What sling will you get?

[GreenMommy]

I have a maya wrap -- checking out the mei-teis...and the native carrier.

[MamaTaraX]

http://www.wallababy.com/ -- she's a mama in my city. Super nice and her slings are totally awesome. I give them as gifts to allmoms whose births I attend. They're wellmade and they work well. I also have an Ellaroo.

Namaste, Tara
mama to Doodle (7), Butterfly (2), and Rythm (due at home 1/06)

[because]

I already had a maya wrap, a maya pouch, a KK fleece pouch, a snugli, a homemade mei tai.. but I just got a didymos (Iris) for this baby. I looooove it. You can do all the ring sling type carries plus double shoulder carries on front and back. It can be a hammock and a changing pad or picnic blanket plus it's GORGEOUS!

A friend asked why I needed so many carriers... they all have a unique purpose: fleece is good for winter, ring slings are good for newborns and sick babies that you want to be able to slip off, pouches are great to pack...

yes, I'm addicted! :LOL

[Hollin]

I think I'll start with a fleece hotsling and see how I like it. I can always buy others after my little one is here. I still don't know which size to get, though!

[vegetalien]

i'm not even going to bother with a sling this time around, i had no luck with my heart-to-heart with noah as a newborn. but i can't WAIT to wear my wrap again, i'll use that from day one.

there's several brands out there, mine was a hug-a-bub (www.hugabub.com) there's also the moby wrap which is the same thing. i HIGHLY recommend these wraps!!! no weight limit, extremely versatile, distributes weight evenly all over your torso, i can't say enough good things about it.

rowan

[Sweeney]

I am a wrap woman though and through! Give me my Sweet Pea Wrap over my Maya Wrap sling anyday!

[LoveMyLil'B]

I have several slings already. My MIL sewed them for us to use with DS, and I found that you can never have to many. I have ring slings and pouch/tube slings, and they're all great. It's fun to have different fabrics to choose from, plus, it was nice to have one to keep in the car, the diaper bag, in the house...
I'm sure I will have her make some more this time around, especially since I only have 1 fleece/shearling sling - that will come in handy when it's still freezing out, and then if this baby is a girl, I would really love one in a toile fabric.

[gsmom]

LoveMyLilB,
Did your MIL use a pattern to make your slings? Where did she get it? I have one sling that I did not use much with my first kiddo partially because the material is kind of rough and I did not know how useful a sling could be! We used a Baby Bjorn instead, which worked well at the time, but I would much rather use a sling this time. I have a friend who used one diligently and it looked so much more comfortable for her and baby.

Anyway, I would like to make myself a sling, but am not sure where to find a good pattern. I found several online, but none are super clear about sizing.

Thanks and sorry to wobble from the real topic. I don't have much to add about sling choices and am interested in people's preferences for slings also!

[ScotiaSky]

I have a Maya Wrap ring sling and a Solar veil ring sling and I had no luck with them at all...Okay the solar veil was easier because it was less fabric but still hard. I feel really bad about the Maya Wrap as it was a gift from my Mother and thus I don't want to sell it..will give it another shot this time around though.

I have a wrap from http://www.azurewraps.ca/ that I love. And will be my main carrier until we can do the hip carry in a pouch(with my son that was around 6 months)
I also had her custom make a beautiful Chinese Brocade Pouch this past the spring just as my son hit the weight limit for him being too heavy to carry by me That was around 25 lbs. Looking forward to trying that out.

I also own two other pouches a fleece adjustable and a regular stretch one that were testers for a WAHM shop that never opened but I used them both so much I think its time for a new one. Thinking about a Hot sling, a KK pouch or a Mama Kangaroo.

[jayayenay]

.

[Wugmama]

I have a Chinese Mei Tai and a Maya Wrap (actually two of them - one for my mom who will watch baby 3 days a week while I work). I am going to get a rebozo as well.


~Tracy

[Persephone]

I haven't had a chance to try any, but from my research, I think a wrap is what I would most like. I want something that's really versatile, and will be able to be used from newborn through toddlerhood.

[Nature]

I have a New Native carrier in khaki twill, which unfortunatly is in size Large and I should have gotten a Medium. :( (I would be willing to trade for a used medium in any color! :wink ) *update* Ohhh! After going to their website I see that I can exchange mine at ANY TIME for a carrier that fits! Whooohooo! Why did I never see that before?! Duh!

