3 month old seems happy in full straddle in Ergo -- is it bad to do?

[indigosky]

I've been wearing DD in a Moby, which I like, but I find the Ergo even more comfortable. She is just 3 months old. I tried her in the Ergo in a front carry for the first time yesterday, full straddle, and she seemed perfectly happy -- I ended up wearing her for quite a while that way. Is it bad for her? I could see her head/chin position the whole time and her chin was well off her chest, head supported by the Ergo fabric and my hand if needed.

I read that I could try putting one leg up (froggied), although I tried that a little and it didn't seem like the liked that as much. Is the straddle bad for her body at this age?

[Super~Single~Mama]

As long as she is comfortable I don't see a problem with it. My ds did not like the full straddle until 4 mo, but if he had liked it before then I would have used it.

[Choose2Reuse]

My DD did the full straddle at 3 months, though her legs kind of just barely peeked out the sides of the Ergo.  I also started using it without the infant insert around that time (she had good head control) and just made sure that I had a hand behind her head to support it if it wobbled.  I think as long as she's comfortable, it's fine!

[indigosky]

Originally Posted by Choose2Reuse 

My DD did the full straddle at 3 months, though her legs kind of just barely peeked out the sides of the Ergo. 

That's funny -- my DD's whole calves stick out each side and hang down -- the bottom of the Ergo hits the back of each of her knees. So her thighs are spread into a wide straddle, but her knees are bent and her lower legs dangle. I have a pretty old Ergo -- I wonder if they used to have narrower bottoms?

[whitneyg]

I am a pediatric physical therapist and am familiar with the little growing skeletons and muscles of 3 month olds, and with the Ergo, having used one myself.  It is not a good idea to sit the babe in the full straddle until there is about 0.5 - 1 inch of thigh poking out of the sides of the Ergo at the knee-pit.  The lower legs should be freely dangling below the knee, and the fabric of the Ergo should be above the knee...does that make sense?  One suggestion that you can try if your babe doesn't like to be froggied is to fold up a small receiving blanket to about the size of a brick and put that under the bum of the baby like a little seat.  That way they can be in the straddle position, but with their legs in better alignment and without the fabric putting pressure on their legs in the wrong place.  I should mention that the problem with having a too-short baby sitting in a carrier in the full straddle too early is that the hamstring muscles and calf muscles will be overly stretched and the pelvis will be in less than ideal alignment in relation to the leg bones.  

[indigosky]

Thank you, whitneyg, that's exactly the kind of info I was hoping to get!

My DD's lower legs do dangle freely, and the fabric of the Ergo ends above her knee, so I think she basically fits the criteria you're describing. Both her parents are quite tall (her dad is 6'3"), which may help matters here ... she's been measuring in the 50th percentile for height, but maybe her legs are longer than average?

[whitneyg]

That is definitely possible that she is fine in the Ergo in the straddle.  My girl was super tall from very early on so she was ready for it at about that age too.