Sneak Peek of My Course

Here is a sample page from my Saturday Course, Soft Pack Basics. Send me good vibes on Friday and Saturday so my presentations go well! Oh and that gorgeous baby carrier? It is one of the ones I mentioned in my last post. It is an Action Baby Carrier in a gorgeous SoBeBabies exclusive print! My little girl has quit her babywearing strike, but that doesn't mean she'll get in just anything! I know this one is a safe bet as she helped me pick out the fabric!

Babywearing Conference Preparation

Starbucks Near Babywearing Conference

First things first. Just checking out that there are lots of Starbucks nearby. It looks like there is one in every direction so that's all right.

No seriously, that's not all I've been up to. I've been having packages shipped to IL for ages and have finished writing, printing, colating and stapling my 2 courses. I've just been by the airport to check that this strange part of my display part that wouldn't fit in a box is okay to take as carry on. The TSA dude was pretty amused but as I was so earnest, he did go check with his supervisor to be certain all was well. No idea if I'll need to check it on the way back but that's okay. I just don't want any extra delays on the way there since checkin is just one hour. Plus waiting for checked bags to appear is a huge anxiety issue for me. I haven't checked bags in years and last time I did, sure enough, they didn't appear. Thank goodness they found them and delivered them to our hotel the next day.

Laundry is up to date and most of the packing is done. Lots of last minute errands tomorrow. A friend returned a borrowed Yamo today, freshly laundered. That will be one of many from my personal SSC stash that I use for my classes. After my classes, I am going to finally let go of my stash of demos.

The thing I'm most looking forward to is meeting so many friends. Seeing some of Chicago will be nice but I am not sure how much I'll get to see. I have decided to skip the stroller and I don't know how much my little one is going to want to get dragged around the city but we'll see. I am not even sure I'll have much extra time to explore. Really, I'm more of a relax and chat kind of person.

Putting My Money Where My Mouth Is: Travel Time

With the Babywearing Conference a few days away, I really need to decide whether or not to have a stroller with me. This is not an easy decision. I will be traveling with my four year old daughter. Originally, when I planned to go, my husband was on board and we were all going to go as a family. But we moved after I agreed to teach and didn't realize that airfare prices from our now town would be prohibitive. So I could only afford two tickets. I'd love to have left my little one at home, but she's never spent one night away from me, much less six! Plus, my husband works and who would take care of her all day? I am able to nip out for a few minutes because he works from home, but not all day, for days on end!

So, to try to find my way through the airport with a stroller and two carry on bags plus a child that does not walk when we're trying to get some place? If she is in the stroller, um, where does the luggage go?

I have done that trick before and it's not that bad. I have hooked the luggage handles on to the stroller handles. But my wrists have been hurting and it just seems too much. Plus the thought of getting through security with more stuff just overwhelms me.

So, I'll probably live to regret this, but the stroller stays home.

2008 Babywearing Conference is Nearly Here!!!!

The 2008 Babywearing Conference in Chicago starts in just a few days! I am so excited and look forward to meeting people from around the country and even around the world. We all feel like we're going to meet celebrities and dear old friends we've never met!

I don't know what to be more nervous about. I have a booth, so of course a lot of planning and investment have gone into that. I've never done anything like this before so I hope I'm doing it all correctly!

And the whole reason I'm going in the first place is because I am teaching two classes! On Friday, I'm teaching Advanced Soft Structured Carriers. I look forward to this because I'm so passionate about SSCs more than any other baby carrier. There are going to be some exciting new SSCs debuted at the conference. That is all I can say about that right now! I sure hope the Fashion Show gets put up on YouTube during the conference so you can all see what I mean! I will try to post some photos if time, battery life and technology allow!

On Saturday, I am teaching Soft Pack Basics. Saturday is the open day and people from the greater Chicago day will be attending by the thousands to check out what is new and exciting in Babywearing! The volunteer committee has done an extraordinary job; everyone in a 100 mile radius is aware of the time and date! I am thrilled to teach this class and help these lovely families get an introduction to a style of baby carrier that they probably were not aware of and that they are going to totally fall in love with!

Stay tuned!!!

When strollers just won't work and child must be carried

Last weekend, my family got invited aboard the USS Truman, a Naval ship which had just returned from a long deployment. This was no cruise ship. The aisles were narrow and the stairways steep and precarious. My eight year old had quite a time getting around so imagine a four year old trying to keep up. Any parent, in a situation like this, would wind up carrying their little one.

