sling for a 13 month old?

[Bebe's Mom]

I am sure this question has been addressed many times...I had been using a Mei Tei carrier, but she is now too heavy! If I put her on my back, she keeps trying to swing around to see what I am doing, and I just can't seem to get her securely on my back..She weighs about 23 pounds. What can I use that is friendly to my back and easy to put on? I have considered an ergo, I would like to be able to put her on my back easily..What can you recommend?

[alegna]

What mei tai do you have? A 23 pounder should be FINE in a MT... Do you have anyone in your area who is comfortable using a MT?

-Angela

[Bebe's Mom]

Actually, a friend made it..it looks like a Kozy. I don't know anyone else around here who uses anything like a mei tei. My friend lives 200 miles away. I have some back issues, and I am sure that is contributing to my problem, because when I get an adjustment(my chiro also lives 200 miles away ;( )I feel better for a bit...I have been checking out other threads, and I really like the way the BabyHawk looks. I think I would be better off with a constructed carrier, like the Oh Snap!...Wish I did know someone nearby. My old LLL leader really likes ring slings, but I just can't get with those-they just don't feel comfortable.. I have joined a new LLL group, maybe I can ask one of the leaders.

[quantumleap]

I was going to say, a mei tai! I do think you just need to find someone to help you out a bit, cause a 23lb 13 month old should be fine and comfy in a mei tai. We have an actual Kozy, but I've used others and don't find there's that much difference.
I do have trouble putting dd in after I've let her down to walk/run and she needs to "ride" again. She doesn't want to be constricted at all, so she fights like a banshee. It's sort of embarassing! Is this what you mean when you say your kiddo is swinging all over the place? My dd does settle once I've got her mostly on. She likes when I "shake" her down. I sort of hold the shoulder straps up at my ear level and bouce to settle her into the body a little more. *Then* I tie it tight - gets a more secure fit that way.
If your kiddo is just trying to see what you're doing, have you tried folding the base of the body over once or twice to shorten it up (so, where the waist ties are), and then tying the whole thing on higher on your body (like above where the swell of your belly would be if you were pregnant)? She should sit a lot higher that way, and be able to see over your shoulder.
I think there's a beco that allows you to put the babe in before you put it on yourself (??). Hiking packs also usually put the babe up a lot higher (ie: Kelty). They're a bit of a different vein of babywearing, but still work in terms of convenience, motion, etc, etc. I'm not at all a fan of ring slings, especially if you have back issues!

[MamieCole]

I've never liked mei tais for back carries. I've tried babyhawk and Kozy and could never get a comfy back carry. Straps always dug into my shoulders, always felt too loose, too tight.

I highly recommend a SSC for back carries, especially if you have a bad back. The structured waist gives much more support than a mei tai. Ergo, Oh Snap, Beco, and Boba are a few that are readily available and each has a slight distinction over the other.

Ergo is super easy to find. Works for most mamas, not great for most petite moms, is easy to adjust and is comfy for back carries. Some people complain that the Ergo body is too short for tall babes. Has a nice sleeping hood. Not a lot of pretty patterns, but they have teamed up w/Petunia Pickle Bottom and are supposed to have lots of pretty patterns available in 2011.

Oh Snap is great for back carries and has a much taller body. Easy to adjust. Comes in lots of cool patterns/colors. Con is that there is no sleeping hood.

BOBA is great for toddlers and larger kids. Isn't great for petite babes.

I've never heard anyone complain about a Beco.

[CookAMH]

I never really found my mei tei very comfortable with the back wear, but I do wear my 17mo 25lb DS on my front in the mei tei very comfortably, in addition to the maya ring sling in a hip carry.

[cristeen]

I really don't care for my MT much, but i have it for those times i'll be wearing him for a while. For the easiest back carry, i love my onbuhimo. I wear my 25 lb 13 mo in it all the time. He does push away when i first put him on, so i bounce him down, tie it, walk half a block and tighten it up, because by then he's settled down and it's sagging... I can pull him snug against me without a fight and just retie the knot.

If you have back problems, trying to use a RS at this pkint is probably a bad idea. The 1-shouldered carry is liable to just make it worse. I omly use a RS in and out of stores, for less than 10 minutes at s time.