how is it going for the slingers?

[krizzanne]

especially limabean - how do you like your pouch?

What is everyone using? can you bf hands free, yet? is it keeping your lo happy? any problemss or frustrations?

I started wearing my new lo at about 3 weeks, and I had a hard time because I am accustomed to using a wrap or spoc, but all I have is a Maya ring sling.

well, after about 2 weeks, I have figured out so many ways of using the ring sling, and I LOVE it. Now, my LO is 6 weeks, and I wear her on my back, front, up, cradled in the ring sling-- it is great.

The only drawback is that my back is sore in one spot in the evening (with a wrap, I don't think that would happen) but as I strengthen my stomach muscles and stop slouching while carrying her, I think that will go away.

[BensMom]

my fave is my kangaroo korner adj fleece pouch, its so comfy and easy and stretchy. but its finally warming up here, so i wont be using that one for long. plus its not easy to nurse in. i have been less pleased with my mody wrap this time around. its comfy, but it feels so very bulky with all that fabric. my fave at the moment is my basic maya wrap ring sling. i can get her in nice and high and tight, i can nurse easily and discretely in it and i can get stuff done hands free. i only wish i had a more basic pattern, and not the hippyish colors i picked out 7 yrs ago. LOL

once the babe is a bit older, i am sure my ergo will take its rightful place on the top of my list again.

[carriebft]

I started wearing her at about 3 days old. I used the peanut shell for the first couple weeks because it was easy to nurse in but now I am almost only in the moby when we go out. I like using the moby for the park, grocery and gymboree because she falls right asleep in it.

For at home use I use the Kozy. I don't use that one at gymboree because we do art and they would get paint all over it But it works great for dishes, cleaning and playing outside with the kids.

[mkmama]

Originally Posted by BensMom

my fave is my kangaroo korner adj fleece pouch, its so comfy and easy and stretchy. but its finally warming up here, so i wont be using that one for long. plus its not easy to nurse in.

once the babe is a bit older, i am sure my ergo will take its rightful place on the top of my list again.

Huh. I was JUST about to write that i have a kangaroo korner adj fleece and never liked it with DS, and i tried with this LO and don't like it either. i read and read and even talked with the lady via email but its just not for me. Plus yeah, its hot!

I started wearing her at just 3 days old. I use the Ergo infant insert, and although its bulky, it keeps me using my Ergo and its for a short time. Its easy to use the insert actually and i've found it quite practical to take her out and always have a soft, clean place to lay her. Plus I can use it to cover for nursing in public when men i know are around. I have heard that you can use it without the insert at about 3 months putting the baby in froggy position, so i plan to do that as she already has amazing head control at 4 weeks old.

I would get a moby just for these first few months but this is working out fine and i don't want to spend the money...cuz i know once she hits 3-4 months Ergo will be ALL i'll use. I'm not a multi-sling kinda gal. I stick with what i like and what works!

I Ergo.

[Grivas]

Originally Posted by krizzanne

especially limabean - how do you like your pouch?

What is everyone using? can you bf hands free, yet? is it keeping your lo happy? any problemss or frustrations?

I started wearing my new lo at about 3 weeks, and I had a hard time because I am accustomed to using a wrap or spoc, but all I have is a Maya ring sling.

well, after about 2 weeks, I have figured out so many ways of using the ring sling, and I LOVE it. Now, my LO is 6 weeks, and I wear her on my back, front, up, cradled in the ring sling-- it is great.

The only drawback is that my back is sore in one spot in the evening (with a wrap, I don't think that would happen) but as I strengthen my stomach muscles and stop slouching while carrying her, I think that will go away.

we have been using the maya wrap since week 1 in the front hold, and it's been good, but now dd insists on turning her head to look to her right (over my left shoulder). ugh. now the hold we were using won't work. so, yours is 6 weeks, too, and she's on your back? jealous! where did you learn these other holds? It's just been a few days since dd started this maya strike, but I miss the freedom!

