MaxiMom carrier - anyone used it?

[medicinemansgirl]

I'm really looking into this but do not want to waste the money if it's uncomfy or strains everything....especially shoulders or back. I do like that you can choose how to wear them. One in front/one in back or both in front. I have an Ergo and LOVE it and also have a sleepywrap that we use non stop until they grow into the Ergo at about 4 months. We used a Graco duoglider with our 1st set but have not used a stroller since then...as I have begun to just wear the new baby. I love wearing them as we're not lugging around the bulky massive stroller anywhere anymore. I'd really like to wear these 2 but have had trouble coming up with ways to do it. They can both be worn in the sleepywrap until about 8 weeks but I need something past that. I've heard of wearing one Ergo on the front and one on the back but not sure I want to wear a 4 mo old on my back. I can't imagine trying to get him in or out of it! Any thoughts on the MaxiMom, comfort of it, ease, etc? Link below. I also posted this on the baby wearing forum too but thought I'd ask fellow twin moms their thoughts on it.

MaxiMom baby carrier

[~bookcase~]

i wouldn't get this. i researched it quite a bit and anyone who had used it hadn't found it useful past the first few days

what i did do was learn to back wrap a tiny baby (mine were 32 weekers and came home at 36 weeks. i think by the time they were 8 weeks old/ term, i had my larger twin on my back)

after learning to wrap from wraparound joy's drop shots videos, i then discovered beco butterfly at maybe 5 months and used that for up to about a year. FANTASTIC carrier ime. really snooky and secure even for little ones

to go out, i also carried one baby and pushed one baby in parent facing pushchair until very recently (they are now 21 months) when i got a phil and teds which has made my life so much more wonderful i did have a MBUD which is superb, but heavy to lift in and out and i just felt they were both so far away from me that the AP mama in my soul couldn't bear to put them in it!!!! with the phil and teds they seem so much closer and we don't get the attention you have with side by side (which when you're already a larger family that people count, you can do withouth extra attention, right )
i know some people hate it and i wasn't keen the first few weeks, but now i'm totally converted to it and feel i can go anywhere without worrying about how i will manage with the two (even though i still often carry one of them, i have the spare seat for swapping things around or resting my little body)

hth

[Wild Lupine]

I used it for one baby (mine are singletons); I found it in a thrift store and decided to give it a try. It took a long time to put DS in it, had no waist belt, and was uncomfortable on my shoulders. It was also during the summer and he was much too hot. But it was better than nothing. Once he got to be about 18 lbs or so it was just too uncomfortable on my shoulders.

Given how long it took to get him in and out of it, I cannot imagine trying to put twins or triplets in them!

I had an older model so maybe the newer one is better, but unless it has significantly changed I wouldn't recommend it. It's a nice idea, though.

[someonenamedleah]

I didn't use it, but to me it looks baby bjorn-ish which I think ruined my back when DD was a baby--I can't imagine carrying two like that! I did put both in the Moby when they were really little. I'm still afraid to try a back carry though, so now I just wear one at a time.

[lexbeach]

Someone gifted us with one: it was awful. Definitely avoid.

I had great success wearing my twins in two mei tai carriers (one on front, one on back), which you could do from birth (or soon after if they're super itty bitty). The beco butterfly would be a good option for a back carrier for a newborn if you're uncomfortable doing a back carry with a wee babe.

Congrats on your second set!

Lex

[medicinemansgirl]

Y'all are lifesavers. Thanks so much for all of the replies!!! I had another twin mom offer to sell me her's for 40.00 but after reading so many negative reviews and based on my own assessment of it I think it'll be a toture device...especially after having loved so much having the Ergo and sleepywrap. I looked at the Beco butterfly and it looks a ton like an Ergo...which has been an amazing thing for us to have. Think I may just actually give in and buy another Ergo and do a front carry and a back carry. I've also had to realize my limitations too and figure out that full time baby wearing may not be entirely possible with twins. Dh's grandparents are soooo excited about us having a 2nd set of twins that they have offered to do something huge for us and to name the need. So, we put in our baby gift request of a City Select stroller. They were delighted to oblige. Something I never in a lifetime expected to own, for sure!!! So, instead of lugging a Graco duoglider around as we did with our 1st set hopefully the City Select will revolutionize our twin experience!! I figure with having that along with 2 Ergos and 2 sleepwraps we should be pretty well set. And our 12 and 10 yr old are great at babywearing so we have lots of volunteers for when I don't want to do a front and back carry!!

