Sling Recommendation

[andielk72]

I was reading some sling reviews and it sounds like certain ones work better for certain people - can anyone recommend one for a petite person? I am short (5'2" and a half), and normally thin (about 100 lbs) and the baby is looking to be small. Thanks Andie

[Motherto4]

Mei tai. I love mine. I also had a ring sling but like the MT better.

[DanelleB]

Different carriers work differently for different people at different ages & stages. My recommendation would be to start with something simple & inexpensive and then search out some local babywearers that can let you try their carriers. Trying before you buy is alot less expensive than just buying what people recommend and having it not work (then you have to sell it, look for something else and hope that the new carrier works for you, then if not you have to sell that one....see, vicious cycle). Look over on the forums at thebabywearer.com and see if there is an organized group in your area or if someone would be willing to meet you.

[Devaskyla]

I like MT's & wraps, mostly because I despise one shouldered carriers. Wraps are the most versatile & so long as you have one long enough for you (shouldn't be a problem for you, you'd be able to get a shorter one than a lot of women because your being petite) they work for pretty much everyone, size-wise anyway. A lot of women find them really finicky/hard to learn. I loved my wraps when ds2 was a baby, though. I switched more to MT's when he started trying to fling himself out of the wrap around 11 months.

I'm 5' & haven't had a problem with any of the carriers I've tried due to my height.

[Malva]

You may want to skip any of the pouches type carrier. I can't do those personally because I'm small and narrow. You need some shoulders, or at the very least a long torso to get a correct fit.

[galincognito]

i used a cuddlywrap with dd and it was great! it was a little tricky getting the tying down at first but we quickly got the hang of it. i did get a pouch sling (from a local stay at home mom who makes them) for this babe because i thought it'd be better for quick ins/outs and multiple stops. well see. from what i gather carriers are fairly personal preference so i second the vote to seek out a local babywearers group.

[dachshund mom]

I just bought this one off Etsy and like it a lot. It's very lightweight and easier to use than I thought it would be. I obviously haven't tried it with a baby yet though.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php...ng_id=21048090

[K&JsMaMa]

I like maya wraps. Normally, I'm on the thin side. This sling stays on my shoulder well. That's what we'll use this time.

[carseatqueen]

I'm about your height and I did like my Hotsling -similar to peanut shell. I'm between size 1-2, but I'm more at 110 lbs, you'd want a 1, but could probably use a 2 for a while after having baby. I was able to use a 3 for 2 months. I used a ring sling a little bit, but I found that because I was small it seemed the ring was always in the way! It was better to nurse in.

I also loved my MT, but when DS was itty bitty a sling was better for nursing or quick trips, IMO. I have a wrap to try this time, but I've heard that the Moby is long and I wouldn't like having all that extra legnth, so a friend gave me one she made out of jersey fabric. I can always cut it shorter if it's just too long.

[She2dancer]

I really like my wraps, I started with a Moby and went on to german woven wraps as my DS got bigger. As he got much bigger (i.e. toddler-hood), we invested in a babyhawk mei tai and a Beco...but I can't wait to wrap my little one again.

We never had too much luck with pouches or ring slings...but I am not a big fan of one shouldered carries anyway, as I find they put undue stress on only one side of the body...not good for a recovering post-partum body imho....

[cairomama]

I am petite and I like soft-structured carriers best because they are very easy to adjust and good on your back. I have a 4th Generation Beco and an Ergo. The new Beco Butterfly can be used with a newborn right away without an additional infant insert and it is very lightweight and pretty.

I tried a Bjorn, ring sling and pouch before the Beco and Ergo. The Bjorn hurts your back very early on. I could never get the baby positioned securely in the ring sling or pouch. I think part of it was that my baby preferred to be up unless he was eating and part of it was I didn't have any experienced baby wearers around to help. With the Beco and Ergo, I was able to use it right out of the box.

[*ecomama*]

I never really found a sling I liked but the Ergo was and still is my favorite!

[annettemarie]

Moving to Babywearing

[claddaghmom]

How big are your boobies?

That and DD's preferences are the only two things that seem to matter.

I am petite but my ladies are huge now, even larger than in the last trimester. I heard many comments reassuring me that the size levels out after the initial milk comes in...well, no they got larger lol.

So if I follow hotslings' sizing, I need a 2. But a size 4 is too small to be comfy.

I say go to a store and try several on...and don't buy any until you have your baby with you. DD refuses to lie down in her sling. She will only do the hip carry or the facing out carry.

[andielk72]

Thanks, everyone, for all the information and advice. Right after I posted this I saw an ad in a local paper about an info session on "babywearing" being offered at a nearby food co-op so I will check that out and hopefully can try out a few different "models" since it sounds like there isnt any one surefire favorite and there are a lot of different things to consider.

[dziwozony]

wow, you are so lucky...i wish one of those was happening in my area! my advice is don't get anything with bulky padding. someone gave me a padded ringsling & it was just ridiculous & huge on me.