[pixiepunk]

I also started wearing baby at 3 days old. pretty much the first day i moved much from the bed or the couch

i'm the total opposite of mkmama - i love to have a variety of carriers and love to use them all.

i have 3 ring slings that i've made that i'm alternating around - one out of linen, which is the most frequently used since it goes with everything. i also have a purple batik one that is so soft and silky and beautiful, and one from solarveil which i use when we're outside playing with my other two kids.

but i don't like ring slings when i really need to get things done or wear her for a long time. for those times i either grab the mei tai i made (it's reversible with celtic knot patterns on both sides, black straps) or my ellaroo 4.6m maija wrap and put her in a high back carry. i also have a gypsymama bali baby stretch (similar to moby but not as stretchy) which she's in right now. that's a good one for when i'm going to be wearing her a lot but popping her in and out a lot and don't have a ton to do around the house (i prefer baby on my back when i've got chores).

i did put her in one of my home made pouches the other day, but i sized it quite specifically when DS was about 18 months old to do a nice snug hip carry, and even though i was probably 20 pounds lighter at that time, DS took up so much more space in the pouch that it's a little bit loose for a T2T hold and Elowyn isn't fond of a cradle hold. So we haven't used that one since.

i seriously don't know how people with more than one child function without baby carriers. it boggles my mind. DD2 is pretty mellow and doesn't mind being laid down.... for a short period of time! but she's often happy on my back in a carrier for hours on end. it's a beautiful thing

[JunipersMom]

Sling here from day three and thanks to small boobs and LOTS of practice from dc#1 we are no-handed nursing like champs with ds now a whole 2 weeks old!!

[mkmama]

Originally Posted by JunipersMom

Sling here from day three and thanks to small boobs and LOTS of practice from dc#1 we are no-handed nursing like champs with ds now a whole 2 weeks old!!

great for you!!!! i cannot even imagine how nice that must be...

[Goddess3_2005]

Hmm, I have a few slings and we've been slinging since day one. I find I have really been loving my Babyhawk and my Gypsy mama wrap lately. I use my ring sling for church mostly. I wish I could figure out hoe to wear DS on my back.

[limabean]

Originally Posted by krizzanne

especially limabean - how do you like your pouch?

Aw, thanks for asking! We ended up not really liking the Hotsling -- the fact that you can't adjust it was really annoying. So, I ordered a Maya Wrap and we love it! DD loves being in it for walks or if I'm moving around the house doing laundry or making breakfast or something. She doesn't like to hang out in it if I'm sitting unless she's asleep, but she does fall asleep in there frequently, so I'm able to sit sometimes. It was tricky at first, but I'm getting better at threading and adjusting the sling, and at positioning DD so that she's comfy and happy. I'm so glad I got it!

[~NewMa~]

I'm using the Sleepy Wrap which is just like the moby except has a little spandex in it for extra give.
It's getting a little hot in there though now that the weather's getting nicer so I'm going to be ordering a wrap from Gypsy Mama but I haven't quite figured out the sizing yet...
I love my wrap though! So convenient, he just falls right to sleep in there!
It's funny all the comments I get when I wear him in there too. Especially from the older crowd who haven't come across anything like it. Funny though considering other cultures use similar devices all the time....

[Jennisee]

I don't wear DS too much at home, because I tend to just carry him in my arms, but I will if he is having a fussy day or having trouble going to sleep. However, I almost always have him in a carrier when we're out of the house. That way, I can carry stuff, hold DD's hand, and hold DS at the same time. It also encourages him to go to sleep so I can focus on my errands and keeping an eye on DD. DH, on the other hand, wears DS at home a lot. He'll use it to put him to sleep so I can get a break, run a quick errand, cook, take a nap, whatever.

I'm another one who likes an assortment of carriers.

We really like Kangaroo Korner adjustable pouches for the newborn phase. They're comfortable, and we're able to adjust the size (larger for DH, smaller for me). The fleece is SUPER comfortable for us, but when it's too hot for it, the cotton one is good. I wore the cotton one for several hours at the zoo, and my back didn't start to hurt until the end. However, we use the cradle hold almost exclusively, and that's not going to work when DS won't go to sleep in the sling and wants to look around.

I'm also liking my wraps. I find it easier for carrying DS tummy-to-tummy, and because his head is out of the wrap, he can look around. The Portable Baby Wrap is very comfortable, but I'm afraid it's going to be too hot for the summer here. I just bought 5 yards of cotton knit fabric and made a no-sew wrap. It's very lightweight, so I'll probably be using it a lot this summer, but it's not quite as supportive and starts to sag after a while. When DS gets too heavy for the wraps, I'd like to get a mei tai.

We have a poorly designed ring sling that I'll be getting rid of. A friend just loaned me two Over The Shoulder Baby Holders, but I'm having trouble figuring them out because they seemed to be designed for a left-handed person. I need to have her show me what I'm doing wrong.

I attended a babywearing group meeting a couple days ago (Hi, emcare! ), and I think they're going to be a wealth of information. I learned a new tying method for my wrap, and I like it much better than the tie I was using before. And watching so many people carry their babies on their back gave me hope that I can figure it out.

