BWing a 40 lb toddler without killing my pg back?

[cristeen]

Anybody have any brilliant ideas?  The ombu kills my back because it's not enough support, and the RS is too lopsided at this point (and he's too heavy).  But I'm having to carry him pretty much every time we go out (due to meltdowns), usually in the fireman's carry (only way I can carry him in arms for more than a block). 

[motherhendoula]

Whats a Firemans Carry?   I have a 35 lb 1 yr old - so i know a little about HEAVY!  I am not pregnant - but i like the Ergo for long walks - easy on my back ....the downside is i do find it a little difficult to get him into it -  i typically dont bother with it if we are running errands and have to do a lot of 'in and out' , also, i am a plus size parent and the Ergo has a waistband extender and it fits me very well - if you find you need more room later in your pregnancy

i also like my hard frame back pack - i find it easy to get in and out of - although not always in public....but again, im not pregnant - i think just about anything you do is gonna be a little uncomfortable about now....have you ever tried a woven wrap?  They are supposed to be the most comfortable. 

[cristeen]

Wow, and I thought (and the ped insists) that 40# at 2 was heavy.  Glad to know I'm not the only one that makes big kids. 

Fireman's carry is over the shoulder - also called "sack of potatoes".  Good for carrying dead weight, and he's mostly learned not to squirm. 

He is too tall for an Ergo at this point, but I've been thinking about a woven wrap for the new one anyway.  Maybe I just get it earlier. 

[lifeguard]

Ergo. Ds has been 40lbs for a year now (he's now 3) & I wore him in the ergo on my back until well into my pregnancy. Make sure you empty your bladder first!

[GoGoGirl]

Yeah, the Ergo has a really short body compared to most soft structured carriers, so it's not the best for toddlers.  DH has a Boba that he LOVES for our 30 lb 2.5 year old.  It goes almost all the way up to her neck still.  I wore it in a back carry a few times when I was super pregnant and it was nice, it put all of DD's weight on my hips so it felt really easy to carry her.  My favorite carrier during this pregnancy was a toddler-sized mei tai with a padded waist.  I tied the waist straps under my belly.  I don't usually like mei tais much but it just felt great in pregnancy.  The mei tai also put all of DD's weight on my hips (which I usually don't like the feel of when I'm not pregnant).  When I'm not pregnant, I only use woven wraps, but they just weren't as comfortable for me by the end of pregnancy.  I mean, I was still wearing her in a woven wrap like 12 hours before going into labor (at 42 weeks pregnant) but it put her weight higher up on my core, which ended up feeling harder on my body.

[McCully]

While pregnant, my favourite carrier, hands down, was a Babyhawk.  I have a woven and an Ergo as well, but I prefer the babyhawks positioning for babywearing while pregnant.  Your best bet is to try and find a store that will let you try them on in person, or a babywearing group near you so that you can try a few different carriers out.  

[curiouscanadian]

I was just wondering the other day if I was the only one still BWing a 40lber while pregnant. Guess I got my answer!

I second the Mei Tai recommendation, and tying it so most of the weight is on your hips. I actually had to re-tie DS yesterday as I'd tightened the shoulder straps too much and it was very quickly (ie. from the car to the store) making my back sore. We have a BabyHawk, but I'd recommend a Toddler Hawk for the extra height if you're buying something new anyway.

Oh, I should add, that when DS starts leaning around at all it still gets uncomfortable in a hurry. But that's just a toddler thing I guess!

[cristeen]

So I got to a BWing group last weekend and put DS on my back in a woven in a rucksack carry.  Wore him for an hour during the meeting, and it didn't kill my back.  So I guess I'm getting a woven.  I do actually have a MT with a padded waist, but I can't adjust it under my belly, it's just not fitting well. 

Best part of putting DS on my back - he was super hyper before hand, but for that hour he just snuggled up against me, with his cheek resting against my shoulder.  It was so sweet.  It's sometimes so hard to remember that this huge kid is really still just a little guy (he's the size of a 4 yo, but he's still very 2).