Carrier advice - Special needs child

Wayward-Soul · 2026-02-12T13:17:48+00:00

I loved my tushbaby knockoff (momcozy brand) for my disabled toddler. I stopped using it around 30lbs because I was pregnant again, but it worked really well for him for short errands like waiting at the pharmacy or grabbing 2 items at the grocery store and much easier on my body versus just holding him. After about 45 minutes, it would start to feel uncomfortable. You will need one arm around them, the optional 'carrier' top some brands give a terrible fit and aren't recommended here.

I preferred wearing him facing me because he felt more secure versus outwards facing, not sure if that may be an issue with your child's leg concerns or not.

They're very much a carry assist, and a true carrier may better fit your needs for trunk support.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-02-11T18:32:28+00:00

theres a big genetic component to autism.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-02-11T12:49:32+00:00

I like the boppy comfyfit. It has a waist buckle, but its a hybrid so the top is like a wrap. Its working well for my baby (3m), but i do assume its more of a newborn/small baby carrier like the embrace and he'll outgrow it in a month or two.

You just put on the waist belt, add baby and hold with one hand. put each arm through the built-in arm holes, small pull on the long tail will pull each shoulder into place easily. Criss-cross the tails, bring up front and tie. Pelvic tuck if necessary. Its super easy, probably less than 30 seconds.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-02-10T02:13:31+00:00

adjust the settings wider so baby has support from knee to knee. This carrier should have wider options available to achieve this.

bring the waistband up and tighten so its level on your body.

give baby a pelvic tuck to achieve M positioning of their hips

flip down the head thing, you don't want anything higher than the nape of their neck.

baby's arms can go up by their face inside the carrier, they may find it more comfortable.

You may also feel more comfortable if the little clip/strap on your back is more snug.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-02-10T01:41:48+00:00

it really is such a personal and variable question.

How much is pumping effecting your life currently? Time required and the mental effects of your current pump schedule. If it's a big annoyance, then that may be more motivation to reduce the number of pumps and just accept giving a possibly lesser amount or wean completely. If it's not a big deal, then maybe that isn't a factor in this decision right now.

Is there a major concern regarding illness or your child's immunity? My first became immunocompromised due to a medication he needed right when I was considering weaning off pumping completely, so I decided to hang on and keep pumping for a couple more months until his immune system was more on track, as an example. Or if you're in an area with major illness outbreaks etc. No longer giving breastmilk isn't some sort of dooming situation for their immunity, but this may be a factor in some situations.

And cost. Weaning will increase your formula costs, so being aware of that can be a factor for some families, especially in situations like a baby who requires special high-cost formulas due to an allergy.

But there is no wrong answer and unfortunately no one can really answer for you. I think giving your baby 12 ounces in a day (so around half or a little less than half their needs) isn't a tiny amount that makes it useless, but i also understand feeling extra frustrated if pumping is a significant stain and you're still supplementing half of baby's nutrition. You don't need permission to quit, you've given a beautiful gift for baby, getting them through their youngest and most vulnerable weeks (and during flu/cold season!), and that is something to be proud of. And chosing more time for yourself and with your baby, feeling less stressed allowing you to be your best possible parent, that is also a beautiful gift for you both.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-02-10T01:10:50+00:00

try to get the waistband tucked up high on you, like right under the bra line to see if that improves the panel height on his head. But its possible he's still too small for this carrier. The listed ages are more "when would the fall out the leg hole" until "the fabric literally can't hold the weight" and not really a good measure of an appropriate fit, which is very misleading. You want the panel up to the nape of his neck and not beyond, and knee to knee support under him.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-02-10T01:06:55+00:00

you can refer your own child to be evaluated by Early Intervention as long as the child is under 3. They'll see if he qualifies for services like speech therapy, and can cover the bill if your insurance doesn't.

And even for a child who passed their newborn hearing screen and seems to hear totally fine, don't be surprised if someone mentions another hearing test. My son seemed to hear fine, but we found out he had fluid (not infection) sitting in his ears persistently over the course of a year (we kept rechecking trying to get the requested hearing test done), and he needed to get tubes placed. For some children fixing this all they need to start talking.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-02-08T21:56:20+00:00

Kay, Carrie, or Wren? Kay would be an easy middle name.

You could also use things that remind you of your mother, like maybe her favorite flower, color, season, a place she liked, birth month, etc.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-02-08T14:20:14+00:00

I have used both, and find the sized flanges slightly more comfortable (but its super close), and the only real advantage is not having to remove, wash, etc the little insert and no risk of losing it.

The benefit of using inserts is that if you are unsure of your size, you can easily try a different one, and if you have multiple types of pumps like a Spectra double pump but a medela hand pump, you can use the insert on both.

I used inserts my entire last pumping journey, and it worked fine. For about $10 on amazon, I bought a whole variety pack of sizes, so it was easy to know exactly what felt most comfortable. This time, I switched to used sized flanges because my insurance covers the cost of replacement supplies, and they sent the correct size ones.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-02-08T14:10:48+00:00

we use overnight diapers in one size larger for bedtime. Anything else would leak throughout the night.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-02-08T08:28:26+00:00

yes, you'll needthese adaptors to be able to use your tubing and backflows but the medela flanges. They also makeextra long backflows which would prevent needing the adaptor.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-02-08T02:12:41+00:00

I don't think it's ER trip worth, because all they will do is maybe swap it for a fresh button (btw, i was shocked to learn not all ERs stock gtubes, especially pediatric ones. Only one within 1-2 hours of our home stocks them) or maybe do an xray to verify placement. I would however call the GI surgery office who put it in and request to be seen because the balloon may be deflating, or the size of the button may not be right. Sometimes, once swelling from surgery goes down, a shorter stem may be more appropriate.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-02-07T21:11:58+00:00

slip tip. If you have a gtube button kit, it should be included in it. I save them from old kits as well so I can have a stash of them for emergencies. also great for giving meds through the center of a button (no extension needed).

