Best carriers to help with infant gas/reflux?

[triskelion]

My 4 week old DD has gas and reflux and she strongly prefers to be held/carried upright. I really want to wear her more but I'm having some issues with the stretchy wrap (homemade out of fabric) that I have. I don't know if it's my lack of experience or the material but I'm having a really hard time getting the wrap to support her well. I practice several times a day with it but every time it either hurts my back so that I have to give up after 20 minutes or she fusses so much I haul her out to discover really deep fabric creases on her legs/feet that make me think I'm not doing it right. We were successful one time and it felt "right"-no pain for me and she was happy and got some good restful sleep. We also have an Ergo with infant insert but it seems really bulky to just wear around the house for such a tiny baby. Does anyone have any (preferably cheap) wraps that are good with infant upright positions or any tips that would help me use the ones I have better?

[lactatinggirl]

My DD had awful reflux and HATED being carried laying down, so I always carried her in my Sleepy Wrap vertically on my chest. She practically lived in that thing until she was about 5 months old.

Remember with the stretchy wrap that when you put it on there should be NO slack. Literally snug right up against your body. Since it's stretchy, it'll stretch to fit the baby. I think having it too loose would definitely cause pain for both sides.

[GoGoGirl]

Hey mama!  I'm sorry to hear you and your baby are uncomfortable. 

Really, any baby carrier would allow you to carry your baby upright, tummy to tummy.  So a ring sling, a wrap, a mei tai, or a soft structured carrier (SSC) like the Ergo should work. 

If you want to keep working on getting your stretchy wrap to feel comfortable, this is a video I really like.  This carry is called a front wrap cross carry (FWCC).  I liked it better than pretying my stretchy wrap.  With pretying, you have to figure out exactly how tight to do it, and where to wrap the passes, so that when you put the baby in the wrap is tight enough and everything is in the right place.  But with the FWCC, you put the baby in the wrap and then finish tying it, so it's easier to get the wrap tight enough and positioned correctly.

If you can post a picture of you and your baby in the stretchy wrap, I can help you figure out how to make it more comfortable. 

It might turn out that a stretchy wrap just isn't supportive enough for you to feel comfortable in it.  I felt comfortable with DD in our stretchy wrap until she was around 15 lbs, but after that the wrap sagged, which is what makes it hurt your back.  Then I switched to mei tais and woven wraps.  Now DD is 28ish lbs and almost 2, and I still find mei tais and woven wraps supportive enough.