That photo is of my four year old on my back, which was by far the safest place for her! There were no other children that age aboard! Probably it was quick to see that it was impossible to get around carrying a little one and a stroller would have been completely impossible as there were knee knockers in every doorway (you had to step quite high to get through the doorways.)

I got a lovely workout that day! And my little one got to feel safe; again, this was no cruise ship. It is, um, not exactly, well, pretty. Let's leave it at that.

Listen to your baby

My daughter is now four and so it's super easy for her to tell me she'd like to be in the baby carrier or switch to front or hip. Actually, she rarely requests a hip carry. She did today, and I was so glad I had a baby carrier that allowed for that position.

It was super hot and muggy at the cow factory we were touring. She started out on my back but decided she'd be able to see more easily and be cooler on my hip, which is true. I quite enjoyed the break from the sweaty back. Then she wanted to do a front carry. It's hard for me to see around her head now that she's so big, but you won't catch me complaining; there were two other parents there lugging children the same size.

So we have two things to learn from children. They don't want to be put down, even at age four, even in places where strollers are ridiculously inconvenient. And they might like to try different positions, not just always be worn exactly the same way. However you wear them, remember that a bit of fussing might be a reminder for you to turn so your little one can see the action. Sure enough, my little started swinging her legs and I asked what she wanted. She just wanted to see; she was bored!

Baby Sling Safety

Finally! M'Liss' work has been published in a new baby sling safety blog! M'Liss, I appreciate all your hard work and dedication in this important project.

Oh, but I have a boy!

So often, I hear people lament the "fact" that they can't wear certain colors or prints because they have a boy. This thebabywearer.com forum posting shows all the gorgeous boys being worn by moms who chose the fabric they loved with no regard to the gender of their little one.

Enjoy!

Babywearing 2nd honeymoon

Babywearing is going swimmingly here! Check out my little one on her dad's back (for all of you who have always wondered why she looks nothing like me, now you can see where she gets her looks!) He went out briefly and she fell asleep! She hasn't taken a nap in months but I guess she was enjoying the ride!

To recap my last post, my daughter is four years old. She absolutely quit babywearing a year ago when we were on vacation without a stroller, but we still had to carry her everywhere! We have not been able to wear her for a year. Recently, I was able to reintroduce babywearing and it has helped with some behavioral challenges we were struggling with. The simple act of touch seems to have helped us all reconnect. We also added some Bach Flower Remedies. So who knows which facilitated which but things are going more smoothly now!

The baby carrier in the photo is the Active Mom Carrier, but I think I am going to call it something else, seeing as dad's wearing it too! Any suggestions?

A year after being fired, we are babywearing again!

A year ago at this time, we were on vacation in San Francisco and my little girl was turning three. She chose that time to quit babywearing. We were out and about in the city and she simply quit. She consistently refused to go into any baby carrier. We didn't even have a stroller with us as we tend to travel as light as possible so this was a real hardship.

Our final day there, after walking all over the city and carrying her for hours, we got back to the car and my husband had locked the keys in there somewhere. Well, we hoped that was the case, anyway. In the seediest of parking lots with bird poop everywhere and a compact car that fit into our back pocket (so no possible place to sit), we waited over an hour, standing and holding her - of course only mommy would do - hoping beyond hope that when the locksmith showed up, the keys would indeed be in the car and we would make our return flight.

Yes, the keys were there and we did manage to struggle through the airport with my husband having to handle all the bags because of the new No Babywearing Rule. And no, she would not walk. And yes of course, we had to switch flights at 3am.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago. Have you ever noticed that children undergo huge mental leaps on and around their birthdays? So last year, she was growing up and quitting babywearing. This year, she is getting language concepts so quickly but also driving us pretty batty with irrational requests. Like, at 11pm, insisting on having ice cream right now, even though we don't have any and the stores are all closed and even if they weren't, no way am I going to get up and buy ice cream at that hour. I know this is a common theme from talking to other parents, but it is still very difficult to go through these developmental transitions.

One day, I realized I'd better scale back and focus on her and really up my patience level. And I also realized I needed to reconnect with her through touch. And what better way to do that than babywearing? So I popped her straight into my trusty old Ergo one morning and out the door we went. It was just like old times; she was relaxed and there was lots of head kissing and smiles all around.

