Tips for getting baby on the back?

[mambera]

I am loving my new woven wrap for front carries with my 3mo DD (mostly kangaroo pocket and FWCC).  I am having a little trouble with the back carry though.  I have gotten her into a double hammock ruck-under-bum a couple of times but the process of getting her up there felt very awkward and unsafe.  Also I wanted her high enough to see over my shoulder but couldn't manage to keep her up there, she kept sliding back down.  Any suggestions for making this better?  TIA

[TiffanyToo]

This might help.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWdsWk-Y-UQ&feature=plcp&context=C3e75b67UDOEgsToPDskIh1eYcJsNGidyC7r0N5Os1

[TiffanyToo]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vw1Q1HWNhcU&feature=context&context=C3e75b67UDOEgsToPDskIh1eYcJsNGidyC7r0N5Os1

A differnet starting point.

[lilpeeperkeeper]

It definitely takes practice. I have babyworn extensively, but have been learning more back-carrying with our newest. If at all possible, have someone else there to help you until you feel comfortable and confident with the back transfer. I back wore our infant, but did not back carry for a stretch, and now have been finding it much easier with her now being almost six months old (there's more of her to hold onto as I get her into the correct position!)

I normally make sure that the wrap is up over her shoulders and spread out flat on either side of her on the bed. Then I put my hands under her arms and bring her up by my head and over my left shoulder, placing her high on my back. The one side of the wrap can get a bit snagged up under her and need to be readjusted before beginning to wrap.

As far as keeping baby up high, probably the biggest help is simply the slight bouncing while cinching up in a carry like the double ruck hammock (I think that's the one I normally use!)

What I have seen of the videos on this site is extremely helpful. One of the gals on my FB business page pointed me to these . . . . .

http://www.wrapsodybaby.com/back.htm#on

The part on getting baby on and off the back should help!

Happy Babywearing!

Rebecca

[rinap]

I've had it suggested to practice on the bed, first without the wrap, just maneuvering the baby and practicing getting them on your back in a situation where a controlled fall wouldn't be a problem. If you have a mirror, even better.

[blessedwithboys]

Is a wrap like a sling?  That's all I ever used, a sling, but my BWing days are long behind me now so I'm not up on all the new stuff.  :)

For a back carry, I would put the sling on the couch, spread out instead of threaded through the rings.  I assume a wrap doesn't have rings?  Anyway, spread the fabric out, sit the baby up on it, sit on the couch in front of baby, bring the two sides together, and with one hand behind under baby's bum, push up while tightening the rings/knotted ends.  If you drop lil one, it's a very short fall!  lol

[Mom2M]

I really love Jordan's back carry and this is a variation that is really comfortable
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVpKCThuztU
She has a great site http://wrapababy.com/baby-wrap-instructions/ and I used to be on it constantly! I like that some of the carries are in video and some in pictures so that you can stop and go really slowly if you can't get it quickly enough to watch the video.
One of the videos has ger demonstrating 3 ways of getting baby on your back and it's very clear.
For me it was hard to scoot her around and I used to do the superman toss. But I sometimes got tangled in the wrap and I ended up doing it like this...I would have the wrap kind of laying on my lower back with the ends in the front, flip her up on my back and then hold her with one hand while I pulled the wrap up on the other side, then switch hands to get it up on the other side and then go on from there to whichever carry I wanted to use.
Just make sure your hand is on her until you have the wrap supporting her.
Have fun! I miss having the little baby who always wants to be up!

[Mom2M]

Oh, another good thing on her wrap instructions site is that you can organize it by how long your wrap needs to be for different carries.

[schoonersam]

Originally Posted by TiffanyToo 

This might help.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWdsWk-Y-UQ&feature=plcp&context=C3e75b67UDOEgsToPDskIh1eYcJsNGidyC7r0N5Os1

Gonna try that today, perhaps with this carry that - in my very short experience with wraps - I prefer to the rucksack carry: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7i5I6cRf2o. Feels like it spreads the strain out more.

