Newborns and slings. Please serious answers only.?

Question

My youngest child is 15 years old and I am 4 months pregnant. Things have changed SO much in the past 15 years! I was looking online for some baby slings and have found that there are so many out there. Of course they all claim to be the best. I would love to have the opinions of mothers who are using them.

When answering, please give the name brand of your sling, where you got it from, and approximate price.

What do you like about your brand of baby sling?

What do you not like about it?

Thank you in advance for helping a very confused older new Mom.

We aren't considering a baby bjorn or anything of that nature as we don't feel confortable having the baby's legs spread wide by a large amount of cloth, etc. We are concerned about the possible problems with hips when this is done.

Answer 1

Look at how your baby sleeps when she or he is on their back - their legs bow out to the side and are bent. This is the posture that you want to preserve in a baby carrier.

You also want a carrier that supports their back when their back is rounded. This is best for development.

When you refer to the babies having their legs spread by a bunch of fabric, it doesn't do harm to them, but having their legs drape directly in front of them (Snuggly, Baby Bjorn), you increase the baby's risk of developing hip problems as well as back problems.

You want their legs bent and their hips bent enough to have their back rounded.

That said... I love my Storchenweige wrap (see also a moby wrap if you are wanting something cheaper). You can carry your baby anyway you want. There are endless positions that you can use. You can mimic a pouch, you can mimic a hip carry, front carry, back carry, etc. The possibilities are endless. A storchenwiege can carry a lot of weight. I even had my four-year-old sister in it :P

A wrap is a lot better than a pouch if you plan on wearing your baby for longer than 30 minutes as it distributes the weight evenly and doesn't cause pain to you or your baby. Baby can sleep easily in a wrap, depending on the carry.

A storchenweige can run from $110 - $140 or so, depending on the colour, length, and currency.

A Moby Wrap can run from $30.00 to $60.00 or so.

I also like my hotslings pouch. I like that one better than the wrap for quick trips. If I wear it too long, my shoulder starts getting painful, though.

I have a black fleece hostlings and it is super comfy for my daughter and I :D It goes for about $44.00 to $74.00, depending on size, fabric, currency, etc.

Answer 2

It's really an individual thing... different people have different preferences. The top brands, IMO, are the Over the Shoulder Baby Holder (OTSBH) and the Maya Wrap.

The OTSBH is very thickly padded. Some people feel that makes it more comfy but others feel that makes it too bulky. The Maya Wrap has no padding so it packs into a smaller space. Some feel that due to lack of padding the Maya is cooler in the summer months. I believe all Mayas now come with a pocket in the tail which is a phenomenal bonus!!! Thumbs up Maya Wrap designers!

Both are fairly easy to adjust. The Maya is very long which means you can use the excess fabric in the tail to shield baby from the weather or to breastfeed discretely. It can also be a pain for shorter people because the tail is so very long. But the OTSBH adapts to fewer sized adults since it has a shorter tail. If your husband and you are very different sizes, you might each need your own in order for both to get a good fit.

The Maya Wraps are beautiful. They have so many colors and patterns and they are just plain gorgeous. The OTSBH patterns leave much to be desired. They are painfully baby-ish. The Maya looks like a fashion accessory while the OTSBH looks like Mother Goose threw up on your outfit. ;-) Many of them would appeal to 6 yr old girls more than 30- or 40-something mothers. I was given a OTSBH and used it for years w/2 kids but I always envied the gorgeous Maya Wraps.

If you can test both styles before you buy, that's ideal. If not, you could buy one of each and sell the one you don't like on eBay. ;-) It seems like people really have a strong preference for one or the other.

