Carrying your child on your back can be truly freeing! Back carries completely free up your hands to get on and get stuff done, and they are generally more comfortable too as most of us load bear better on our backs than our fronts. Plus once your child is tall enough to see over your shoulder they can have an absolutely great view of the world and can chat to you right next to your ear where you can hear them even on a busy street.
There are so many pros! But, actually figuring out how on earth to get them onto your back can be pretty intimidating. There are actually loads of different methods and this is where a trained Sling consultant can be really helpful, they can work with you - with your individual flexibility, coordination and learning type to help ensure you are completely confident moving your baby on and off your back on your own unassisted!
While there are many many methods, the "secure hipscoot" method is the one I teach most often. Or at least this is the starting point I teach most often, I will frequently modify it here or there depending on the individual and depending on the carrier used... but the video below shows my starting point.
Carrier in the video is a Beco Gemini, but this method will work with the vast majority of buckle carriers including Ergo Omni, Adapt, Original and 360 models, Lillebaby, Boba carriers, Manduca, Kahu Baby, Connecta and many many others.
It is my personal favourite method because it feels really secure at all times! It doesn't rely on cooperation from the child, and in fact can be done with a very active wiggler once your confident. I once used this method to put my then 2.5 year old onto my back on a moving tube train while he was in a full temper tantrum... I simply would not have managed to get off the train with him and our bags and coats and other stuff any other way!
If you are giving this a try at home, do give it a go over a soft surface like a bed or a sofa. I learnt to back carry when my son was about 8 or 9 months old and he absolutely loved a controlled fall when I messed something up and got stuck!! But if your struggling at all do remember that this is by no means the only method! One of the downsides of this method, at least in this form, is that it does rely on a fair degree of shoulder motility, and as such isn't a great option for those with stiff or injured shoulders. So if this is you or if your struggling at all learning to back carry do contact your local sling consultant who will be able help you find the method that works for you
Happy Back Carrying!
-Madeleine
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