When my grandmother embarrassed the heck out of me by announcing that I had “childbearing hips”, I wished I would have dissolved into the wallpaper. Twenty years later, I’m over it. Good thing too, because I realized in part that the childbearing she might have been talking about wasn’t the actual birth, which doesn’t last nearly as long as the other kind of childbearing (Carrying one or more children on your hip as they cling to you like little monkeys while you shop, clean, walk, or otherwise multitask). Thank goodness the makers of baby carriers realized that side carriers, also called hip carriers, would help parents of older babies and toddlers to bear their tots around with them, freeing up arms and straightening up posture.
When To Be Hip
I never would have thought to pick up a hip or side carrier before my kids were born. Nolan is now three and a half and Paige is one. It’s hard to visualize propping a small infant, with the muscle control of pizza dough, perched on the hip, legs hitched in a horse-riding position, tiny hands clasped to a handful of your shirt. But when your baby can sit up unassisted, both of you are ready for a hip carrier, and not a moment too soon. This is an especially timely development if you have an older child.
So if you plan to get a hip carrier, consider picking one up at four months so it’s ready when your baby is.
Why Consider a Hip Carrier?
I’ll bypass the long list of reasons one would get a baby carrier. But a hip carrier has a list of unique benefits. Without a carrier or a stroller, most parents carry their kids saddled on one hip, with the parent’s arm supporting the back and their hand forming the seat for the child.
If you’ve been one of these parents, you know it gets old quick. Repositioning and switching arms are common gymnastics performed by you and your baby/toddler just to keep one of your arms from giving out completely.
Now think of all the other parents you’ve seen doing just this in the mall. Think about their posture. They all probably looked like human versions of the leaning tower of Pisa. Great for Italy. Abysmal for your posture. Now, telling you not to carry your kid on your hip with only your arm for support is probably going to be received as well as all of the unsolicited advice from inlaws. But this is different.
I talked to my chiropractor and my pediatrician and found that I was not only doing damage to my spine, but putting stress on my hip and knee joints. I don’t mean to sound like a hypochondriac. But none of us is getting any younger, and being proactive about posture can prevent injuries and limited movement later on. C’mon, don’t you want to be able to pick up your grandchildren?
Choosing a Hip Carrier
If you already have a sling or a wrap, these can be modified for hip carrying. I have my Moby wrap to carry my daughter on my hip. But with a wrap’s stretchiness, I found I was still altering my posture and stride to compensate for the additional weight of carrying her. I wanted something with less give, something suitable for an older child.
I found two somethings worth considering. First, the Ellaroo Mei Hip
Likewise, the Playtex Hip Hammock
One Word of Warning
Avoid slings and hip carriers for extended wear, as this can affect your posture, cause lower backpain, and put stress on your neck and shoulders. If the only point of contact on a hip carrier is the opposite shoulder joint, the shoulder will be pulled and strained somewhat asymmetrically. I once wore my hip carrier (the Scootababy) for a two-hour walk and paid for it the next day with a sore shoulder and lower back.
Bottom line: A hip carrier with some soft structure will provide the unfettered freedom of movement you and your older baby seek. Just make sure you test out models where one shoulder bears the weight, working up to longer periods of wear to see how your body handles it.