[sassyfirechick]

I have a moby wrap, but my DD is killing my back when I wear her on the front, no matter ho high I have her she wrecks my chiropractic adjustments the second I strap her on!  Can I use this kind of wrap for a back carry?  I feel like that position would be better

[Mom2M]

Originally Posted by sassyfirechick 

I have a moby wrap, but my DD is killing my back when I wear her on the front, no matter ho high I have her she wrecks my chiropractic adjustments the second I strap her on!  Can I use this kind of wrap for a back carry?  I feel like that position would be better

No, don't use a stretchy wrap like the Moby on your back, it's really dangerous. They do not give enough support and your baby can fall out. You can use a woven wrap if you like wrapping or something like a mei tai or even a soft structured carrier. I like all of them, but I think the mei tai is the easiest. It depends on what you feel comfortable with.
I know after DD reached about 13-14 pounds, it was not comfortable to have her in the Moby anymore because it sags and doesn't give enough support. I loved the Moby when she was littler, though.

[schoonersam]

As someone who transitioned from a stretchy wrap, I can definitely tell you that a mei tai is an easy transition -I have an Ellaroo, but the Babyhawk's are quite comfortable with longer straps and softer material.

We switched over after about four months and I started doing a high back carry when she was about 5.5 months.

[GoGoGirl]

How are you currently getting your DD on your back?  I've been doing a superman toss (modified for a newborn) since DD2 was a few weeks old.  This is how I do it.  And are you doing a double hammock tied under bum, or a ruck under bum?  They're different carries, and I would actually guess they'd both be pretty hard for new back wrappers.  Have you tried a secure high back carry?  I think that's the easiest one to learn first.  And when do you feel like your baby is sliding down your back?  Is it while you're working on the wrap job, or after you've already finished wrapping?

[Taximom5]

All my babies HATED being in a back carrier.  But my nephew loved it.  His mom is a pianist, and she would wear him on her back while she practiced piano.  He is now a very talented young cellist.

My babies wanted to be HELD, by warm (and tired) ARMS.  They wanted to see my face when I talked.  They never ever ever cried when I wore them in the front pack or the sling.  They all cried in the back carrier.

With my youngest, I didn't even bother trying more than once.

[mambera]

Thanks for the links everybody.  I'm liking the roll-the-baby-up-on-the-shoulder technique in one of the first videos posted, and I feel much better about getting her up there now.  However I'm still having trouble with the actual wrapping.

Originally Posted by GoGoGirl 

How are you currently getting your DD on your back?  I've been doing a superman toss (modified for a newborn) since DD2 was a few weeks old.  This is how I do it.  And are you doing a double hammock tied under bum, or a ruck under bum?  They're different carries, and I would actually guess they'd both be pretty hard for new back wrappers.  Have you tried a secure high back carry?  I think that's the easiest one to learn first.  And when do you feel like your baby is sliding down your back?  Is it while you're working on the wrap job, or after you've already finished wrapping?

I've now tried the regular rucksack and the secure high back carry as well as the double hammock (two ruck straps, a pass around the front, and tie under bum, whichever one that is), and I am still having the problem that she slides down below my shoulder - partly while I'm wrapping and then even more while I'm walking around afterward.

One of my biggest problems is that I can't reach the part of my back that I need to to spread the fabric.  I keep ending up with ropes of fabric under the baby's legs instead of a wide pass over her back. Are all the women in these videos double-jointed or what? 

I think a big reason my wrap job is so bad is that I am doing a lot of it with the baby still positioned on my shoulder, then sliding her over and tightening up once I've got her mostly wrapped.  But this is the only way I can do the wrapping at all - I definitely can't position her correctly between my shoulderblades and wrap, my arms won't reach.  :(

[TiffanyToo]

If you can post some pictures I am happy to trouble shoot.