If you're having trouble getting the onbuhimo to work for you, you're not alone! This is the most challenging style of carrier to have fitted without someone else there to help you. In this guide, we'll walk you through some tips and tricks to get the perfect fit. Plus, we'll let you know how to get more individualized help!
To get started, here are 3 videos to help assist you with how to use the onbuhimo:
Quick tutorial by Alexandra: https://mama-roo.com/blogs/gentle-pregnancy-and-parenting/quick-onbuhimo-tutorial
Quick tutorial by Amanda: https://cdn.shopify.com/videos/c/o/v/bff403a8e72d4e98a5c6d409f81c746c.mp4
Now that you've taken a look at those, let's get troubleshooting!
A child plays with his father while in the waist-less onbuhimo baby carrier. Baby is positioned nice and high, shoulder-to-shoulder with the caregiver and able to see all around! This is generally the most comfortable positioning for this carrier style.
The onbuhimo carrier is meant to be carried high on the back. This will allow your child's shoulders to be even with your shoulders. This can seem like a difficult task to do if alone or even with help if it's one of the first times you have done it. There is a trick, and I will do my best to describe how to get your baby up high and fit more comfortably for you two! The first thing you want to do is get your baby into the carrier and onto your back. Clip the chest clip; if it feels like the strap is choking you, we will fix that, too!
Whew, getting your baby on your back is a hard task, especially the first few times! Good Job!
Once you get your baby up and on your back, I want you to lean forward. Not just a little, but lean forward like you are trying to touch your toes. You will know you have leaned forward far enough once your baby lies down on your back. Once your baby is safely lying on your back, then you are going to work on getting your baby in the correct position, using your dominant hand to reach behind you and push the baby up your back from their bum. (You might need to shimmy your body a little and then pull your shirt down, too, LOL!) While you are pushing them up in the carrier, you can use your non-dominant hand to pull that chest clip off of your neck and down to your chest. This will help rotate the carrier into the right position.
How does it feel?
It feels good? Awesome! Skip to the next part!
Does it still not feel right? That's okay! Let's try another thing that helps a lot of caregivers! I want you to lean over again and loosen the shoulder straps under your arms. Once the straps are loose, we can usually rotate the carrier much easier, so try pushing your baby up and pulling that chest clip down. That chest clip can be a little finicky sometimes; if it's still up in your throat, use both hands and reach up and behind you to grab the top of the shoulder straps. Slowly start to stand up, and once you are mostly standing straight, pull those shoulder straps straight up into the air; you kind of need to bounce your torso a bit while doing this, too. Pulling on those straps will bring the top of the carrier higher up on your child. The top of the panel should now be no higher than your baby's jawline and no lower than their armpits. This should bring that chest clip out of the throat for you.
{The next part.} Make sure the shoulder straps are tightened as much as you want them to be. You can grab the top strap and pull it down, or you can grab the bottom strap and pull it up, whichever is more comfortable for you! And you should be ready to go!
But what about the Preschool Onbuhimo?
A child is carried in a Preschool Onbuhimo. These carriers are made to last for big kids, and can often be worn until 6, 7, or even 8yrs old! They are also more wide in the shoulder width, making this a great choice for plus size caregivers carrying big kids. The Preschool Onbuhimo has a few design differences, but adjusting it to fit is very similar to the smaller sizes!
The Preschool Onbuhimo can follow the same guidelines as above, with a few modifications.
1- The Preschool Onbuhimo only has 1-way strap adjustments. This is usually the direction caregivers prefer when adjusting, but, it's good to keep in mind that you may need to loosen a little more or adjust the direction you are tightening under the arms as compared to the standard and toddler sizes
2- The Preschool Onbuhimo can be adjusted for panel height with pull tabs on either side of the panel. You'll want to adjust this as well as the panel width for the best fit for your little one!
3- The Preschool Onbuhimo has a removable hood. You can leave this on or remove it, whichever is most comfortable for you. The standard and toddler sizes have sewn-in hoods
Need more help? You got it!
Our welcoming Facebook group is a great place for fit checks and other information: http://facebook.com/groups/mamaandroos
You can also email us at contact@mama-roo.com, and we'd be happy to help you one-on-one. Feel free to send us some fit-check photos. We really love to see front, side, and back photos of you and your baby in the carrier. And please, let us know how you're feeling while in it and what doesn't feel quite right to you. Any photos you email for fit checks are safe with us! The photos will not be posted anywhere, and photos in the mirror work great (we don't judge dirty mirrors- we're parents, too!).
I'm still not getting the hang of this. What now?
Give yourself some time to practice using the carrier. We recommend a few minutes a day, gradually increasing the time spent, to build up your muscles for this type of carry! This is very popular style, and it's easy to see why- it's super fun, easy to pack up anywhere, and very inclusive. It's worth taking the time to learn so you can really enjoy the benefits!
After some practice, if you still can't get the carrier working for you, we get it - the onbuhimo style isn't for everyone.
One of the biggest reasons people want to get an onbuhimo is for a waist-less carry. If that's you, I usually recommend that people try the wrap strap meh dai or a long woven wrap instead.
Long woven wraps are here: https://mama-roo.com/collections/long-woven-wraps
If you are looking for an option for quick "ups," you may want to look at our soft structured backpack carriers (SSCs), ring slings, or hip sling carriers.
SSCs are here: https://mama-roo.com/collections/soft-structured-carriers
Ring Slings are here: https://mama-roo.com/collections/ring-slings
Hip Slings are here: https://mama-roo.com/collections/lennytwin-carrier
If these options don't sound like the best option for you, or if you just aren't sure, let us help! Send an email or DM and let us know your child's age, child's pants size, and any specific features you are looking for in a carrier. We'll recommend some things for you to try!
Here is a carrier guide also to get you started: https://mama-roo.com/blogs/gentle-pregnancy-and-parenting/whats-what-a-summary-of-different-kinds-of-baby-carriers
And here's our baby carrier quiz to help you choose, too: https://mama-roo.com/pages/baby-carrier-quiz
We're so glad you chose to give Mama & Roo's a try! Let us know how we can help you to find the perfect carrier and the perfect fit for you and your family. It's what we do! We've helped thousands of caregivers just like you, and we can't wait to talk to you more. Just send us a DM through the chat on this page, or email us at contact@mama-roo.com
Thank you to Jessi Belt and Amanda Zint-Owen for their expert contributions to this article!