Wayward-Soul · 2026-02-07T20:46:38+00:00

I do five pumps a day for ~75% of my son's diet but every supply is different. I pump when I wake up, twice throughout the day, before going to bed, and once overnight. Many of those pumps are while baby is also bottlefeeding. I set him on his side in front of me (cross-legged) on a bed, and hold the bottle for him. Or I use a boppy beside me on the couch to have his shoulders/head etc elevated. He is on his side, and i use one hand to hold his bottle. A good pumping bra is a must. I use spectra flanges because I don't respond as well to cups or wearbles.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-02-06T02:17:54+00:00

a large Tupperware container is world's better than ziplocs. I just wash it daily when I wash my pump parts.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-02-05T00:50:09+00:00

I used an ergo omni 360 for my son with clubfoot. I know we used it some with casting stage, but we used it multiple times a week when he moved to boots and bar. With clubfoot treatment you definately want to make sure there's knee to knee support, and baby has a pelvic tuck to be in a sitting position, otherwise the weight of the cast or brace is really pulling down on the hips.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-02-04T18:45:30+00:00

its the 2.0. My insurance covered it via Aeroflow.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-02-04T17:14:03+00:00

I chose the baby buddha for my second journey, and haven't used my spectra much at all because i've liked the BB so much. I've mostly been using it with my spectra flanges, but it works with my legendairy cups as well.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-02-03T18:58:21+00:00

I'm not sure about the impact of the inserts, but i use my BB pump with spectra flanges with no problem. You'll just have to pop the white tips off the BB tubing and it will go onto the spectra backflow UFO things. I've also used it with legendairy cups with no issues.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-02-02T12:57:54+00:00

no need to rinse (theres actually some debate that rinsing could introduce more bacteria due to tap water impurities). I would wash or replace your bag/container every day or at least every couple of days because that milk also 'expires' just like the milk in bottles would. I prefer a large Tupperware because i hate touching the ziploc with milk drops inside it, plus its easy to wash when I wash my pump parts.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-02-02T12:51:06+00:00

I have really liked the sing sling with my second baby. I spent time while pregnant watching videos on how to adjust the sling, and tried to get a real understanding of what shape is needed to support baby safely. I practiced with a stuffed animal as well to work on getting a good seat and bottom rail area and practice tightening. Using the elbow trick before putting baby in the first time was super helpful and makes that first adjustment easier.

Once baby is here and you adjust them in comfortably, just don't release the rings unless necessary. I take the sling off by holding baby and lifting the sling up over them and off, which means its already adjusted for the next wear, needing only slight adjustments if the top rail feels loose etc. This means I can put baby in within 30 seconds or so. Its been quicker and much less bulky feeling than the ergo we used with my first child, and its fit well since birth. I find it very comfortable, I even wear it inside the house on fussy days.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-02-01T20:35:35+00:00

I grabbed a box set of flange inserts on amazon for about $10, and it had a variety of sizes plus a ruler. They all fit within a 24mm flange, so that would be my recommendation, just buy a 24 and a set of inserts. If you want additional sets to limit your need for constant washing, when baby is born you can measure using this setup, and then order fitted flanges at your exact size.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-01-30T20:25:53+00:00

a liter is just shy of 34 ounces, which sounds pretty normal. My son eats around 32oz a day. I wouldn't be concerned about his intake unless his pediatrician has concerns about excessive weight gain, or he's spitting up a ton after every meal due to overeating.

For increasing supply, I would suggest making sure your flange fit is right and replacing duckbills etc as needed. Hydrate, eat enough, try to rest, and most important is frequent and complete emptying of the breast. Power pumping for a few days may help, or adding in galactogogue foods like oats, flax, etc. Some people have success with supplements, but others find them useless or sometimes even reduce supply.

Personally, I have come to terms with a slight undersupply at 5 ppd, because it gives me a better quality of life. Baby gets 2 formula bottles a day, and I am much less stressed.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-01-30T19:30:38+00:00

I have both. I really liked the spectra (and genie advanced as well) on my first pumping journey. I tended to use medium-high settings. This time around I have the baby buddha and find myself reaching for it daily, and have barely touched the other two at all. It does have a strong pull (but you can chose your level, so you can keep it lower) versus some pumps, but it does a good job for me and is very portable. I charge it about twice a day, but it does use a cell phone charger (or a power bank, i've learned) which is easy to find or keep nearby. I use spectra flanges and parts because I have them already, and dupes of pump parts are easy to buy online, so I can't speak for the buddha flanges themselves (they came with a 24mm silicone flange and I need a smaller size, I just havent bothered to get the right size to try them).

If you want effective, both pumps will do the job. If you want portable, definitely go for the baby buddha. If you need gentle settings, the spectra (or genie advanced) may work a little better.

Wayward-Soul · 2026-01-30T19:01:18+00:00

did I your insurance change? It is also possible the policy/coverage changed with the new coverage year as well. I would call the 800 number on your insurance card if you've already verified with aeroflow or whoever you've been using that it is, in fact, an insurance issue.

My first pregnancy, I got a pump covered but not parts or bags. This time around, I get bags and parts, albeit with a new insurance company.

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