I also have a Kozy Carrier mei tai that I love and still use. :love and I would love to get a Hot Sling this time around. :heartbeat

[jayayenay]

.

[Nature]

I washed mine, and it didn't change it at all... so I wouldn't get your hopes up that it will shrink it much. Mine hung all the way down to my crotch and was VERY uncomfortable to use because it wasn't close to me like it should have been. I also couldn't nurse in it well because.. well, my breasts just don't hang down THAT low. (yet! :LOL )

Ooh you can even get a different color when you exchange it. Girly Lilac here I come! :love

[Willowrose]

I am a sling fanatic! I would LOVE the New Native this time. I have 2 Mayas, 1 OTSBH, 1 SlingEzee, 1 handmade, 1 Mother of Eden wrap, 1 Guatemalan handmade. I am always in seasrch of the *perfect* sling!
I love the Maya Wraps, but with DS 2, it was too hard to get him nursing with the adjustment(only as an infant, though). I figured with the NN, I won't have to fiddle with the adjustment, so that might work!

[LoveMyLil'B]

GsMom,
Sleepingbaby.net is a great place to find patterns and sizing (got to the do-it-yourself section), and she used those, but she also is really talented and the first sling she made was just by looking at a ring sling my SIL had. A ring sling is really easy to size, the tube or pouch sling is a little trickier. She just made it bigger than she though I needed, and adjusted it from there.

[megpaw]

I've been scouring Ebay for a used New Native, but I have yet to take the plunge and actually bid on one yet. I never used one with dd's, so I'm really excited about slinging this little one!

[sarahlynne]

I have one Over the Shoulder Baby Holder - and waiting for my Kozy Carrier to be delivered. I love a sling for a babe, the Kozy is for my toddler.

[anarchamama]

I used a hemp sling and a ring sling with ds, they were ok but he got big reall fast (17 pounds by three months) and I have large breasts so I found they got difficult. I switched to the baby trekker which I loved and which he still uses at 30 pounds, and dh always preffered it. I will get a sling this time around, as I am hoping for a smaller baby, lol, and it was great for an infant, but all around I put my $$ on the trekker.

Heather

[AAK]

I could quickly become an addict---I am just too cheap!

My first sling was a Nojo sling. It was the only one I could find in stores around here and wasn't comfortable yet with online shopping. That was like 6 years ago now. Anyways, it didn't fit well (too big) so I made some alterations and was happy. However, I think it has too much padding so this time around I plan on using it as a backup sling.

I bought a New Native with Kayla, but she was already a hefty child at 9 months and only liked to ride on the hip. With no padding, the NN cut into her legs and so I sold it to a friend with a newborn who loved it and used it until the child literally outgrew it. It never bothered his legs.

I would love to buy a wrap style this time, I am looking for a good rebozo (found a great one months ago on ebay and didn't buy it, now that seller in nowhere to be found) but I am definitly buying a sling made from the solar veil fabric. A good friend is a WAHM making slings and so I will get this from her. I might also buy me another lightly padded regular sling from her.

I do like the rings because I like to change the fit based on position of baby, size of baby, clothing I am wearing, and size of me. That said, I would love to be a "carrier tester" and try them all out!

Amy

[hairpin]

So it seems that most people prefer slings over the wraps or pouches, and I don't really understand why. With the sling it seems that the weight of the baby is displaced to one side, and I'm afraid this might end up hurting my back.

Pouches or wraps just seem like they'd be more comfortable. So what are the advantages of slings over these?

[beachcomber]

I've just recently found out about Hot Slings Baby Pouches and I'm probably going to get one or two of those. One in fleece and one in stretch cotton. I like the pouch part and the fact that there is no tying, no buckling or anything. Plus they're a good - well reasonably good - price compared to a lot of the other slings out there. If I can find their web site I'll add a link to it. I have it bookmarked at home but the board I found the site on yesterday is loading too slowly today.

[RainRaven]

I think I am going to get one of the carrers ffrom babyhawk.com thay look comfy and I like the fabrics

[Wugmama]

OMG I just tried out a Storchenweige at the mom's expo in mpls this weekend and it was wonderful! they had these weighted dolls to use, and the gals at the booth put the wrap on me with the doll - it felt so snuggly. I really want one. they are over $100! I'm afraid I'll buy one and it won't be worth the money. There is a used on on ebay right now - when I last looked was almost $50 - but it could go much higher, there was over a day left.

