My back aches, is this normal?

Any way you carry a baby, whether with a baby carrier or with your arms, is going to put added stress on your body. It takes time for your muscles to adapt to new carrying positions.

There are a few things you can do to help ease back strain. The first is fit. Does the baby sling seem to fit well. Is the baby's bottom resting at your navel?

Second, check your position. The tag should be resting on your shoulder blade, with the baby's bum in the curved seam. Position the baby sling so that it's a little off your shoulder, more to the side and pulling across your body rather than on top of your shoulder and pulling down on your body.

Third is posture. It's very, very important to keep a tall, straight spine. Practice rolling your shoulders back and moving your shoulder blades down your spine. Hunching and slouching can be very detrimental to you back, with or without a sling. Do some back exercises to strengthen these new muscles you're using. As with all baby carriers, take a break when you feel tired. Switch shoulders, change the baby's position, sit down. Babies are endurance exercises!

Keep trying and as the baby moves from laying down to a sitting up position, a lot of the weight will be distributed to your hips.