When did you stop baby wearing?

[Susie]

I’ve been working on selling and donating baby gear we’re finished with, and I was thinking today about our Lillebaby Airflow. DS is 19m, and I am not sure when the last time was that I used it. With both kids I used it a lot up to a year or so, and for travel with DD in particular, but not much beyond a year.

If I want to go hiking, I have a handed down frame carrier that I can still use, and did as recently as December. As he gets bigger it’s not super comfortable because it doesn’t fit me really well, but it gets the job done, and he seems to like it ok.



With covid, if I ever take him in public I prefer for him to be in a stroller with a canopy rather than up at adult head height being worn, especially since he isn’t old enough for a mask yet. So I’m thinking I’m probably done with the Lillebaby at this point and ready to sell?

[isabel]

Neither of my kids wanted to be worn by 18 months. They wanted to move around and were too busy to be tied to me. We started using the stroller more around that point. I'm actually having this debate with myself right now about the stroller. It's been probably two years since I last used it. I think it's time to get rid of it.

I will say, I never used the actual carrier that I used to have, so I got rid of that a couple years ago. I still have my woven wraps though, which are what I used most often. I can't see getting rid of them. They're the one thing I got kind of nostalgic about.

I actually wrapped DS2 as a joke the other day when he was being kind of clingy. At 3.5 he's way too big for a forward carry. lol

[icedcoffee]

I’m trying to decide this too. We literally never use it, but we’re going to the beach this summer at almost 2. The house is 3 (long) blocks to the beach. I’m wondering what the best way to get him out there will be. Strollers don’t do great in the sand and that seems like a long walk. Wearing him might be our best bet? But he’s literally not been worn since he was like 6 months. In short...I don’t know.

[steamboat185]

My 2nd used the ergo until she was 3. We really only used it when traveling the last year- airports, customs, buses etc and I’m not sure when those will be common again. She is a cuddler by nature and didn’t walk till 18 months so it was just a way for her to feel more comfortable when she was overwhelmed.

[tacom]

My 28 mo is still happy to be worn, but it’s been consistent over time - no periods of prolonged disuse and renewed interest

If you can’t remember last using it, I’m guessing you’re good to part with it

[vlinder]

With DD (now 4.5) I used my Lillebaby until she was around 1 or so regularly, and until she was little over 2 when traveling. With DS (1.5) we’ve been taking a lot more walks/light hikes and he’s super tall, so this fall I ended up getting a Lillebaby Carryon, their toddler size carrier. I need to let my smaller Lillebabies (and stretchy wraps, etc.) go. Not sure what I’m going to do with my wovens.

[pinkplasticdoll]

Dd1 is almost 3 and asked for ups today so I was happy to put her up in a Carrier. I don't know how much longer she will want ups and I am happy to wear her for another year if she wants.

[luv2rn4fun]

Pretty sure I wore both boys in my Ergo carrier til 3yo. For hikes and for trips to Disneyland (we are local with passes...the carrier was with me for a long time and was great for when I needed it).

[moonpie]

By 18 months DD fought being constrained in any way (stroller, carrier). And she wanted up/down too often to make a carrier feasible for us. If you haven’t used it recently, I’d sell it.

[arehopsveggies]

Ds1 I was pregnant the year he was 2, so I didn’t wear him much once my tummy got big

DS2 is almost 3. I wear him into any stores, which is rare with covid, and still wear him for most of our hikes because he can’t keep up with brother for long. But we are getting to a point where I dont want to do big hikes because I don’t want to wear a wiggly toddler. He wants down and up and down and up

[ktw]

My (now) 7 yo was happy in a back carry until she was over 2. That’s how I used to clean and cook, with my clingy toddler on my back 😂. My younger one never really loved it, so I don’t think I wore him much past 1. If you’re not wearing him around the house now, and with who knows how much more pandemic there is to endure from home, you’re probably safe to get rid of it.

[joy]

Jan 17, 2021 23:46:21 GMT -5 luv2rn4fun said:

Pretty sure I wore both boys in my Ergo carrier til 3yo. For hikes and for trips to Disneyland (we are local with passes...the carrier was with me for a long time and was great for when I needed it).