But as it started to dawn on me that we were back in babywearing business, it also started to dawn on me how I'd missed out on so much of the new and gorgeous options. So I sat down with my little one and dug through my inventory and we agreed upon a red Active Mom Carrier. She still prefers front carries so I have been wearing it with straps crossed.

I can not believe how her behavior has changed! This simple change has caused such a powerful shift. She is calmer and the irrational outbursts have nearly gone away. My husband jumped back on the babywearing bandwagon right away too. I am sure he would have preferred some color other than red but the thing is, with a child who is picky about the baby carrier, she is the first one that needs to be pleased!

The other day she woke up and asked to go onto my back. She chose a special tester baby carrier and out the door we went. I had been planning breakfast at home but no way after that request! I am so thrilled she is willing to do back carries again! I even wore her for an hour or so while house cleaning the other day! She was getting underfoot and being grumpy and this totally settled her down. A nap would also have done the trick but she quit those so being able to have her on my back and get on with it was such a blessing!

Beco Butterfly - a Whole Different Animal!

I am confident about a lot of things and especially about babywearing. I am confident enough to look foolish and to have fun making fun of myself. I had a grand old time this week laughing at myself because I walked into a consultation without too terribly much of a clue. And it was at Starbucks, no less, so people were looking on. What the heck!

I only watched the Beco Butterfly DVD once some 2 months ago and only tried the carrier once as my little one doesn't allow me to use any new carrier more than one time. And she's nearly four now, so pretty soon all I will have is weighted dolls. I sort of had the basic idea, but that was a while ago! Now I have no DVDs to review while my carriers are being repaired.

So when I peeked inside and showed her where her baby was going to go, I wasn't even sure! Too funny!

Because of the recall and the fact that the carrier we were using has not yet been repaired, I decided we'd use it in a way where the buckle issue couldn't come into play. So we just put the carrier on her first and slipped baby in from the top. I can't tell you which part her baby wound up in but it all made sense.

To look at this carrier being worn, you really can't see much of a difference from any other soft structured carrier out there. But believe me, it's totally different to use.

I'm glad I had this little experience and got to see it on someone else. There are a few adjustments. Like a frame backpack, baby goes in and gets fitted, and the other part of the carrier gets worn by the parent and adjusted. Other carriers just hold baby up against the wearer and are adjusted only in one part of the carrier. Well sort of. Broad sweeping generalization.

Let's just say that the Beco Butterfly is just like a frame backpack but without the frame part! I hope that clears it right up! I so wish I'd taken a few photos of mine while I had it!

Introduction to SSCs at Babywearing Conference

So I'm teaching a class at the Babywearing Conference in Chicago in June. The class is Introduction to Soft Structured Baby Carriers. I was thinking I could get a little advanced but then I realized that my class is during the open day so beginning babywearers may be there. That is totally cool; babywearing advocacy is so important to me and I do believe that buckle carriers are more palatable to mainstream parents.

So I am totally open to what to cover. I was going to do as much of the material on The Ergo Lady's Tips and Tricks as I could. And I want people to get to try at least one carrier. I haven't started planning so I am open to suggestions!

Beco Butterfly Baby Carrier Voluntary Recall

Yesterday, Beco Baby Carrier announced a voluntary recall of the Beco Butterfly Baby Carrier. You can read the full text here:

Beco Butterfly Baby Carrier Recall

Amanda Peet wears her Ergo Baby Carrier

I was so happy to see these gorgeous photos of Amanda Peet wearing her baby in an Ergo Baby Carrier. (Click on the link to see the rest of the photos.) Behind the scenes of the babywearing vendor scene, I often see the disappointment when celebrities are gifted baby carriers and then either don't use them, or use them poorly, in obviously uncomfortable ways. Amanda obviously got it; babywearing makes airport travel and, well, life, easier!

It's a funny thing about celebrities. They are of course people just like the rest of us, but we can see them so much more than they can see us. So a simple thing like hanging out at a babywearing meeting and finding out about the rejuvenated art of babywearing is something that isn't generally going to be an option for a well-recognized celebrity. I have long asserted that just as there are fitness trainers who make it their business to train celebrities, there should also be babywearing consultants who specialize in this area. Any celebrity is absolutely welcome to fly me out and get lessons but of course, they'd have to pay airfare for my little one too. Or just come visit! I'll hook you up! Gee, perhaps I'll put this as an item in my shopping cart. You never know! (Edited to add - Here it is! Babywearing Consulting!)

