There was a conversation I had with a close friend when I was heavily pregnant that sticks with me, even though I’m 98% certain she’ll have zero recollection of the conversation or the flippant comment she made that has encouraged me so defiantly in my use of baby carriers over the last 14 months.

Some background for you to set the scene – my partner, who works very hard, is often away for work, sometimes for a few weeks at a time. This wouldn’t be an issue in itself, only that we live in a rural part of East Sussex in the UK ( think no streetlights, one pavement to nowhere, muddy fields over stiles and in winter, boggy woodlands.) We also own an hair ball of a dog, a golden retriever called Fitz who needs walking every day, rain or shine. He doesn’t care that I now have to manage all 35kg of him, whilst clambering over stiles with a new baby.

So back to the friend, Little Man was 6 months old, predominantly in the front carrier ( I use the ergo baby omni breeze and promise to write a review.) We were discussing me walking the dog with the baby in the carrier and she said to me and I quote “ you’re not going to be able to keep doing that for much longer, once he’s grown out of that carrier, I know big men who struggle with the back carriers, they’re heavy. You won’t be able to manage.”

I held my tongue from a few choice words i wanted to use and told her, I would manage and I do. I have no concerns that I will not continue to manage as Little Man grows either. I’m just as capable as any ‘big man’. Luckily the stubborn streak in me drives me to prove her wrong but it could have planted a seed of doubt that I wouldn’t be able to do it, so I’m here to tell you if you had any doubt: you can totally do it too.

I can now walk about 10 miles with Little Man comfortably in the back carrier, I haven’t tried much more than that yet but I am continuing to build up my own tolerance slowly to not injure myself and put myself or Little Man at risk. ( no one wins if I do my back in miles from home and I’m pretty sure Little Man would not be able to carry me yet.)

Below are five things i try to do in order to build my tolerance so I can continue to walk with my baby on my own as he gets bigger and heavier:

1. Use the back carrier regularly. I try for at least 1 walk a week, even if it’s a short walk where I could usually manage with the front carrier. I find if I only wait till the longer walks, I loose some of my tolerance each time and it feels heavier.
2. Always get it on by myself. I make sure I do this without using a table or the offer of assistance as much as possible. This won’t be possible for everyone but like I said earlier, I’m often on my own and need to be able to get it on and off without help and there won’t always be a table out on a walk after a nappy change.
3. Breaks. Whilst I like to use the back carrier regularly, it is much heavier than my soft carrier so I try to give my body a rest between wears by using the soft carrier on the majority of my short dog walks.
4. Build your tolerance. You might be able to manage 10 miles with a day pack and think you’ll be fine, baby back carriers sit differently and your load is a lot more wriggly, start small and build up to longer walks.
5. Consider your terrain. As mentioned above, your weight distribution is very different with a wriggly backpack on. You’ll be most likely to slip or trip and the risk is greater if you fall, so consider the terrain of your walk before you set off and make sure you’re wearing appropriate footwear.

Side note: I consider myself extremely fortunate to be physically able to continue to carry Little Man on our adventures and know this won’t be everyone’s reality. So my last piece of advice which is probably the most important would be to take everything I’ve said above with a pinch of salt, I’m certainly not an expert. Please listen to your own body, know what your own personal limits are and don’t be as stubborn as me, always accept help if it means preventing an injury to yourself or your own little one.

Happy Exploring

Cat and Little Man