An Ergobaby back carry: why we KNOW you’ll love it.

Advantages of an Ergobaby back carry

Carrying your baby on your back in an ergonomic baby carrier has many advantages. Here are some examples: 

• Carrying your little one on your back distributes their weight more evenly on your body than carrying them on your front, making them feel lighter and relieving any stress on your body while promoting an upright posture. Plus, our carriers’ wide waist belts are designed to keep supporting older and heavier children.
• Having baby on your back gives you better mobility and a clear view of whatever is in front of you, making everything from everyday tasks to climbing mountains easier.
• A back carry offers baby a whole new way to see the world - from your perspective! So whether you’ve been enjoying outwards-facing and now they’re getting a little heavy, or you have a nosy baby but you’d prefer to skip outwards facing, then an Ergobaby back carry is about to become your go to carry position.
• Toddlers have a need for closeness, warmth and security just as much as smaller babies. Providing them with loving, sensitive and needs-orientated care is vitally important and easy to do while using a baby carrier.
• Ergonomic babywearing - including carrying your baby on your back - works like a ‘gym’ for your little one. It helps their spine to form a double S-shape and supports motor development. It promotes and activates their sense of balance, visual orientation via the eyes, coordination, foot development and the support reaction of the hands. It also stimulates symmetry, brings the shoulder and hip joints into a healthy position in the socket (squat-spread position), regulates muscle tone and strengthens their muscles. It even helps your toddler to learn to walk, as worn babies are often particularly fit.

So there is no reason why you shouldn't carry your baby on your back. And that's exactly why a back carry is possible with almost all Ergobaby baby carriers:

• With the Adapt: which grows with your baby up to a weight of 20.4 kg
• With the Aerloom: machine-knitted and cosy, it carries baby up to a weight of 15.9 kg
• With the Away: ultra-light and compact, it carries baby up to 15.9 kg 
• With Alta: a versatile 2-in-1 up-and-down carrier, it carries baby up to a weight of 20.4 kg
• And of course with the Omni Deluxe, our best baby carrier, this sleek and stylish all-rounder safely carries babies up to 20.4kg (and of course with all other Omni models too).   

Navigating getting your baby or toddler on your back in a baby carrier may not seem easy at first and may even seem impossible. But practice makes progress and it will get easier every time you do it. Plus it really is worth sticking with it! The first time you do it, get a second person to support you and provide reassurance. It can also help to put the carrier on sitting down or over a soft surface like a bed.

In this video, we show you how to put on the Omni Deluxe in the back carry position: 

Ergobaby Omni Deluxe Carrier | Back Carry (For Babies ~6+ months)

Or for those who prefer written steps: 

First of all, prepare the Omni Deluxe for back carrying:

• Make sure that the sliders on the back panel are in their widest position 
• Check that the velcro tabs on the waist belt are suitable for your child (the same as for inwards facing on your front).

Now to put it on:

• Loosen the shoulder straps. 
• Place the carrier around your waist so that it fits snugly and securely. 
• Position the back panel to the side of you and place baby on your hip on top of the panel. Keep one hand on baby at all times.
• With your free hand, grab one of the shoulder straps from behind your back and pull it over that arm/shoulder.
• Now switch arms so this arm behind your back now holds onto baby.
• Then slip the other (now free) arm through the second shoulder strap. (We recommend bending forwards a little so that your baby is lying tummy-down on your back).
• Sometimes it may be necessary to lift the waist belt slightly so that it turns more easily and do a bit of a shimmy to get baby straight and comfy.
• Now ensure the Omni Deluxe is completely onto your back and fasten the chest strap. 
• Carefully tighten the shoulder straps so that your baby is securely positioned on your back. 

Or you can try the ‘superhero’ method:

This is better for older babies/toddlers who can hold onto your shoulders once you’ve lifted them onto your back:

• Loosen the shoulder straps.
• Place the carrier around your waist snugly and securely with the back panel hanging down behind you. 
• Have baby in front of you, facing towards you.
• Cross your arms in front of you, grasp baby under their armpits and lift them up and over your head, uncrossing your arms/turning them in the process so they end up facing your back.
• Lean forward as you do this and encourage little one to hold on to your shoulders.
• With one hand still on baby, use the other to pull the carrier back panel up and over baby’s back.
• Put one arm then the other through the shoulder straps.
• Clip the back strap up on your chest.
• Tighten/check all straps.

Switch from front to back:

If baby is already on your front and you want to switch them from front to back without removing them from the carrier then you can try this (remembering to keep baby secure at all times with one hand):

• Undo the back strap.
• Loosen the shoulder straps and waist belt (just a little).
• Slip one hand down under its shoulder strap so the whole strap is now sitting up on your shoulder.
• Slip the opposite hand the opposite way out the shoulder strap - up and over the top so the whole strap now sits below your armpit.
• Shimmy the carrier and baby around onto your back.
• Put your arms back through the straps (one up one down)
• Clip the back strap up on your chest.
• Retighten all straps.

Or switch from front to back like this:

• Undo the back strap.
• Loosen the shoulder straps and waist belt (just a little).
• Take your arms out the shoulder straps and hold them in one hand between you and baby (the other hand supports baby).
• Shimmy the carrier and baby around onto your back.
• Put your arms back through the straps.
• Clip the back strap up on your chest.
• Retighten all straps.

Once you’ve tightened your straps and made sure your carrier is high and tight on your body then have a look in a mirror to check how your baby is sitting in the carrier and make any necessary adjustments, such as a pelvic tuck. Make sure their face and airways remain clear at all times. Getting baby onto your back by yourself might take a little bit of practice but it’ll soon be second nature!

An Ergobaby back carry: you can do it! 

Finally, we have one last tip for you: even though baby is no longer in your field of vision do what you can to keep an eye on them. Check their position regularly with a pocket mirror, your front camera or when walking past a shop window, for example. If they fall asleep in an Ergobaby back carry we recommend switching them back round to your front so you can monitor their airways. If this isn’t possible then make sure to stabilise their head with the headrest and make sure that they continue to get enough air. Then nothing stands in the way of a relaxed round of babywearing with your toddler or baby on your back. And for quite some time to come. Enjoy!