More and more often, we are seeing celebrities babywearing and doing it well! We all look to celebrities to learn about fashion and trends. Babywearing is one trend that is not going to go away. Yes, it can be a fashion statement, and there is nothing wrong with that! But it's also something that has taken many countries by storm because of how it enhances our life. Believe me, I would not willingly carry around an extra 30 pounds strapped to my body if there were not some advantage to it. The sad irony is that countries where babywearing has been done out of necessity are now making economic advances and consider babywearing beneath them. So while they are rushing out getting expensive strollers, celebrities here are ditching the stroller as often as possible. *

*Just to be clear, I am not anti-stroller. But there are so many times where it is easier and more convenient to not have a stroller and to simply babywear. I still love my stroller! I just don't use it that often.

Babywearing Safety: "Bag" Slings

M'Liss Stelzer, author of Mothering Magazine's Babywearing Bliss how-to primer, has recently posted the results of some research she's been working on regarding safety in so-called "bag" slings*. For the full research, please create a free membership at The Baby Wearer and read "Concerns About Bag Slings".

M'Liss is a former NICU nurse, mom to two, and an avid babywearing advocate and teacher. She's married these specialties and has been doing research on oxygenation levels in newborn babies. Part of this
research is mentioned about in the Babywearing Bliss primer, but she has continued to collect data, focusing more on what she is calling "bag" slings*.

Here is an excerpt from "Concerns About Bag Slings", taken with permission from the author.

With the majority of fabric carriers it takes only a few minor adjustments to get baby safely and comfortably positioned (see the "Correct Positioning article")". However, unlike most other types of carriers, it appears the Infantino SlingRider baby carrier has several significant design flaws that could place an infant at risk of respiratory distress, oxygen deprivation or even suffocation.

First, the design of the SlingRider causes baby to naturally curl chin to chest, larger babies more so because their heads are positioned further up in the carrier. This position kinks baby’s airway causing the baby to work harder to breathe. (For more information on the importance of maintaining an infant's head and neck in an aligned position see the articles “Baby car seat ‘cot death’ concerns” and “Simple Car Seat Insert to Prevent Upper Airway Narrowing”.)
Now, the instructions for every Infantino front pack emphasize that baby should not be chin to chest (“Baby's chin should not point down toward baby's chest") and there are even diagrams of correct positioning. However, the SlingRider instructions omit this important detail and, not only that, but the product shots of the SlingRider contradict the information in the front pack instructions. Photos on Infantino’s website.
www.infantino.com/Carriers/151-534.html
www.infantino.com/Carriers/151-520.html

Second, it is very difficult to keep a newborn’s face away from the pouch fabric. The SlingRider is roughly triangle shaped; flat bottom and two sides that slant upwards toward the elastic top. This “triangle” means that the pouch fabric is always angled very close to the sides of baby’s face. If baby rotates even slightly he ends up with his nose within a ¼” of the side, or even pressed against the side of the pouch. Once baby has his head pressed against the side of the carrier and/or against the parent's body there is a risk of the baby suffocating or becoming oxygen deprived. (See SlingRider #1)




Third, it is very difficult for the parent to monitor their infant unless they pull
open the top of the sling. The SlingRider is deep, plus it sags when baby is placed in it, further increasing the depth of the carrier. The gathered top and the fact that the sling hangs so low obstructs the parent’s view of baby. If a newborn were to have difficulty breathing, and/or rotate until his nose and mouth was pressed against the side of the carrier, the parent may not be aware of the baby’s respiratory distress for some time. Compounding this problem is the impossibility of feeling the baby's distress through the thick fabric of the sling.

Sling tightened as far as possible. 5'3" mother.


6 pound newborn



8 pound newborn


Compare the SlingRider with a shallow fabric pouch or adjustable open-tailed sling (or mei tai or wrap). In these types of carriers an infant is easily monitored and visualized. Also, a newborn's head is effectively sandwiched between the sides of these carriers, preventing the infant from rotating his/her head into the sides of the carrier.

Disclaimer: Although M'Liss has only been able to test babies in the SlingRider (because that's the only bag sling she has in her possession) she want parents to know that other bag slings probably present similar dangers.

*bag slings
"I believe there are two significant features that distinguish the dangerous "bag sling" from a typical pouch.

