Learning how to back carry your baby can feel intimidating, especially if you are wondering how to put baby in a back carrier by yourself. First let's learn why back carrying is great and then how to do it safely. Finally we'll look at some fun options for back carrying your baby.
Why would you want to carry your baby on your back in a sling?
- They are close to your centre of gravity so putting your baby on your back in a well fitted baby carrier can alleiviate back pain from carrying your baby.
- Having your baby on your back means you have the front of your body free, which can make tasks easier. You can also see more clearly so it can feel more comfortable to walk.
- If your baby is curious then this is a good way to allow them to see over your shoulder.
- There are loads of fun back carries to try out! Espcially with a woven wrap.
How to back carry baby safely
Only back carry with children who are over 4 months old and can also sit unaided and have good head control. Some experienced babywearers or sling consultants may back carry earlier using a woven wrap. You can get 'sling mirrors' that attach to your carrier and allow you to check on your baby.
When learning to back carry practice over a soft surface and have someone with you to spot for you.
Follow the usual safety guidelines for using any baby carrier -
- Ensure baby's head is free from fabric and is not pressed against your body
- Ensure the carrier is snug - baby's back should be supported so they will not slump into a ball
- Ensure the carrier is well fitted and baby cannot fall
How to get started with back carries
Before you start thinking about using a sling to back carry it can be a good idea just to play around with moving your baby on and off your back the way you would if you were giving them a kiddie back or playing horsie (depending on their age) - this can allow you both to get used to the movements and feeling.
When learning how to back carry with a woven wrap choose one carry to practice and do that until you are very comfortable before moving on. We would suggest Ruck Tied in Front (tutorial below) as this is one of the simplest back carries and will teach you a lot of the essentials. If you have just gotten your woven wrap we'd recommend that you learn at least one front carry first until you are very familiar with how to use the sling.
How to get baby on your back
There are a few different methods of manoeuvring baby on to your back, here are some options.
The Hip Scoot
This will probably feel the safest and is a good option to begin with as you are keeping your baby around your waist area and holding on to your carrier the whole time.
How to Hip Scoot with a full buckle carrier
In this method you hold both straps in one hand as you slide baby around your hips to your back. You then put your arms through the straps and fasten the chest belt. This is the most common method of getting your baby on your back in a full buckle baby carrier.
Pre-clipped Hip Scoot with a full buckle baby carrier
This 'pre-clipped' version of the hip scoot will feel especially secure as you buckle the straps around you as they will end up - so you have one over each shoulder. You hold the straps as you slide your baby round. The first video shows you this quickly and the second video will take you step by step through the process.
Learn how to hip scoot with a woven wrap and tie in a Ruck
The Hip Scoot with a tie strap (Meh Dai) style carrier
This is very similar to a hip scoot with the buckle carrier and woven wrap. The first video shows you the method quickly and the second video goes in to more detail
The Santa Toss - woven wraps
This method is often used with smaller babies as it is a very gentle way of getting baby on to your back. It also means the wrap is secured neatly around them, ready for tying and they are nice and high on your back.
You almost 'pre-wrap' the sling around your baby - have the top rail up by the base of their skull, the rest of the fabric down by their knees, you then gather it securely in one hand and gently lay your baby up over your shoulder. Supporting them with your free hand, you pin one tail between your knees as you bring the other tail to your other shoulder. You are now ready to complete your wrap carry.
The Superman Method
This is a handy method for getting a slightly older child on to your back. Its well liked because it lands your baby nice and high on your back. There is a version where you cross your arms, the version below is even more simple and supports baby well around their middle rather than grabbing on to their shoulders. You can hold the sling around them so its in place ready to tie when they are up on your back. This is often the method used for a woven wrap but you could use it for other baby carriers too.
How to get a good seat and prevent seat popping in a woven wrap
The key to creating a good 'seat' is to ensure the wrap is going from knee pit to knee pit and that the knees are slightly higher than the bum - this encourages your child to sit down into the seat. If you don't have a good seat then loosen your bottom rail and reposition as this video shows.
More Tips for getting a great seat in a ruck
How to tie a ruck if your arms can't reach!
The T-Rex Arm trick is a method of securing a ruck style back carry if you have trouble reaching behind you.
Back Carry Fancy Finishes with woven wraps
There are so many different types of back carries you can do with a woven wrap. With each size of wrap you can achieve a number of variations. Below we'll show the one of the babywearing world's favourite plus a variations. For a fuller range check out the back carry playlist on YouTube or the Fancy Finish playlist. Here you can also find videos that show a number of different options for different wrap sizes in one video.
Double Hammock carry
Learn How to tie a double hammock carry
Double Hammock is a firm favourite amongst the babywearing community. Once you know it well you can add loads of variations on including adding a 'candy cane chest belt', which really shows off the colours if you have a multicolour baby wrap. It is a supportive carry as the fabric goes across your chest and has multiple passes supporting your baby. It also shows off your beautiful fabric too!
Double Hammock with Candy Cane Chest Belt (DH CCCB) Tutorial
If you are enjoying back carries why not try out our Fancy Finish Challenge?! You will receive an email every day with a different tutorial to try out. Its a great way of developing your back wrapping skills.
Fancy Finishes with a Tie Strap Baby Carrier
Have a Tie Strap style carrier and want to try some new back carry methods? Check out this tutorial that shows you a few different options using the Oscha Cairis, which is a meh dai style tie strap, buckle waist carrier.
Back Carry in the Oscha Cairis baby carrier