[nursemom2]

i love this thread! we are having a little difficulty here. i have a bunch of slings but never used them on a newborn. my dd was 4 mo old when we got them. he seems to only like the ring sling or fleece pouch (too hot here now for that) and i keep getting tangled in the moby. he likes the maya wrap but is so fussy that he doesn't always give me time to get it on. however , he wants to be in the sling ALL day long and my neck is killing me from the ring sling. i need a 2 shoulder solution that is quick and easy. any suggestions?

[limabean]

Originally Posted by nursemom2

he likes the maya wrap but is so fussy that he doesn't always give me time to get it on.

Same here! And since I'm new to slinging, it takes me a while to get everything adjusted, so sometimes by the time I get the sling comfy, she's too upset to stay in it -- argh!! I'm hoping that as I gain experience and am able to adjust everything more quickly, this problem will resolve.

[cmi]

I realized yesterday that I have 6 baby carriers in the house at the moment, and we're planning on getting an Ergo for DH and I'd like to get a mei tai with a hood if I can't figure out how to make a hood for my current mei tai. I was always a little amazed at how many carriers women on the trading posts seemed to have and here I am with 6!

We're only using 4 of them at the moment--a solarveil ring sling (not using it much as it seems kind of scratchy), a solarweave pouch, a Sachi mei tai, and a Baby Bjorn. The pouch is my favorite except for the fact that it's only on one shoulder and sometimes DD's wiggles her head out. I love that the Bjorn can be completely hands free, but it is such a pain in the rear to take off for nursing. I currently have DD in the mei tai and am leaning back in the chair so I don't have to hold her head. My project for the day is to look into making a hood or something to keep her head from flopping back.

I have not mastered the hands free bf'ing; maybe the ring sling will be better for that than the things I have her in now.

I also would love to try putting her on my back, but the head-flopping thing worries me. Again, the ring sling might work best for that. What kind of a hold do you use on the back with an infant? The cradle carry but backwards? And do you put the baby in the sling first and then move it back, or start on the back? I'm going to have to look into this more...

[treehuggermama]

When K was first born I used the ring sling, sleepywrap and ergo with insert. He never really liked the ergo/insert combo so I have put that on the backburner for a few more months (then I use it almost exclusively) I too LOVE the ergo!! Lately I have been out back with my older two kids on the swingset etc and find I need to be completely hands free (ds2 is quite the climber but also is the first kid to land on his head!) so I am resorting to my Kelty front carrier (kind of like a bjorn but more comfortable). I don't like to use it a lot though because of the concern of putting pressure on their tiny coxxyx for any length of time. And K is getting heavy for the sleepywrap so he is down by my waist if I don't keep tightening it Yesterday I brought the bouncy chair out and he happily sat in that for awhile which was great!! It is getting quite hot here too so I don't think buying a non stretch wrap will work for us.

I have never learned how to nurse in a sling and hate to show off my flabby tummy while attempting to try so I just don't bother. I also don't want to spend money on nursing shirts now so that is that.

[limette]

I should have used a sling the first time around because the ring sling I made for this baby isn't getting used. Izzy has reflux and is not happy being in the sling. She was fine for the first couple of weeks but as her reflux got worse she started screaming in the sling.

Luckily she is quite content to lay in the bassinet if I need to put her down which is something her sister never let me do.

When we go out dh just holds her facing out and she's quite happy like that.

[splath]

Well, I still can't figure out how to nurse in any carrier that I have but I love wearing dd. I've been mostly using my peanut shell for out and about, but I just got a ring sling that I've been trying out around home and for walks and really like it. It was awesome in the little drizzle we had the other day, as I could just cover her up with the tail and she stayed asleep.
I've been thinking my boobs were too small to handle a hands-free b/f, but then someone else posted about their small ones and the ability to do it, so maybe mine are just shaped funny

I also have a lucky baby water pouch made of solarveil, and while it's scratchy it's very cool for when it's hot out.

I have dd in the ring sling napping right now

[Incubator]

I got lucky and a friend of mine gave me her ring sling, and we love it. It has mostly replaced my ratty-old home-made hotsling.
I too would love to figure out how to back-carry with a sling, I could manage it with my hotsling I think, just swing her around to the back, but I would worry about her positioning the whole time.

[Organicavocado]

I have a moby, a new native, a sakura bloom ring sling, and a babyhawk. They all hurt my back- but I have back issues. H is loving the ring sling, he is taking ver carrier duties until my shoulder heals! I can't nurse in anything yet though.