
On January 29 I had a Babywearing Meet at Share Green Minami Aoyama.
We had so much luck with the weather that we didn’t use the indoor space of the Little Darling Coffee Roasters but enjoyed the sun outside at fake turf where children can run and play freely.
I had one mother who signed up for a carrier check and one who wanted to try on different carriers suitable for toddlers.
Please excuse that there will be no pictures of the meet. While many may not mind when posting and publishing pictures, I am not feeling comfortable with that.
However, let’s start with the write-up of the carrier check!
Carrier Check
She brought an Ergobaby. I was a little surprised because usually, everyone comes with an Ergobaby Omni 360 or Omni Breeze these days, but here I found an Ergobaby Original.
The Original is not suitable for newborns. It is a carrier that can be used from around 6 month or from when the backpanel wouldn’t spread the legs of the baby too much.
In this case, that wasn’t a problem. The Ergobaby fit well.
However, the mother complained about pain in the back when using the carrier even for a short time. She also owns a Meh Dai type of carrier (a carrier without any buckles) which is way more comfortable for her, but she wants a simple option without long straps too.
So I had a look on how she puts on the Ergobaby Original.
And found the common problems.. Actually, she did those TWO things that almost everyone does and which almost always leads to pain!
The waistbelt was too loose, creating pressure on the lower back, and the connection strap in the back of the neck was way too high which causes pain in the neck and shoulders.
Two very common issues which can be fixed easily.
Only the connection strap bears one problem: you have to remember a slightly new way how to put the carrier on because you have to loosen and tighten the shoulder straps every time! Some people therefore prefer the uncomfortable position of the connection strap in the back. Mostly, because they use the carrier only for a very short time anyways.


Carrier Try-On
The carrier try-on is for people who just want to try different models of carriers on their own (like in a store).
That’s why I offer this service for free.
The mother asked for the Limas Flex to try on, but since her child is already a toddler, I also recommended bigger carriers (one toddler size and one preschool size).
I thought, if buying a new carrier at this point, the carrier should last long! The Limas Flex might work until the end of their carrying time, but maybe they enjoy to carry comfortably for a really long time and a toddler size carrier might come in handy.
The carriers I also brought were the Hoppediz Buckle Toddler and the Lennylamb Preschooler. Because it was only a try on and not a consultation, I left more options like the Hoppediz Buckle (similar to Limas Flex) and the Lennylamb UpGrade (slightly smaller than the Preschooler) at home.
The mom was an experienced babywearer so she really didn’t need my help. She put on the Limas Flex quickly.
I assisted in the settings of the connection strap on the back and roughly explaining where the buckles for loosening and fastening the shoulder straps are.
However, because I love this work, I went a little further even though this was not a paid service.
On one side, the padding of the shoulderstraps ended uncomfortably under her arm. I adjusted the carrier in a way where the padding ended on her shoulder on the back and she only had the webbing running under her arm. This was more comfortable for her.
In the end, the Limas Flex she asked for wasn’t the most comfortable option for her and her child.
For her, the thinner shoulder straps of the Hoppediz felt more comfortable.
She took home the Hoppediz Buckle Toddler to try a little further and also to show it to her partner since he might want to use it too. After a few days she will send it back to me. After consultations this is a regular service. Else I ask for a really small fee.

A Babywearing Consultant's Work
This meeting really made me happy. It is so good to see mothers who came in pain and searching for solutions and going happily because they found professional help.
I also love to talk about life in Tokyo with kids and seeing all kind of women with kids of different ages connecting. A real win of these meetings!
If you are experiencing pain or feeling clueless about all these carriers out there, feel free to reach out!
You can book my services either on Open Office or Babywearing Meet days, or whenever it fits your schedule in a private consultation at your home!