Can I use a backpack or front pack with my baby ?

My midwife told me I could use a sling because the pressure was distributed on my shoulders and not in the pelvic region. Do you have an Ergo? That is what I was using up until my prolapse "happened". The only time I used it since seemed to make the prolapse worse. The Ergo, while being an excellent carrier as far as the back is concerned, seems to put a lot of pressure in the pelvic area. Anyone disagree? I would love to use my Ergo again.

I have an ergo and I do use it on occasion (rectocele and cystocele) Like a hike or a shorter (2 miles or less) walk. It is so strange. With my other 2 babies I wore them in a pack until they were big! but now that I know I have a prolapse I am very hesitant to wear my baby just so I can get some work done. so my dishes sit in my sink a little longer or my floor doesn't get moped more than once a week or I don't bake bread unless there is someone here to hold the baby. I sit down to hold him. I play on the floor with him. Before prolapse I would be wearing the baby, going to the bathroom, talking on the phone, and entertaining my 2 year old all at the same time. I just don't function on that level anymore. If it is something I must do (like make lunch) I try to set him up with something to keep his attention and if he cries I know it won't be for more than 3 or 4 minutes. and When we hike either my husband wears the baby or he goes in a stroller. I don't know if giving up the pack is going to help or hurt your prolapse but for me just shifting my attitude about how much I can do or need to do or should do.........that has been key to helping my symptoms resolve.
As a side note- if you do decide to pack your baby and your symptoms worsen they should get better with time- so it is up to you. We went camping and I packed my 2 year old and my husband packed the baby on a very long walk (2 hours) and right now the combo of all the lifting I did (tents, coolers, kids) has had a profound impact on my cystocele. I had gotten to the point that the only time I noticed it was if I went looking and did the bearing down thing - well right now it is bulging. But I know in a week or so it will be right back were it belongs- pulled up. But I really wanted to hike and I didn't want to be limited by my condition and truthfully it was a good test for me. I know now that I am not ready to do all that heavy lifting and walking with a 30lb kid on my back.
So to sum it up- try it and see- if your symptoms are worse don't do it anymore for a while and then if you want to - try it again.

Hi peony

I used to wear my babies most of the time, on the front or in a sling until they could control their heads, then on the back until they could walk around, or if they got tired on long walks, eg home from playgroup. This was all 20-25 years ago. My prolapses first became evident during my second pregnancy, but were not a problem all the time I was carrying babies around.

These days the only carrying I do for long periods of time is my rucksack (handbag + carrybag) which I wear on my back. If I have heavy stuff in it, which sometimes happens, it does 'challenge' my prolapses so I change it around to the front, which might look a bit wierd, but keeps my shoulders back and relaxed and enables me to use Wholewoman posture more easily. I also let the straps down a bit so it sits more like a pregnant belly, which is probably why it is so much more comfortable that way. I have walked around for hours like this and had no after-effects.

However, I can see that trying to get housework or cooking done with a growing baby strapped low down at the front would be quite hard on your back and potentially hazardous for baby. Putting baby on your back I think would tend to flatten the lumbar curve and make you tuck your butt in which would aggravate your prolapses. I don't know that I can offer you a good solution. I can only say that you have the right attitude. If you do need to carry baby for a bit and your prolapses start to sag, you know that they will move back up again quite quickly.

Your baby is at an age where they can become a bit clingy, perhaps starting to crawl and not being quite confident that if you disappear through a doorway you will return, and that you haven't abandoned them forever. They are no longer joined to you at the hip.

It is probably not a good time to challenge baby's confidence in you. It will pass, and as you have found, as babies grown we have to adapt our work to their new developmental stages as they grow. It will be hard for you to realise that this little helpless baby will probably be walking and possibly running by Christmas time (yikes!). You are just in the middle of a rock and a hard place at the moment, needing to be out in the paddock for periods of time and unable to keep the floor clean enough for a 'grazing floor dweller', let alone knead bread, wash dishes and all that. It is just a difficult time when everybody and everything needs your attention.

All you can do is prioritise carefully, and don't push yourself too hard. There is only so much that a woman can do without having a grandma sitting in every room to hold your baby while you do all the necessities. It will pass, as baby becomes more self-propelled. The hard bit is when they want to be up at your level while you do interesting stuff on the bench, and kitchen floors that are not kept reasonably clean can become hazardous for babies. Thank goodness my babies were breastfed. They certainly ate a lot of dirt and suspect things off the floor in that second half of the first year. They did stop putting *everything* in their mouths after about 12 months (Perhaps they had tried it all and decided that boob or real food tasted much better!). They are all now very healthy adults with no allergies. Dirt is a part of life. However, if your baby is artificially fed I wouldn't recommend being slack with floor cleaning. I used to find that cleaning up stuff on the floor as soon as it spilt was the best way to keep the floor clean. I used to keep a big pile of floor rags (old face flannels and the like) and cleaned up all the bits and liquids from the outside of the spill to the inside, in one sweep, then just shake it into the bin, give the rag a quick rinse then into the nappy bucket for later proper washing. There were many years of that practice, and with spills happening several times a day, plus the overflow from the high chair, the whole area of the kitchen floor would be cleaned at least daily. It wasn't really necessary to keep the other floors as clean, because we didn't use those rooms as much, and we came into the house via the kitchen so most of the shoe borne stuff came off before hitting the other rooms.

If you don't have any other children, one of those 'hang-in-the-doorway-bouncy-things' (Jolly Jumper?) might be a help, so baby can be upright and see you doing things in two rooms, but may be happy for short periods while you attend to the necessities of life. As for out in the paddock, I really don't know what to suggest, unless you can go in a vehicle with a secure car seat so baby can see when you get out to do something, or purchase an all terrain stroller. Just remember, it will pass.

Cheers

Louise

I wanted to use the sling with this baby especially since i was going to be home and get to spend so much time together but i prolapsed. I use "stations" with her...I have a bouncy seat, two different swings--one goes back and forth--front to back and the other side to side..ha! neighbor gave it to me!! The side to side swing saved my life since she was born hating the back & forth one...then she has her on the floor play thing she loves to look at and "dance" to--wiggle more like it! and we just added another station...her bouncy walker...so since i work at home and she gets bored and then yells at me!! I switch her from station to station until it is time for the next feeding/nap...this has been very successful to keep her busy, & in my sight so we can talk and I can work!
Now it will be nice here soon so it will be daily stroller walks--me in my posture and she in her seat! Can't wait...had gorgeous weather for a couple of days and now rain and snow again!!
I find the stroller walking in posture feels SOOOO good!! I really looked forward to a sling...but the stroller will have be a sub for us I guess!! My little one is a tubby thing now!!!

Enjoy your baby!! I am having too much fun...