The biggest mistakes people make w/slings are positioning. Make sure you put the rings about where you'd pin a corsage. Most people let the rings slip up onto the shoulder where they dig into the muscles or collar bone. It's not bad w/a newborn but as baby gets heavier, it becomes more painful. Also make sure you fan the fabric out across your shoulder. You want to distribute the weight of baby across a larger area. Many people w/Maya Wraps forget the step of fanning out the fabric just above the rings so it spreads across the shoulder/back. Last, make a pouch in the sling that's positioned for the way you want baby to lie/sit before you put the baby in. It's easier to adjust the fabric before you put baby in rather than after. The OTSBH company makes a great video that shows how to do this. Highly recommended! Keep practicing and you'll get the hang of it. I think a lot of people give up too quickly.

Answer 3

Firstly, ignore anyone who tries to tell you that a carrier is better then a sling. I have been a "sling devotee" with all 3 of my kids. I have used them NO PROBLEM from birth until about 2. I encourage you to use your sling often as this will help your body adjust to the increasing weight of your baby.
My brand of choice is a KinderSling by Karen. It is an adjustable round ring sling. It costs about $50 but you can often find them second hand at a consignment store.

Finding a sling that is right for you can be challenging, I commend you for asking for help! I suggest you go to the BabyWearer.com. They have forums there where you can post your needs and the experienced Mammas there will give you advice. MotheringDotCommune Forums also has a babywearing forum that is VERY helpfull.

I find most of the Moms here on Yahoo to be very mainstream and not very attachment parented so you'll find more relevant advice in the above mentioned sites. Not that everyone here is weird, just a few :)

Answer 4

I LOVED my Moby Wrap when my son was a newborn. We also loved our peanut shell (links in sources). However, if you're willing to put out a little money, I'd suggest a Storch or Didymos. They are extremely versatile, anyone can wear the baby (your husband, your mom, your 15 year old, and you) in the same wrap, the wrap will be comfortable for AGES (I still use mine with my almost 4 year old sometimes!), and they "age" well... one rare wrap sold on Ebay recently for $600+, most of the "common" ones will sell used for what you paid.
If you want something a little easier to learn to use, I'd get a Peanut Shell, or a Rockin' Baby Sling. Mei Tais are also beautiful carriers and easy to use with babies of all ages.
www.thebabywearer.com is an AMAZING resource, and you can find used carriers for less.

Answer 5

7 lbs and up! there's a distinction between a service and a automobile seat. some are designed to be the two. My son replaced into carried in a "Snuggly" sling, and each so often a sheet made right into a sling. He grew to become out superb.

Answer 6

I used a version of this "sling" 30 years ago. It was basically a pocket with leg openings. It was homemade. It tied around your neck and waist and the baby faced your chest. I loved it. The kid loved it. It left my arms free to grab the other kid! I'm not sure of what they have available now, but I'm sure it is an excellent and ancient way to carry your baby safely. Godloveya and contrats, Mama!

Answer 7

I was gifted a Maya Wrap when I was pregnant. It was the BEST gift I received. I loved it because
*My baby could lay in it like a hammock and sleep.
*I could nurse him discreetly ANYWHERE, anytime.
*Hands free
*No back strain
*I travel & when baby is on my lap in a plane, I feel he is safer strapped to me then just free holding him.
*Can go up & down escalators
*Good up to 45 lbs. I still use it as a hip carry.
*It has a pocket, I could put in a diaper, small pack of wipies and my wallet.
*Comes with a DVD, explains how to use at each age of child and if you want to use it over right or left shoulder.

Honestly, there is nothing I don't like about it. My mom used it, dad uses it, and my child has NEVER, EVER balked or complained about using it.

Congrats & good luck!!

Answer 8

baby bjorn worked really great for my babies! It was adjustable to grow with the baby, the baby could face front or back, and the straps were comfy on my back - didn't pull or slouch.

Answer 9

The best thing I can suggest is getting a carrier. The kind that lets the baby sit upright and see what's going on around him instead of being trapped inside a giant piece of fabric. Plus, the carrier will grow with them unlike a sling.

See the difference when I mean trapped inside fabric and being able to see everything around you?

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4291312
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4291310

Answer 10

try www.mammasmilk.com