Having shared my first year in woven wrap front carries with you earlier this month, I couldn’t let March pass by without also sharing what our first year in woven wrap back carries looked like! Now, being an ambulatory wheelchair user, you might be wondering why I’ve spent time learning how to back carry. It’s a good question, which has a few different answers.
As I’ve said above, I’m an ambulatory wheelchair user. This basically means that I can walk some, but not all of the time. To leave the house, I need to use my wheelchair. However, in and around my house, I don’t need to use it all the time. A few months ago, I began to feel completely overwhelmed by my PTSD and found it really challenging to have to deal with flashbacks when Elise was all up in my face. I felt like my body wasn’t my own and I became frustrated that I wasn’t able complete (or even start) the things I wanted/needed to do. This just compounded the emotional challenges I was facing.
So, to give myself a break and a feeling of being me as a person, rather than just me as a Mum, I decided to give back carrying a try during some of the time I didn’t need to use my chair.
I have to admit that, until very recently, it was very challenging, but also extremely beneficial. Being able to wrap Elise to my back has given me back a little space in order to process some of the things linked in with my PTSD. It’s allowed me to concentrating during medical appointments and has freed me up to be able to get a few jobs done – all while meeting Elise’s needs!
While this post focusses on our first year in woven wrap back carries, it’s important for me to let you know that my first attempt at a back carry was with a Meh Dai. The Didymos Meh Dai to be precise. As a first time Mum with less than 6 months wrapping experience, I was rather daunted by the prospect of wrapping Elise to my back. So, when Elise was 7 months old, I decided to reach for my Meh Dai. Doing this allowed me to concentrate on getting her onto my back in a safe and comfortable manner for us both. It also allowed me to try some of the woven wrap techniques I’d need (like strand by strand tightening through the straps), but without the chance that Elise would pop the seat I’d made or wriggle lots of slack into the main body of the carry. Starting with a Meh Dai gave me the confidence to try some woven wrap back carries and now I’m fairly confident in my back wrapping abilities.
Because of my hEDS, I’ve been using a hip scoot to get Elise onto my back. I do this by starting her in a traditional sling carry and then scooting her from my hip onto my back.
Our First Year In Woven Wrap Back Carries: Ruck TIF (base -2)
Our first woven wrap back carry was the standard rucksack tied in front. This is a great carry for getting the technique of making a seat for your baby and working on strand by strand tightening with a baby on your back. But, I didn’t find it very supportive or comfortable, particularly on my shoulders. After 3 or 4 times of tying a ruck TIF, I branched out to trying the candy cane chest belt version.
Our First Year In Woven Wrap Back Carries: Ruck CCCB (base -2)
A ruck with a candy cain chest belt is a carry that I still use now. Although this is a base -2 carry, I prefer it with a base -1 wrap. Tying the candy cane chest belt off at the shoulder with a longer wrap leaves you with beautiful swishy tails that make me feel really fancy! I much prefer this version of a ruck over tied in front and the candy cane chest belt takes some of the pressure and weight off the shoulder straps and into the chest belt pass, making it much more comfortable than ruck TIF.
Our First Year In Woven Wrap Back Carries: Ruck TT (base -1)
Ruck Tied Tibetan (knotless) was a suggestion from members of the Geeky Wrappers Facebook group, when I spoke to the group about founding a ruck TIF to be uncomfortable. I’ll admit that I do find this carry fiddly. Partly because I can’t seem to tighten evenly, so my middle marker ends up out of place. As a result, I’ve ended up with not enough tail to the off on a few occasions, which is why I haven’t persevered with this carry. It is the most comfortable of the ruck variations I’ve tried, so I should probably give it another try.
Our First Year In Woven Wrap Back Carries: Russian Jordan’s (base)
While practicing my rucks, Elise decided to go through a faze of popping the seat and trying to climb up my back – very unhelpful! Making a seat is something I struggle with anyway and have to use more unconventional methods because of my disability. I ended up getting very frustrated with myself because I couldn’t get Elise onto my back successfully. Part of the problem was the horrific medication side effects I was experiencing at the time.
As a result, the Geeky Wrappers suggested I try to hip scoot Elise in a Coolest Hip Cross Carry, then add the horizontal pass once she’s on my back, to make a Russian Jordan’s back carry. For three weeks of so, this worked brilliantly and was the most supportive of the woven wrap back carries I’d tried. Unfortunately, after three weeks, Elise decided that it’s be fun to lean out of the two cross passes, before I could secure the horizontal pass across her back. Because of this, I’ve not gone back to trying a Russian Jordan’s, though again, I probably should. Even if it’s just to find out whether Elise is still prone to lean.