First: The bag sling has a padded, structured bottom (in the area where the baby's body rests). Therefore the fabric that supports the baby cannot conform to the baby's body and it is almost impossible to position the baby diagonally across the fabric, for proper back and
head support. (Also, if the "safety harness" is used, it forces the baby into an improper parallel-to-rails position.) The padding also makes it nearly impossible to carry the baby snug against the wearer's body, because it creates a flat surface that resists being adjusted and tightened.

Second: The rails are padded and elasticized, so -- esp. in combination with the depth of the pouch -- the sides of the sling tend to "close up" over the baby, restricting the flow of fresh air, and preventing the wearer from being able to easily see and monitor her baby. (This is less of a problem with an older baby who is sitting more upright in the sling, of course.)

The third big difference between a "bag sling" and a regular pouch is one more of wearing comfort than of the baby's safety, and has to do with the difficult-to-adjust heavily padded strap that goes over the wearer's shoulder and back. By itself I don't think this is a major
safety issue, but in combination with the above features, it adds to the tendency of these slings to be too large and very difficult, if not impossible, to wear snugly and with the baby well positioned.

So, the problem is more or less a function of the way you put the baby in the sling, but the
issue with these bag slings is that, by their design, they encourage poor positioning."
-Holly McCroskey Lewis, co-leader of Bay Area Babywearers,mom-of-two (hollyml)

Babywearing may be over but the baby carriers are still needed!

My beautiful Maine Coon cat died in late December after a long and wonderful life. A perfect 17 year friendship! I guess I moped a fair bit because my family is thrilled to see me smiling again.

Why?

We got a new kitten! We are all in love.

Oh.

Oops. Not all of us are in love, actually.

Our two year old kitty is purty darned pissed, actually. We brought the new kitten home yesterday and she was, ah, rather rude. I have never seen her make such distasteful faces, and the things she said? Well I am not going to put them up and risk offending you. Most unbecoming! Well anyway, we are all taking turns to try to keep the little guy safe and help our old grouch to remember we still love her.

I found myself holding the adorable little baby in one hand while lifting storage bins with the other. He was being stalked. She's already clocked him good a few times and left his head spinning.

It dawned on me that there was something familiar about this situation. I was needing both hands but one hand was busy holding this sweet little kitten. What to do? What to do? Oh yeah! That's right! A baby carrier! Well, okay, Stacey of Karma Baby did ask me to take some photos of my new baby in a pouch but I didn't realized it would be a safety thing to have him in there!

He loved it! Looking down from on high while safe and warm was a relief for a little while, anyway. Of course, he's still a cat, and a little one at that. So curiosity got the better of him and down into the fray he went. Quick! Off to give some huge cuddles to our old grump!

Using a Sling as a Sling

I lost the use of my left arm recently. I guess the good news is that I am right-handed. The sudden loss of use was accompanied by excruciating pain.

This wasn't completely out of the blue but it was certainly unexpected; I've been ignoring low level pain in my left shoulder for who knows how long and also managing to forget that I woke up pretty much every night in pain. Somehow, during the day, the problem was just out of mind.

But when the arm wouldn't move and touching the shoulder caused me to actually cry and scream, well, it was time to take action.

It didn't take long to find out what was wrong. Two seconds internet surfing brought me to bursitis. Textbook case. My chiropractor suggested immobilizing, which I was already doing.

So I went and looked at the medical supply store slings and ugh! After all the babywearing experience I've had, there was no way I was going to put that thin nasty strap on my back and shoulder. Intuition told me that would not be comfortable. Plus the part that cradles your forearm looked all scratchy and nasty. So I continued right along using what I'd been using: baby carriers as slings!

My absolute favorite turned out to be the sash from a Loopi baby carrier. How I wish I could still carry these baby carriers! The fabric is so soft and nice. Very luxurious feeling. Each day my husband would tie a knot at the right height and get my arm positioned correctly. I wish I'd realized sooner that it was actually more comfortable to have my elbow at my side. I was at first mimicking the positioning of arm slings; elbow in front. It turns out that this is very uncomfortable because it's not natural. So my home grown solution was actually better and more natural for supporting the arm in a completely rested position!

The good news is after the recommended three days, I didn't need a sling anymore. What a relief! Each day, I get a bit more mobility back. I can't do ordinary things like lift with both hands yet or put my hair in a pony tail, but I'm getting there!

Online Yardsale!

I have accumulated quite a stash of barely used baby carriers. Mostly, it's new inventory that got tried at a babywearing meeting or two. Well my inventory is taking over so it's time to clear out things that can go. My littlest is 3 1/2 and I just don't need the stash I have acquired so it's time to start letting go. My fingers and arms hurt from editing photos and typing all day. Go check out the sale and spread the word!

