I've been babywearing for several years, using ring slings and ABCs, and I know they're safe. I know that a baby's positioning in a mei tai is quite different from that in a Bjorn, despite the fact that they both have the baby in an upright position. I know that babies are quite safe and comfortable cuddled in a properly-adjusted ring sling in the cradle position, and that it's actually supportive for their spine, and that they can indeed breathe, even though they may look "scrunched up in there."
But now I keep seeing these baggy, pouchy looking slings that are supposedly unsafe (like in the Eddie Bauer sling thread). Is there a specific name for these kind of slings? And what about their construction/configuration/positioning makes them unsafe for babies? I have heard that they push the baby's chin down on his/her chest, which is dangerous. (I have heard the same thing about putting a baby too young in an umbrella stroller, BTW.) Why do these slings encourage a truly unsafe position, while, say, a Maya Wrap does not?
I want to be educated about this so that when I hear people say "Oh, be careful, baby slings are unsafe, they can suffocate," I can explain the technical differences between these baggy pouch "slings" and safe slings.
Thank you so much!!
But now I keep seeing these baggy, pouchy looking slings that are supposedly unsafe (like in the Eddie Bauer sling thread). Is there a specific name for these kind of slings? And what about their construction/configuration/positioning makes them unsafe for babies? I have heard that they push the baby's chin down on his/her chest, which is dangerous. (I have heard the same thing about putting a baby too young in an umbrella stroller, BTW.) Why do these slings encourage a truly unsafe position, while, say, a Maya Wrap does not?
I want to be educated about this so that when I hear people say "Oh, be careful, baby slings are unsafe, they can suffocate," I can explain the technical differences between these baggy pouch "slings" and safe slings.
Thank you so much!!
: Uh, well, this always gets under my skin. While two of those slings may be unsafe, the Premaxx Baby Bag from JJ Cole is not shown worn in the correct manner. If one were to wear any sling incorrectly, then it could be unsafe. It just really chaps my hide to wear it wrong and then call it unsafe. I used it for a year and a half, and loved it. For the infant position, the strap should be twisted and tension created such that the baby can't suffocate, or fall out. I recognize that it's a love-it-or-hate-it style, but I don't agree that it's inherently unsafe. More difficult to use? Okay, that's fair. But just because someone didn't understand the instructions, that doesn't mean that those who do understand them are endangering their babies.