Our First Year In Woven Wrap Back Carries: DH TIF (base)
I can’t remember why I decided to move on from a ruck to a double hammock DH, but I’m so glad I did! Having two layers of the wrap on Elise, rather than just one, makes the carry feel much more supportive and puts less pressure on my body as a result. The first double hammock I attempted was the Tied In Front version – the standard first DH to learn. My chest pass was full of slack and I only had enough tail to tie a half knot, but it was secure and more comfortable than a ruck!
Our First Year In Woven Wrap Back Carries: DH CCCB (base -1)
Soon after attempting my first DH TIF, I decided to learn the version with a Candy Cane Chest Belt. This was a game changer! While I’d found DH TIF generally very comfortable, I felt like (at least when tightened properly) the straps pulled my shoulder’s backwards – which I found to be a particularly pronounced sensation because of the flexibility in my shoulders as a result of my hEDS.
So, I quickly moved onto DH CCCB. I LOVE this back carry. It’s hands down my favourite so far. The CCCB takes the strain of both straps, meaning there isn’t any puling backwards of your shoulders. It’s a carry that feels really supportive and it looks beautiful with the twisted tails running horizontally below the collar bone.
My only challenge with the CCCB version is that the fabric under baby’s bottom isn’t locked in place in the same way as the TIF version. With TIF, you’re effectively making a cross, with baby’s legs on either side. Unless they were to raise their leg up and over the crossed fabric, they can’t pop the seat. With the CCCB variation, one shoulder strap goes all the way underneath baby’s bottom – creating a swing like seat for baby to sit on. If they’re able to wriggle their feet against your back and push upwards, they could pop the seat. This isn’t a safety issue as, if you’ve followed instructions carefully and tightened the wrap correctly, the top rail will keep your baby safely in place. It’s just rather uncomfortable to have them pushing against your back and wriggling around (or at least it is if you have a connective tissue disorder!).
Our First Year In Woven Wrap Back Carries: DH TAS (base -1)
Size 4 (base +1) is one of my most used size of woven wrap. As a result, I wanted to learn some shorter carries for when I got to visit my parents. I don’t want to be faffing around with a long wrap when the likely hood of Elise staying up for any decent amount of time while her cousin plays is low. Plus, I find short carries ideal for hopping in and out of the car. It seems silly to use short front carries and long back carries, so I decided now was the time to practice a short (more supportive than a ruck) back carry.
Double Hammock Tied At the Shoulder wasn’t the carry I was attempting to tie initially. What I wanted was to practice Shepherd’s. However, my muscle memory kicked in and I took my chest pass under my long tail, rathe than over it – DH style. So instead of Shepherd’s, I improvised and managed to create a DH TAS. For a carry that I wasn’t even planning on tying, it worked out well! I’ve done it since and each time I get a little better and the carry becomes more supportive.
Our First Year In Woven Wrap Back Carries: Shepherd’s (base -1)
After my initial failed attempt (is it failed if I still managed a carry out of it?! Probably not!)…
After my first attempt at Shepherd’s, which ended up being a rather nice DH TAS, i tried Shepherd’s. It was a perfectly ok carry, but it wasn’t a DH, that’s for sure I felt a lot of the weight was in the middle of my chest, rather than being taken by the horizontal pass. For me, this made it less comfortable than a DH TAS and Elise felt heavier.
I’ve only tried Shepherd’s once. It was successful, but I prefer DH variations.
Our First Year In Woven Wrap Back Carries: DH TUB (base -1)
If you’re not familiar with woven wraps, they come with a middle marker. This is found in the centre of the wrap and guides the user on how to centre the wrap. While attempting a DH TAS (because I find the knot at the shoulder pretty), I forgot where my middle marker was supposed to be and started in the wrong place. As a result, I had to improvise – enter Double Hammock Tide Under Bottom.
I have to admit that I rather like this carry! While tying under baby’s bottom when they’re on your back is a nightmare (particularly with bendy joints), once it’s done I found it to be very comfortable. On par with the TAS version. I’d have a hard time choosing between these, for different reasons. But, this is one of the reasons I get on with woven wraps so well – I can adapt my carries depending on how my body is doing on each individual day.
Have you tried back carrying in a woven wrap? Which carry did you start with?
I’d love to expand my repertoire. Which is your favourite back carry?
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