Ergo Questions

[RiverandJulie]

So, I am borrowing an Ergo from a friend to decide if I like it. I used the moby a lot the first few months, but my 8 month old is getting a little big for it at 16 lbs.

I have a couple of questions:

Front Carry: How am I supposed to strap that back strap? The website says reach back and strap it. Ok-I am flexible, I teach yoga...I cannot reach that strap. What is up with that-is it too high, too low, where should it go.

Back Carry: AM I ever really going to be able to get him on my back by myself? He is a wiggly, back arching, squirmy worm, and I think he is going to fall out as I move him back there.

In general, I find the straps hard to adjust while it is on me. I am relatively tall and skinny-is this the problem?

ONce it is on and adjusted, i really like it-just need some help getting it on.

Thanks for any help/thoughts

[lifeguard]

Front carry - I haven't done this often as ds was already over 25lbs when we got it but I personally cannot do up the strap myself. I am NOT flexible though. I'd try moving the strap up a little - I found it was almost on my neck when it was adjusted comfortably.

Back carry - you can do it! Practice over a soft surface until you're comfortable - it won't take long. I was SO nervous at first but it was only a couple days until I was popping ds on & off anywhere without worry. Dc will also get the hang of it & start "helping".

I'm tall (though not thin) - I don't find the straps hard to adjust. I do find to get everything snugged up the way I want sometimes takes a little bit of bouncing while I tug on the straps.

[WindyCityMom]

I find that I can manage to reach the top strap if I adjust things properly- the shoulder straps, the waist strap, etc. It gets tricky but it is do-able.

Still haven't figured out the back carry though. my dd is 8mos also.

[mesa]

here's how I do the back carry. I strap it around my waist, with the ergo on my hip, usually my right, because that's the hip I usually carry her on. Then I bring the ergo up behind her back and the shoulder straps under her arms (YMMV with this, she's bigger, so her arms go above the shoulder straps, your baby might keep his under them). Then I bring the straps together in my LEFT hand,raise my arm above my head and hold the straps securely, and kind of bounce/jimmy the ergo around to my back, all while holding the straps with my left hand. At some point I will need to bring my elbow over my head so I can get my arm behind my head...does that make sense? Now my left hand is behind my head, elbow in the air, holding both straps. I reach up with my right hand and slip my right arm through the right shoulder strap. Then I hold the left shoulder strap with my right hand, and slip the left shoulder strap on, just like a backpack. After a bit more bouncing and jimmying, she's settled in, and I buckle the chest strap. (clear as mud? lol)

To adjust the straps while wearing on your front, you need to pull BACKWARDS, or sometimes I hold the buckle with one hand and pull the strap with my other hand. Pull forward if you're wearing on your back.

[goldenwillow]

Originally Posted by RiverandJulie

In general, I find the straps hard to adjust while it is on me. I am relatively tall and skinny-is this the problem?

That was the problem for me, tall and skinny. I loved the Ergo for being able to get DS asleep when he was oh.... 7/8 months and that was about it. DS doesn't like to be confined (likes to be able to move arms and legs). I have shorter friends that LOVE theirs still and their babes are over a year.

As far as reaching that strap.... somehow I figured it out, still not super comfortable (I have neck issues from a fracture). I am looking into a Mai Tai wrap, looks easier and a friend of mine was able to use hers until her LO was 4-5 years old.

I think if you have a long torso, it really isn't that great of a carrier, IMHO. Mine is actually listed on CL now. I prefer the Moby these days (LO is 22lbs), however, I kept my Ergo for awhile because it seems that one month I like this carrier and the next I like the other.

[MamieCole]

Is it the older version Ergo or the newer?

I find the top strap is easier to adjust and buckle on the newer version.
One thing to notice is that it is going to need to be moved higher in a back carry than in a front. So you'll need to make that adjustment before you put it on. It should slide easily up or down to your preference. You should place it where you can easily reach behind your neck to buckle it.

For back carries, practice at home, in front of a mirror, low to the ground if possible. Or on a bed. Or anywhere that you aren't scared. I find that if I am tense, baby feeds off that and will be squirmy. If I am relaxed, he is too.

I use the hip scoot method. Buckle Ergo on my waist, but no shoulder straps on yet. Put baby on my right hip like I am carrying him. I lean forward, making my back like a table, then simultaneously, I do a little jump while scooting him onto my back. While still leaning forward, keep my right hand over his back for support while I reach back and put my left shoulder strap on. Then I support him with my left hand while I put my right shoulder strap on. I do a couple of little bounces to make sure he is deep in the seat and centered on my back. I am usually in a parking lot, so I check that he is in correctly in a car window, buckle the chest strap and off we go. The whole thing takes about 30 seconds maybe.

At this point DS is so used to it, he immediately just clings like a monkey on my back while I am getting him strapped in, but he was never super wiggly. I bet if you practice at home a lot, your babe will not wiggle as much either. And IMHO, it is totally worth the effort to figure out a back carry. SO much more comfy than front carry with a heavier baby.

There are also some videos on YouTube that show how to get baby on your back. Just search for Ergo Back Carry.

[MamieCole]

I also wanted to add, that once you do master getting your LO on your back by yourself in public, you will be accosted by strangers who are freaked out and scared for you and try to "help." For me, their "help" just freaks out DS and makes the entire situation dangerous. A simple, "No thank you. It's actually easier if I do it myself." seems to work most of the time.

[4Blessings]

I'm on baby #4 so I feel like a "seasoned" babywearer and I just hate my ergo Just cannot get the hang of it.

I love my Kozy for back carries and find the mei tai style so much easier to do by myself.

[RiverandJulie]

Thanks everyone, I tried the hip scoot, and still needed my husbands help, but feel like it could work soon.

I wore him on my front for about an hour yesterday and came home with aching shoulder blades, I wonder if my body frame is just too small for it.

I also got a hand made mei tai from a friend a few days ago, I have been wearing that and seem to like it better, but I havent worn him in it for long periods. I keep thinking that since it lacks padding it wont be that comfortable, but it is cloth and my baby is soft, maybe the padding is overrated. I will look into a couple others. i just need to break down and accept the fact that I am going to have lots of carriers. (I already have a moby, a stretchy moby, ring sling, bjorn, hip sling, mei tai.....all of which were presents or hand-me-downs, so I guess I can break down and buy one myself)

It is so funny because I hear such great things abuot the ergo. So glad I am getting a chance to try it out.