Anyone tried one of those?

~Tracy

[vegetalien]

tracy,

if you go to http://www.mamatoto.org/Default.aspx?tabid=160 you can learn how to easily make your own. of course the quality won't be as good, but you'll be able to do it for less than 20$!!

azurewraps.com has them for much cheaper too. again, not the same quality, but it does the job just as well!

i love my wrap. i got mine from hugabub.com but i have an azurewrap too.

rowan

[ajsgirl]

I had a New Native with ds and it was so uncomfortable on my shoulder, even trying two different sizes. I got a Kangaroo Korner fleece pouch and that was SO comfortable and will be nice and cozy for the winter months. I'd like to try a ring sling though too for nursing around the house and discreetly in public. And for when she gets a little bigger, I have an Ergo. I was also thinking of buying a few yards of t-shirt material to try to make my own wrap.

[ozzyemm]

I just received my Wise Woman sling in the mail today! It seems awfully big-- I will have to ask my friend this evening if it is an appropriate size. I did try it on while sitting, so that might be the problem. It is very cute though-- a nice teal sling, which would look good with a boy or a girl, but isn't girly :D

Erk-- the cat LOVES it! I just turned around and he is laying on it! Leave it to him to find the things he can't touch!

[TaniaS]

So it seems that most people prefer slings over the wraps or pouches, and I don't really understand why. With the sling it seems that the weight of the baby is displaced to one side, and I'm afraid this might end up hurting my back.

Pouches or wraps just seem like they'd be more comfortable. So what are the advantages of slings over these?

I started off with a sling (Maya), which was great when my daughter was very small. It just felt the most natural. I tried a Nojo, but hated it because of the padding, it just was too much. I loved the sling, because due to the buckle you can perfectly adjust it. I also often had Elena in the sling so she would go to sleep, and then it was very easy to put her down on the bed by bending over and opening the buckle. And then the sling served as a blanket... But as she grew and I was still carrying her a lot the sling did not feel practical any more for housework. I used a bundler (I believe that's similar to a wrap), which was awesome as it really holds them close to your body, which also allows for a better weight distribution. The only downside is the length of it, and I found it difficult to use when running errands etc. But once I managed to use it properly it was great for at home or longer walks. I also ended up using an Evenflo carrier once she was old enough. But the sling was just the most practical thing ever. We used it the last time when Elena was about 4 to help her go to sleep on the plane to Europe. I am planning on using a sling again. I found that I had to try many different things before finding what worked for me, and that also changed over time. Tania

[beachcomber]

This (http://www.starslings.com/index.html) is the baby sling we bought. We got the 55% hemp, 45% cotton in the denim. I'm stoked because it's Canadian and some of the proceeds go to a women's transition house in the manufacturer's community. And it's really comfortable. I tried out the sling with an appropriately sized doll and it was a perfect fit.

[vegetalien]

Pouches or wraps just seem like they'd be more comfortable. So what are the advantages of slings over these?

they are more comfortable, IMO (i've never used a pouch so i'm just referring to a wrap). wraps are great for long excursions because you really don't feel the baby's weight at all. slings are comfy, but personally i always felt the weight, it doesn't quite disappear like it does with the wrap because like you said it's only being dispersed on one side of the body (which i think can't be great for the back, always having the weight on the same side). i had a heart-to-heart and absolutely hated it when ds was a newborn but i think that was partly due to the fact that i didn't have any hands-on help on how to use it properly, nor a video to watch or anything.

when he was a toddler and not much interested in being carried in a wrap anymore, a friend lent me a non-padded sling which i still use to this day (he's 3 now). it's great for stuffing in my bag when he doesn't feel like walking the one or two blocks to the bus stop, for ex. i would never go for a long walk with him in it but it's a lifesaver when he needs to be carried for shorter distances. i love using it on the bus/metro instead of lugging the stroller around.
it's also great because you can put them in and out quickly.

personally i'd go with the wrap, but one of each is best. i've yet to hear of a parent who didn't love it. it takes some practice at first, but then again so does the sling. do you know anybody who owns any that you can borrow and try out before you spend any money?

rowan

[bluelightblues]

I will use my mayawrap, probably. I sewed a bunch of new slings using their pattern and I have some really nice tan fabric. The ,ayawarap is their denim fabric, and I just got sick if it. I only stopped carrying dd in it recently since my belly has gotten too big (anyone gotten around this issue?)

