baby k'tan, ring sling... nursing?!?! help!

[k8schwartz]

i currently have a baby k'tan. baby girl is 6 months old and still ebf and shes 20 pounds. im trying to get the hang of babywearing but its hard since im the first in our family to do this! as well as i am going to be traveling in the next month and then over the next couple months visiting family and i would love to have something easy to carry her in! would a ring sling be better? or is there a better position for the k'tan for her to sit in? its difficult to nurse her in it as well as she gets heavy fast and my back/neck start to hurt... any suggestions?

[EmilyZ25]

love our k'tan. what position are you using? i would suggest the hug hold. this one is great and distributes the weight really well. make sure you spread the fabric wide between your baby's legs to create a good seat. also on your shoulders and back (i do that before i put lo in, and it helps a lot). a ring sling will only go on one shoulder, so that can get really painful after a bit. two shoulder carriers distribute the weight better. we love our k'tan because of how easy and comfy it is. i've been able to nurse in it, but i think playing around with it a bit to get the hang of it will help. from the hug you can just shift your baby the side (opposite of the side you will nurse on) and then tilt them so they can reach the other side and nurse. hope this helps!

[k8schwartz]

i was using the hug hold but she pulls her head out so far to look around! she doesnt feel very secure! thank you for the tips!!!

[clovergirl]

I think that more than likely, at 6mo and 20lbs, you two have outgrown the K'tan.  You mentioning that "she gets heavy fast and my neck/back start to hurt" means that the stretchy fabric of the K'tan is not supporting/distributing her weight well for you anymore.  It's not uncommon actually, most people find that carriers made of stretchy knit material kind of wear out their welcome when the baby is somewhere between 15-20lbs.

You may want to look into a mei tai style carrier (like a BabyHawk or Freehand) or a soft structured style carrier (like a Boba 3G or Ergo).  Both of these will be much more supportive and comfortable for you at this point.  They are designed to be used for front and back carries (back carries are especially great when babies are over 20lbs, it's much more ergonomic to carry a heavy load on your back than your front).  And because they are adjustable carriers, you may find it easier to nurse in them (you can loosen the straps to lower the baby to nursing height). 

A ring sling may be a good option too, I personally love them for nursing and hip carries with babies your DD's age.  But, it is a one shouldered carrier so it will be a little less ergonomic for you if you are planning to wear it a lot and for long periods of time.  It's still a nice option to have though, they are very compact and pretty easy on and off once you get the hang of adjusting them. 

There's also woven wraps, which are basically just a long piece of fabric that you wrap around yourself and the baby.  There's tons of different ways to wrap a woven wrap- front, back, and hip so they are very versatile.  But, that also means they have the highest learning curve.  Most people who have woven wraps think they are definitely worth the learning curve!

Hope that helps... and I hope you find something that works for you soon! 
 

[Mom2M]

I agree with pp. Our stretchy wrap was no longer comfortable at 15 pounds, I can definitely see it being uncomfortable at 20 pounds!
I love woven wraps because you can do many different carries and find one that you love. Mei tai's are easy to use and very supportive. I like being able to do a back carry, especially at that weight because it's much easier. There are some with supportive, padded waists that are really good for big babies.

ETA yes, ring slings are great for in and out carrying, especially with an older baby who likes to walk sometimes!

[Gracecody]

Just piggy backing on what the PP's said...I was primarily using a Moby wrap with my baby up until recently. He is nearly 7 mos old, and around 17-18 lbs.

It just suddenly started feeling like I could never get him in a really comfy position like I used to. I started using my SSC a lot more. But then I tried a Freehand Mei Tai and it felt AMAZING!! Wonderful. So that is what my preferred carrier is now. I mainly use that around the house and the SSC when out, just because I don't like the long straps of the freehand trailing on the ground when I am trying to put it on.

[k8schwartz]

thank you mamas! i have a sleepy wrap (like a moby wrap) and a boba as well (went a little overboard when she was born!)

now we really don't have the finances to purchase another baby carrier :(

i have used the boba around the house and i feel like its too much for daily activities... sounds weird i know... 

any tips on cheap ring slings? we are flying soon and i would love to be able to nurse her and the boba is a little difficult to do that with :/ it seems that the ring slings would be a better option for me around the house since i can use the boba for when she needs to be carried for longer times...

[Mom2M]

If you look on the babywearer's FSOT forum, you can get a good deal on a used sling.
http://thebabywearer.com/
Scroll down in the forum till you see the FSOT section. It's now organized into different types of carriers so you can click on the sling section.