carrying toddler when pregnant

[kfillmore]

What is the best carrier for when one is pregnant??

p.s. DD is 17 months and I still always wear her on my front ( I am not preg)

[Katie T]

I used a fitted sling. I am not sure if that is what they are really called but they are like a ring sling that isn't adjustable and I made it myself. It worked until close to the end because I would position it above my belly.

I think anything that you can do a back or hip carry will be the most comfortable (although at 7 months pg it honestly wasn't comfy no matter what but I had to to get DS to sleep). I did wear DS on my front (his perfered position to sleep) until it was to much pressure on my growing belly.

[Carrruth]

Unfortunately, I think it kind of depends on the mama. I know people that can't handle a front carry right away, like at 6 weeks pregnant. But I still don't mind it occasionally for short carries, and I am 8 months! I just have my straps let out pretty far to allow my 2 year old to sit in front of my belly and it just doesn't really bother me. I don't wear her for very long now though. Also, I have no issues putting the waist belt of my SSC bellow my belly for back carries. But some moms find they can only use ring slings for hip carries or mei tais and wraps which you can tie above your belly around your ribs. So you might have to experiment a bit when you are pregnant to see what works best for you.

[mckittre]

Wow, I'm impressed you still do a front carry with a 17 month old.

I have an 18 month old and am 21 weeks pregnant. I do a back carry with a wrap (a rucksack tied in front carry), which I can tie right beneath my ribs, so it doesn't get in the way of my belly at all. This works great, and I even do extended backpacking trips this way, carrying my 21 pound toddler all day long. If you don't want to learn to use a wrap, a mei-tai would probably work similarly (could also be tied high). A structured carrier would be hard to tie anywhere but around the waist, and I think slings don't usually work on back.

[cristeen]

I know a pg friend was drooling over my onbuhimo for exactly this reason. It doesn't have the bottom straps of a mei tai, so she could wear her 2yo without putting pressure on her fundus.

[quantumleap]

We long ago switched to back and hip carries exclusively. DD's head was jammed under my chin and her legs were banging against mine. She's exactly "average" in length too, so I'm super impressed you're still able to get a 17 month old comfortably in a front carry.
We use a mei tai or a wrap (not as often, I find them hotter, and, well, it's summer!) these days. I can't handle the ssc. DD is 19 months and I'm 20 weeks, and just tie the bottom/waist straps around my ribs above the belly. I'm not sure how it's going to work longer term though, because I am finding it uncomfortable to have the pressure against the fundus, which is only going to get higher!
Anyway, I vote you learn a back carry with a mei tai - simple, easy, comfy. They can still sleep back there, you just have to be a little more cautious in your movements as there isn't really much head support.

[junipervt]

DD is 27m & I'm due w/ babe #2 in Nov. I still wear DD on my back in an Ergo, or on my hip w/ my ring sling.

[Sharlla]

mei tai back carry.
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[MamaPhD]

DD is a bg 20 mo and I'm 12 weeks preg and just beginning to show. I still wear her using Ergo (back) and Hotsling (hip). The carriers themselves are fine for us to use, but I just find I get SOOOOOO tired from wearing DD now that I'm preg compared to before. IDK, hormones or something!

[ramama]

I was a totally babywearing noob when DD1 was a toddler and I was pregnant with DD2, but...I used a mei tai back carry until I got too big (I carried really really high) to tie it above my belly comfortably. I switched to a ring sling after that, which worked well. At the time, I had no idea that SSCs and wraps even existed, although I imagine a wrap would be comfy.