I miss being able to sling her. . . i can;t relate to needing several in several places, house, car diaper bag. I pretty much chose one sling that coordinated with what I was wearing and wore that sling that day, under my overshirt or jacket or whatever, ESPECIALLY when she was small. I recently had a booth a a local babay stuff sale to demonstrate slings and i just kept talking about travelling with baby, buying a big overcoat and popping baby into it while leaving the so-called infant "carrier" (big plastic car seat part) in the car where it belongs. i.e. no baby in the bucket next to me on the floor of a restaurant!!!

Previous poster asked why slings over pouches, citing "hurting your back" concerns. It only hurts your back to be carrying your big kid while wearing crappy/stupid shoes; this was my experience. That's the other thing i was asking people (at that sale) to notice as soon as they put the baby in the sling the first time they try it: no part of your muscles is supporting baby.
All baby's weight is on your bony frame. In other words, I only had back pain if i carried her for a while wearing bad shoes. . .which would have happened anyway of i'd have been carrying her in my arms wearing the same shoes (ok ok they were flip flops).

I liked the pocket!!! Do the pouches have pockets? If not forget it for me--I love being able to tramp around and travel so light when othe rmoms are lugging huge diaper bags. Keys, lip gloss and cash/debit card and I'm good for a few hours.

My pocket also finally had some little cards I made that said "It's called a baby sling" to answer the endless people who'd comment on it in public.
I put some info about slings' usefulnes plus the maywrap website, since they have pouch and ring sling patterns free on them with easy to sew directions.

I will most likely make a pouch at some point too. I got some nice green raw silk but i don't want to run it through rings. . .

[sun-shine01]

I have a hotsling pouch that i started using when DD was about 18 months. I plan to get a wrap for this new little one.

[bluelightblues]

How did you like the hotsling pouch? Can you use a pouch with a new baby? And do pouches have pockets typically?? I love the pocket!

[MuhajibahMama]

I'm more or less a sling addict as well. :D

I have a small pouch for this babe and will use that until about 12lbs or until I start to feel discomfort in my shoulder (I have back problems) and which point I will switch to a wrap for a two shoulder carry.

I REALLY like pouch slings for newborns. When sized properly they are really comfy and I love the "popability" of the baby. Someone asked about sizing. The way to properly determine your size is to measure from your shoulder to the top of you opposite hip. I got my sling early before I had much of a belly, which gives a more accurate measurement. If you're making your own sling, you would double that measurement and add 5-6 inches. I sling that is slightly small is more snug for a newborn, but regardless, you'll probably need to size up as the babe grows and you want to do other carries. Once you have your sling...the way to make sure that it is sized properly is to "borrow" a baby and make sure you are carrying at belly button height or higher....if baby's bottom is below your button then the sling is too big...you can try a shoulder flip to see if that helps, or have it re-sized.

Generally around 12lbs or 4-5 months I'd transition to a wrap carrier (because of my back). I can to the cross wrap carry to spare my back and baby is still nice and snug. I prefer wraps to the ABC at this point because they are more snug for the baby. Around 10mos, when I'm ready to back carries, I will most like trade the wrap in for the ABC, just in terms of ease of use because I am almost always doing a back carry at that point unless I am putting a babe to sleep.

Anyway, that's my sling routine in a nutshell. I do have a ring sling too...and I more or less use that concurrently with my wrap or ABC...I can't use it exclusively at any given time because the single shoulder carries are too hard on my back after about 12lbs or so, so I can only use the ring sling for short periods of time.

:)

[kbbklyn]

Thanks for all the great input on slings!! As the due date approaches, I am starting to get anxious about my list...and ALL these choices in slings! Wow. Any input on fleece vs. cotton slings? I live in New York and anticipate a couple of cold months for the newborn, what are your thoughts about how important fleece is?

My husband and I are trying to cut back on buying new items, and all the slings/wraps that will be lent to us are NOT fleece. Will my babe be warm enough?

Thanks ladies,
Kristin

[ozzyemm]

I would wrap your babe up first, and then put him/her in a sling.

It seems really easy to make a pouch sling, for only a few bucks of fleece. There is also a company that will make a pouch sling for you. You send them the fabric, and it is only $15! I don't know anything about that company, though-- I think I might be able to find a link-- let me check after breakfast.

[kbbklyn]

great idea, thanks for the tip...if you find the contact info i would love it!
-KB