The most often asked question about back carries goes something like
this: "You must need help to get her up there, right?" Nope! There are
several methods for putting a baby on your back to wrap up in a back
carry. Any of these methods can be used for any back carry. When
learning to put a baby on your back, always have another person there
to help, wrap baby over a soft surface, kneel on the floor, or take
other necessary precautions until you are capable of doing it safely on
your own. Remember to support a newborn baby's head at all times.
BABY LYING/SITTING ON WRAP
I have a video for this one, instead of photos. In the video I am putting a toddler onto my back from a sitting down position. If you have an infant, you will lay them on the wrap instead of seating them in it but it is essentially the same.
OVER THE SHOULDER (Santa Toss)
Step 1. Put the center of the wrap at baby's back
and bring the sides around baby on either side.
Young babies can be laid on top of the wrap for
this, or your baby
can be seated on your hip when you place the fabric around them. For a
toddler, have the wrap under baby's arms; for a baby needing head
support, the top of the wrap should come over baby's shoulders high
enough to support the back of baby's head, as with the LYING ON WRAP
method.
Step 2. Bring the two sides of the wrap together in front of baby,
gather the ends tightly and hold in one hand. I usually put baby over
my right shoulder, so I hold the wrap in my left hand.
Step 3. Holding both ends of the wrap in your left hand, put your right
hand between baby's legs to pick her up by baby's bottom.
Step 4. Rotate baby around with your right hand on baby's bottom, to
place baby gently on your right shoulder.
This is how it should look from the side.
Step 5. Bend over so that your back makes a surface for baby to lie on
while you do your wrapping. Holding the two wrap ends securely, remove
your hand from under baby so that both of your hands are now holding
the wrap which is supporting baby on your shoulder.
Step 6. Take one end of the wrap in each hand. Bring your left hand
over your head with the left end of the wrap.
Step 7. You should have one end of the wrap over each shoulder. From
here you can spread the fabric over baby (make sure the bottom is well
under baby's bottom, and the top is high on baby's back) and do a
rucksack carry, or other carry with the fabric coming over your
shoulders.
Step 8. To move the fabric under your arms for a back wrap cross carry
or other such carry, hold baby's back with your left hand, and quickly
move your right arm out from under the fabric on the right to come out
on top. Then hold baby with your right hand and bring your left arm up
through the fabric on the left.
Step 9. While holding baby with one hand, spread the fabric over baby.
The bottom edge of the wrap should come under baby's bottom to baby's
bent knees, and the top high on baby's back--armpit or shoulder/head
level.
Now you are ready to wrap baby up!
THE HIP SCOOT
Step 1. Hold baby on your hip.
Step 2. Spread wrap around baby's back, while on your hip.
Step 3. To scoot baby on your back from the right hip, put your right
arm in front of baby, holding baby backwards, and scoot baby towards
your back. Your left arm is behind your back to help hold baby once
baby is back there.
Step 4. Position baby higher or lower on your back as desired with a
hand under baby's bottom.
Step 5. Spread the fabric over baby. Keep holding baby until you have
the fabric tightly around baby and are sure it is secure.
Note: you can hipscoot a newborn baby as well.
Instead of starting
on your hip, the newborn will be cuddled on your chest. Put your right
(or left) arm around baby and smoothly move him around your entire
torso to your back, with that arm around him the whole time. Now place
the middle of the wrap over baby already on your back. It may help to
have the wrap slung low on your back before you begin, or with the
center of the wrap tucked into your waist band so that you can pull it
out and over baby with one arm while holding baby with the other. Baby
comes down the same way baby went up, though the fabric will be around
baby when you pull baby back around to the front.
OVER THE HEAD FLIP
Until I get my own pictures, visit this link for
pictures of flipping a baby onto your back over your head/shoulder: over
the head link
OVER THE SHOULDER TWIST
Step 1. Have your toddler stand in front of you,
facing you, and
place the wrap across toddler's shoulders, with the center at toddler's
back.
Step 2. Take hold of your toddler's right arm with your right hand, and
left arm with your left hand so that your left arm is crossed over your
right arm. Place your fingers under toddler's arms and your thumbs
holding the wrap on the top of your toddler's arms.
Step 3. Lift toddler up by your grip on the arms, and around your right
shoulder, twisting toddler around so that toddler's front is towards
your back.
Step 4. Set toddler high on your back. Bend over to create a surface
for toddler to lie on.
Step 5. Keeping a hold on toddler with one hand, feel to make sure that
the wrap is well spread. You are ready to wrap toddler up!
OVER THE HEAD
Step 1. Find the center of the wrap and place it
at your back,
bringing the sides around your waist so that the wrap is resting on
your backside (you can tuck the middle into a waist band to keep it in
place).
Step 2. With your toddler standing in front of you, facing away from
you, put your hands on your toddler's torso beneath the arms.
Step 3. Lift baby straight up in front of you as if to put baby on your
shoulders.
Step 4. Lift baby over your head and shoulders with baby's legs hanging
down your back.
Step 5. Place baby high on your back. Bend over to give baby a surface
to lie on. Reach down for the wrap that is draped over you (it should
be lower than baby). Keep a hold on baby with at least one hand/arm.
Step 6. Holding the top edge of the wrap, pull the wrap up over baby's
back so that the bottom of the wrap remains lower than baby's back
(should come down to baby's knees) and the upper edge is high on baby's
back or covering baby's arms and shoulders. Proceed with your wrapping!
FRONT TO BACK
Step 1. Start with baby wrapped up in a front wrap
cross carry.
Step 2. Hold on to baby with your left arm. Find the cross coming over
your right shoulder and slide it off your shoulder, bringing your right
arm out from under the fabric.
Step 3. Bring your right arm entirely out of the cross and let the
cross hang down around your side.
Step 4. Hold baby with your right arm and bring your left arm up from
under the left cross.
Step 5. With all the fabric of the wrap around your middle, use both
hands to start to slide baby around (I slide baby around my right side)
to your back.
Step 6. Keep sliding baby around towards your back . . .
Step 7. Keep sliding until baby is about centered on your back. Your
torso will be twisted around because your right arm is still behind
baby.
Step 8. Hold baby with that right hand, and move your left hand around
to your back on your left side so that you can hold baby with your left
arm behind you, and bring your right arm up over baby and around to the
front of you.
Step 9. Find the cross that is now in front of you on your right side,
and stick your right arm down through the cross.
Step 10. Pull the cross up over your right shoulder.
Step 11. Now find the cross that should go over your left shoulder and
put your left arm down through that cross. Pull it up on your left
shoulder.
Step 12. Adjust the crosses to sit comfortably on your shoulders and
accross your front.
Step 13. Untie the knot at your front and pull on the two ends to
tighten baby up on your back. Baby should sit high and close against
you,.
Step 14. Retie the knot at your waist.
Now you have a back wrap cross carry! Check that the crosses are well
spread on baby's back and that baby is otherwise secure--check in a
mirror.