A few stragglers will eventually get listed but I need a break from this! And it won't just be baby carriers!

Active Mom Carriers

I love testing new baby carriers. These days, I only test Structured Baby Carriers. I have a few in the queue. Right now, I have an Active Mom Mei Tai and an Active Mom II, which is a still Top Secret Structured Baby Carrier.

If it weren't for the fact that there is an AMC Structured Baby Carrier, I probably wouldn't have considered testing the AMC mei tai! I've said it before and will probably say it again. Mei tais and me don't get along. Well, not usually. The design of the Active Mom Mei Tai is significantly different and I must admit, I found the darned thing comfortable.

The AMC I and II have a lot of commonality, so even though I can't post any photos of the AMC II, you can figure out what it is from what I am about to say and from photos of the AMC I on the website.

The AMC I is the first mei tai, at least as far as I know, to have some kind of thick foam insert in the body of the carrier. I am not quite sure why, but this makes the carrier super comfy. Yes, even for me who can never quite get comfy in a mei tai. The AMC II is pretty much the same thing as the AMC I except with buckles instead of straps you tie. Both have the foam padding and also the body has nifty snaps so you can fold it down for a smaller baby or leave it up for an older baby or to support a sleeping baby's head.

Now let's talk colors and material. Seriously, how wonderful when I get to the part where I kick back and get all shallow. The AMC II got has a minky (or minkee) lining. I didn't even try mine on at first; I kept petting it. It turns out a lot of people had the same reaction. It comes in awesome colors. There are bright, bold solids for people like me who like to have fun with color, and also rich, traditional textured solids for a dressier or more conservative look. I imagine the AMC II will have similar choices. The look and feel is of a high quality product with attention to detail.

With the AMC II, the shoulder straps are rather long so you can easily cross them or not. They are not so bulky that crossing them is awkward. My only issue is that the AMC II chest strap is not attached. I do not know if this is a real problem or not. I find it much easier to use SSCs that have the chest strap attached; otherwise, it's just as complicated for a new babywearer as a mei tai and this could prove a bit of a turnoff.(This is grayed out because it's been fixed!)

I did have a few moms try them at my last babywearing meeting. They totally ignored the mei tai and went straight for the AMC II. Both thought it would be too big and bulky but once on, it looked perfect and they found it super comfy. And they were caught petting the minky fabric as well. So there you have it.

I can't wait for the final versions! It's been a great pleasure to try these in the testing phase.

Hip Carry in a Soft Structured Baby Carrier and other ramblings

Finally! A photo of my improved method for using an SSC for a hip carry! I've been meaning to take a photo of this for freaking ever but until you guys nag, I don't tend to get to things. (More on what I got nagged - oops I mean I offered - to do today later!)

This hip carrry method is described on The Ergo Lady's Tips & Tricks section but I never had a photo before. Someone said they couldn't understand my ramblings so voila! A long-overdue photo! Now that I've learned a thing or two about PhotoShop, like, how to extract the background (which in my place is comprised of a whole mess of kid stuff that basically looks like clutter but isn't to me), I can just have my older daughter stand on a chair and do the honors.

For those of you that are keeping track, the Ergo pictured here is doubly new. Not only is it the very latest style of New Generation Ergo Baby carrier - so it can't lose its chest strap (among other enhancements), it's also Brown (chocolate)! And organic! I just got these in today and they were so worth the wait.

The other thing I did today was try my older daughter, who is over 70 pounds, in an Ergo and a Beco XO. Field research for someone who has a special needs child who is over 40 pounds and she's trying to figure what would work best. The Ergo was definitively more comfy for us both. No, Ergo doesn't recommend wearing 70 pounds, but they used to recommend the carriers up to 65 pounds, so you know they are tested higher. When a child is in a baby carrier, there are extra stresses that must be accounted for, so the carrier is not suddenly going to break at 66 pounds.

I suspect that the reason they backed off that recommendation was twofold. First, you just are not going to enjoy lugging much more than 40 pounds or so so unless you have to, it's really time for a stroller if your child won't walk. Second, their limbs are so long that wearing them is just awkward. But have I done it? Guilty. For example, this spring, my older daughter got a splinter during a hike. She absolutely needed carrying and it is still easier with a baby carrier.