tolerate in the house, or without me constantly moving around.

I really want to wear him on my back though. But I'm unsure how big he should be for this? He's about 16 pounds or so... I had some help from my mom getting him on my back in it, and I just feel like his legs were spread too much? I dont feel like that when he's in the front. He also seemed pretty unhappy in the back, so I dont think he was comfortable.

When do you start wearing a LO on your back?
And HOW on earth do you get them up there by yourself?

Thanks Mamas!!

[staceychev]

I started the back carry when she was about 8 months old, if memory serves (I got the carrier for Christmas so she was just about 6 months). I'd prop her up on the couch and scoot down to pull her up. After a while, I got the hang of swinging her over my shoulders. It's hard to describe, but I'd have her in front of me facing forward and pick her up and swing her around. I still use the same method to get her on my back for piggy back rides.

There seem to be several methods of getting the kiddo on your back, some less dare-devil-ish than others. If you go to Google video or YouTube and do a search of mei tai back carry, you can see a bunch of different demonstrations.

[milk_maker]

I think I started back carries around 6 months old. To get the baby on the back I liked to shift her onto my left hip, as far onto my back as possible, then grab her with my left arm and shift her around my body and onto my back while getting my right arm over there to help ASAP.

[iwearmybaby]

My son must have been about 8 months/20lbs when I started using a mei tai with him ( I usually use it with a back carry ). I have him facing me kinda pick him up and swing him over my shoulder onto my back then tie the carrier.

[Xavismom]

Well I guess I should probably wait a little longer before trying it then, DS is not yet 4 months.

I do so love the BH though Its so nice to finally have a carrier I can use IN the house.

DH worries about DS's legs in it though. He worries the fabric is too tight/hard against his chunky little thighs. It does leave a little mark... is that ok? Or is there a trick to tying it on, or a different way to tie that would stop that?

I tie it on like an apron, then criss-crossed on my back, and tied in the front behing DS's back.

[GoGoGirl]

I started wearing DD on my back in our BH when she was 3 months old. I tried it earlier, but her legs couldn't comfortable spread far enough.

Now I get DD on my back with the superman toss (first method in this video), but when I was first getting the hang of it, I liked this hip scoot method.

[almadianna]

Originally Posted by GoGoGirl

I started wearing DD on my back in our BH when she was 3 months old. I tried it earlier, but her legs couldn't comfortable spread far enough.

Now I get DD on my back with the superman toss (first method in this video), but when I was first getting the hang of it, I liked this hip scoot method.

that is exactly how we did it too. I did back carries with my babies at a smaller age but I swaddled them and had them swaddled on my back and then tight on a high back carry. This takes a bit more practice and I would recommend having someone help you the first few times.