This was me. But, I used it primarily on the city bus after daycare pick up.

My daughter loved the Ergo.

[brooke77]

Probably around a year. At that point he got too tall and heavy for me to carry for long. I had a bunch of carriers - Lillebaby, Baby Bjorn, and Ergo Baby. They all went fast on my buy nothing group.

[sent]

With DD, 2.5. She loved that thing. She probably would have stayed longer, but I got sick and could no longer wear it and she finally accepted her stroller.

With DS, I've only put him in the carrier twice. I've thought about getting a toddler Tula for outdoor walks because he's unruly in his stroller sometimes and he's almost 3.

[pandorica]

DD is 22 months, and I haven't used our boba carrier since the summer? We've used the hiking carrier this fall/winter a couple of times, but now she refuses for more than like 5 minutes and wants to walk herself. I can't see us using any carriers again at this point. I wish she liked to be worn more because it could be convenient sometimes, but she just isn't a fan and wants to be independent.

[mccallister84]

We haven’t used ours much this past year - but a lot of that is covid related. I’m still holding on to the ergo because I have hopes that we will one day fly again and my 2.5 year old is a runner. I wore my days away from 3 DD1 in Disney. Honestly it’s not likely we will be in a situation to use it again before DD2 completely outgrows it but I’m not ready to pass it on quite yet.

[Susie]

Ok, you guys are confirming my thought that we are probably done with it.  I was iffy because I feel like my parenting habits/activities are different because of covid and I didn't want to get rid of it, and then have summer come and regret it.  But by then he'll be 2, and probably not into being worn.  

I also never really got the hang of getting in/out of back carrying all that easily, especially by myself.  DS is super tall (97th%+) and I am short, so he outgrew me being able to front carry pretty early on.  My baby wearing dropped off a lot after that.  I feel like an old dog, and learning to get the carrier on/off to back carry is a new trick at this point.

icedcoffee , I wore the kids to the beach as babies, but I am not such a huge fan as they're bigger.  For one thing the carrier straps rub sunblock off my shoulders and that is a recipe for a burn!  By a year old, I had switched to using the BOB stroller on the sand.

[Mrs.flang]

I just got rid of both of my carriers a few weeks ago. I had a ktan and an ergo (which I never really liked). I used the ktan at disney with DD1 when she was 17 months but she was really too big for it. DD2 is 25 months now but I never wore her much to begin with. Unless you have someone specific in mind to pass it along to, I'd probably just hold onto it until you're sure it won't work for you anymore.

[scm1011]

I haven't given mine up yet, but DD (19 months) has refused to be worn for quite some time. It makes me a little sad, because she's my last baby. It's probably time, but I'm going to hold on to my Lillebaby Airflow for a few more months just in case. I'm probably romanticizing it though since she's such a giant. I'm not sure I really want to wear a 27lb child in reality lol.

[sillygoosegirl]

Mostly stopped at about 15 months because she wasn't into it anymore. Sometimes after that she was willing to ride in the frame pack, but it wasn't very comfortable for me because she was too big and heavy to carry that far off my back. Around her 3rd birthday she started being into being worn again and I learned to wrap her on my back with a woven wrap. I did that off and on, but relatively frequently, until I broke my wrist right before her 5th birthday, which is what put an abrupt stop to it. (Didn't break my wrist because of babywearing, but couldn't realistically do it anymore with a broken wrist, and then with a very stiff and weak wrist... and never started back up after.)

[gastro]

Ours are the same age and I babywear still a few times a week for hikes or if I have to take her for an errand. But she is barely walking and just tips the 20lb mark. If you haven’t used it in months probably good to go. Also sounds like you do have an alternative carrier if needed and you prefer the stroller anyway.

[macmars45]

Jan 17, 2021 23:15:46 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

I’m trying to decide this too. We literally never use it, but we’re going to the beach this summer at almost 2. The house is 3 (long) blocks to the beach. I’m wondering what the best way to get him out there will be. Strollers don’t do great in the sand and that seems like a long walk. Wearing him might be our best bet? But he’s literally not been worn since he was like 6 months. In short...I don’t know.

