You can carry a baby facing outward in a suitable carrier once baby has a really strong neck and are tall enough to sit comfortably forward in the carrier you have for them with their head fully clear of the top of the carrier. This differs from baby to baby and also carrier to carrier as some are bigger than others. For the Ergo Omni this is typically somewhere around 4 to 5 months. More info on how to tell if your baby is ready and the pros and cons of this position can be found here.
Here's How to put them in:
Important things to note:
- Check carrier is set up correctly for baby before you pick them up! Both that the width setting is correct and that the siders or buttons are on the inward facing position (the narrower setting) before you pick baby up. (If baby is already in the carrier, move the buttons or sliders to the forward facing position first, while baby is still inward facing before you swap baby to the front facing position)
- Take your time getting the waist band in a comfortable position for you and snug. Carrying your baby facing outwards puts more strain on your back than carrying them inward facing, so tiny differences in how well the carrier is fitted to your body will make a lot of difference to your overall comfort. More so than inward facing.
- When putting baby in, pause to get them in a comfortable sitting position before bringing the carrier panel up... so their weight will be on their bottom rather than sitting straddling the carrier with their weight on their inner thighs. This will ensure their comfort.
- Once carrier is done up (either crossed or ruck sack as per your personal preference), tighten around baby so that carrier is tight enough that their weight doesn't pull away from you strongly if you lean forward but baby is comfortable and not flattened against you.
While shown for the Ergo Omni 360, much of this this also applies for many other forward facing carriers too.
As ever, if you are finding your experiencing pain while carrying or at all worried about baby or worried that is doesn't feel right - please do get in touch with your local sling consultant or sling library and they'll be really happy to give you face to face support which can make all the difference.
-Madeleine