A few weeks ago I realized we had a problem - a big one. Solomon discovered he could dig his toes into my hips and stand-up while in a back carry...Apparently, this is the most fun thing an almost 8-month-old baby could imagine because he literally did it within 5 minutes of any carry for an entire week solid. My old stand-by rebozo carries were out the window! On to the ruck. Surely this little monster couldn’t unruck himself, right? Wrong! He discovered that once firmly standing on my hip bones, a couple of good bounces would unseat the deepest of seats. And pop he did. I tried putting the bottom rail in his pants waistband. I made double sure he was beyond knee-to-knee and lots of fabric between us. But, alas. The trick could not be unlearned and I fully came to understand the terror in the term “seat-popper.”
On to find new carries I went! Now, everyone should know by now that I HATE a chest pass. There is a very good reason for this but one which is a bit too personal for an internet blog post. But, suffice it to say, I am more amply endowed than is comfortable with a chest pass. So I had to find unpoppable carries that DIDN’T involve chest passes. Double Hammock was out. I posted on the FB group page of my woe’s and C.J. came to my rescue! She suggested the wiggleproof back carry (which I naively thought was the same as a norwegian wiggleproof back carry - it isn’t). Several youtube videos later, I had a new carry to practice. Now, I will say this carry was a bit harder for me to get down than others I have tried. But it is definitely worth the patience and persistence. It is a heavy-duty multi pass carry that can finish in several ways, forbids seat-poppage, keeps LO warm and contained, and DOES NOT involve a chest pass!
The wiggleproof is true to its name and prevents even the most determined of babes from escaping. This carry is essentially a basic rucksack with two additional back passes for reinforcement. This carry is done with a longer wrap, such as a size 6 or 7. This carry also has double ruckstraps over your shoulders so is best done with a thinner wrap. If the wrap is too thick it will be difficult to move your arms and to even keep the fabric in place. I find a 100% cotton wrap to be best for me in this carry.
Basic steps:
1 - Get baby on your back with the middle marker in the center of LO’s back and make a seat;
2 - Take one side and hold between your knees while sandwiching the shoulder of the other side so that both rails are towards your neck and the fold is on the outside of your shoulder;
3 - At your armpit level, put one twist in the tail and bunch the fabric bringing it under your arm, behind you and up between LO’s legs;
4 - Grab your top rail between LO’s legs and bring up in a diagonal across their body and over your opposite shoulder;
5 - Both tails are over your shoulders;
6 - Switch sides and repeat the above steps with your long tail (twist and bunch, bring up between LO’s legs, spread to knee and cross on a diagonal);
7 - Both tails are again over your shoulders;
8 - Take both tails and tie a half knot at your collar bone;
9 - Bring your rails around over baby’s legs and tie under bum.
* If your wrap is not long enough, you can skip the knot tie and simply take the straps back around under your arms, over baby’s legs, and tie under bum. You can also skip bringing the wrap around again and tie in front tibetan style.
Picture Demonstration: http://www.thebabywearer.com/forum/showthread.php?112898-Wiggle-Proof-Back-Carry-Photo-Instructions* (This is on the Baby Wearer forum so you must have an account to be able to see the pictures)
Video Demonstration: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpxQQqcfRmQ
Video Demonstration with candy-cane chest belt finish variation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoTKVJ8HKEw
If you have a seat-popping, leg-straightening, wiggley wrappee this is definitely a carry to try! Please let me know if you have any carry requests and I will get them worked in!
Tiffany Johnson is a breastfeeding, baby wearing, co-sleeping, attachment parenting mama to three beautiful children. She is currently taking a leave of absence from her busy career as an estate planning attorney to focus on her home and family. In her spare time she loves crafting, reading a good book, red wine, all things geeky, and loving on her babies.
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