Wagon. Those foldable ones are great. My sister takes hers to the beach every year. Bonus is it carries all the towels, food, sunscreen, water etc.

ETA: my sister has 4 kids between the ages of 4-11 fwiw. She's used her wagon for at least 5 years now. Probably more.

[icedcoffee]

Jan 18, 2021 15:10:27 GMT -5 macmars45 said:

Jan 17, 2021 23:15:46 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

I’m trying to decide this too. We literally never use it, but we’re going to the beach this summer at almost 2. The house is 3 (long) blocks to the beach. I’m wondering what the best way to get him out there will be. Strollers don’t do great in the sand and that seems like a long walk. Wearing him might be our best bet? But he’s literally not been worn since he was like 6 months. In short...I don’t know.

Wagon. Those foldable ones are great. My sister takes hers to the beach every year. Bonus is it carries all the towels, food, sunscreen, water etc.

ETA: my sister has 4 kids between the ages of 4-11 fwiw. She's used her wagon for at least 5 years now. Probably more.

This is what my H thinks we should do but I’m hesitant to buy it and only use it once. DS2 is our last and he’s already 1.5. I’m hoping by next summer he may be able to walk himself over and DS1 would be 5 so old enough to at least carry his own toys.

I might see if someone in our neighborhood has one they can lend me for the week though. 🤔

I’ve heard strollers can be ruined by sand in the wheels? Not sure if this is true but it’s what makes me hesitant to try the City Mini GT on sand.

[tiki]

I bought a toddler carrier about a year ago, when DD was 2.5. She loved it and probably would have been into using it more, but between the pandemic and her being over 30lbs, we gave it up pretty quickly.

[achi]

DS liked being worn for walks until he was around 2 I think? After that it dropped down to when he wasn't feeling well and I'd really only wear him when I had to get things done around the house.

I kept our ring sling and onbuhimo for the random ups. I also brought the ring sling with us when we travelled internationally (DS was 3). When we landed at our home airport we couldn't get our gate-checked stroller until after passport control. I remember seeing other parents holding their heavy toddlers and congratulating myself on my foresight to bring the ring sling in my carry-on. Not that standing there for 40 minutes with a 30+ lb toddler strapped to me was awesome, but it was better than having to hold him the whole time or juggle him back and forth between H and I when he was tired and cranky.

[macmars45]

Jan 18, 2021 15:32:54 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

Jan 18, 2021 15:10:27 GMT -5 macmars45 said:

Wagon. Those foldable ones are great. My sister takes hers to the beach every year. Bonus is it carries all the towels, food, sunscreen, water etc.

ETA: my sister has 4 kids between the ages of 4-11 fwiw. She's used her wagon for at least 5 years now. Probably more.

This is what my H thinks we should do but I’m hesitant to buy it and only use it once. DS2 is our last and he’s already 1.5. I’m hoping by next summer he may be able to walk himself over and DS1 would be 5 so old enough to at least carry his own toys.

I might see if someone in our neighborhood has one they can lend me for the week though. 🤔

I definitely have lent mine to a friend a few times. It doesn't hurt to ask. The worst they can say is no.

My mom has one that gets used by all grandkids (including my DS) on a regular basis in non snowy/rainy weather. My parents live walking distance to a creek. We gather rocks on the way and throw them in at the creek regularly. (They live out in the boondocks.)

[Pilsy]

I have an Ergo 360 and occasionally back-carry my large 3-year-old. But who cares about me? I think you can let the Lillebaby go. It really doesn't sound like you'll use it, and you do have an alternative.

It feels so good to unload this stuff!! I've put so much on my local buy-nothing site in the past 6 months, I feel like a new woman. haha

[loira]

We had a frame carrier that I used for hiking until she was about 3.5. after that she got too heavy for me to wear it and my H still used it occasionally until she was about 4. We stopped with the lillebaby around 2.

[jewel]

My younger kid just turned 3 and I still use our carrier regularly. If I have to take him into store, which is very rare with covid, he rides. We also take one on hikes for when he gets tired.

In the before times, we used a preschool kinderpack at Disneyland for both boys (older one was 5 at the time).