[lexbeach]

In my experience, wearing two Ergos doesn't work well: too much padding on the shoulders. But one Ergo (or Beco) and one mei tai (mei tai carriers have less padding) works well (still not as well as two mei tais, IMO). The difference between the Ergo and the Beco that is significant in this context is that the Beco has an infant harness inside it that makes it easy to wear your baby on your back right from birth if that is something that otherwise makes you nervous.

Lex

[lilangelmelanie]

I agree that 2 ergos might not work well BUT one twin in the sleepy wrap on front and one in the ergo on back WOULD HTH

I haven't worn twins, but I've worn more than two at once and I found that a wrap or mei tai on front and and SSC on back worked well!

[~bookcase~]

wanted to chip in that i'm an ergo lover too for 8 years but the beco makes things possible with an under one that the ergo can't match

i bought second hand and you could look at the babywearer.com for a bargain or someone in your area to try before you buy. you want a butterfly II rather than 4th gen as the butterfly II has the infant insert which supports them when they are tiny to still have froggy legs, correct posture etc. i also like maya ties with wrap straps and moby wrap. i've tried quite a few combos

to pick up the poin that you likely won't wear them as much, yes! too much nursing but i wear them more as toddlers, much more, than ever did with my singletons (or maybe just feels that way as there is always someone awake) but they are a life saver. my older dc also like to wear the twins for short trips round the garden to see the chickens and distract them from tantrums

[TheGirls]

Thanks for the MaxiMom info, I'd been wondering a bit.

I tried a Beco and and Ergo together (borrowed the Ergo from a BWing friend) and it did not work well. As someone else said, too much padding. We're going to get a second SSC for when we both go places and the babies are toddlers so we can each wear one, but my current pllan (always subject to change) is:

1) both in a Moby together at first. This seems to last about a month

2) learn to back wrap a newborn, and wear one in the moby and one in a rucksack-style back carry in a woven wrap. This should last until the smaller one outgrows the Moby which for DD was 6 months or so.

3) front-and-back with a woven wrap (front) and a SSC (back).

4) more stroller use. DD never rode in a stroller her first year and rarely her second year. With the twins (and DD still needing carrying sometimes) that is NOT going to be realistic. So I got a double stroller and I have a single stroller, sometimes one or both babies will be in there. Also, they are going to have to learn to nap somewhere else (swing, bouncy, bed, I'm not picky) because I won't be able to wear 2 babies for every single nap while chasing a young toddler. I do plan to babywear when possible, but not both babies all the time.

[medicinemansgirl]

Thanks ladies!! So helpful in every way. I LOVE the Beco from what I have seen. The infant insert is a lifesaver. I've never worn a baby under 4-5 months of age in the Ergo due to the infant thing and them sitting so low in it. I wasn't in love with their infant insert at all. So, we stuck to the Sleepywrap....which I loved and took up with above and beyond the Moby. Much stretchier and easier to get the baby into without a lot of adjustments. Think I may try a Mei Tai this time around too. They have some really fun ones on Ebay and Etsy. It looks like 2 of these will work much better than 2 bulky carriers such as an Ergo or Beco. I really like the idea of the Beco on back with a Mei Tai on front. I'll wrap them for as a long as I can and then eventually resort to this stuff. I've finally had to come to the realization that a stroller will be much more used with these babies than with my last 3 singles. I haven't worn any of my singles non stop when at home. Too much activity, other young children and honestly I didn't want baby sleeping all day and up all night. So, we do have a lot of use and time put into bouncers, swings and there's always plenty of willing arms to hold babies, play to keep them awake.

So, I want to be realistic but also wear them when I can. Good news is that our 12 and 10 yr olds are really good and completely excited about wearing babies too!