Advice on Baby Sling

My daughter in law loved her Moby Wrap with my grandson so much that I've started selling them here in Crystal Lake. If you're interested in seeing and trying one on, please let me know. You can e-mail me at ____@____.com or call ###-###-####.
K. RN, IBCLC

Hi R.,
Congratulations on the upcoming birth of your baby. My daughter liked the Maya Wrap. You can order it on-line. I tried out slings, and this seamed to calm her down the best and it was easlier to adjust.
D.

Hi R.~

I carried both my babies more than the average person as we lived outdoors and mostly hiked to get home. My first baby I used slings then a Kelty hiking carrier (without a frame) which I did not like much. The slings were great for awhile until she got a bit heavier then the one-sided aspect really got to me.

With my second girl we got an ErgoBaby Carrier. I LOVE it! It is so comfortable and definately worth the money as I used it ruggedly every day for well over a year to carry either of my girls (they go from newborn to 45 lbs.). It is very durable and has lots of great features, is simple to use and also versatile. I highly recommend it. The shoulder and waist pads are very cooshy and well made.

Congrats and happy baby wearing!

I have to agree with the others about the Moby Wrap. I love, love, love mine!

Good for you! Babywearing is awesome and can make your life a lot easier, and your baby a lot happier! There are several different kinds of wraps and slings out there, & you'll have to find what works for you. There are a few babywearing groups in the area that meet once a month, & attending a meeting or two could be really helpful, since they bring all different kinds of slings, & you could try them out before you go buy one. Check on meetup.com to find them. Another option is to make your own (some wraps cost over $100!). Go to wearyourbaby.com and it has instructions on how to make a no-sew wrap of your own for $8 or something. That's what I did, although I couldn't find 7 yards of fabric on clearance that I liked, so I bought regular fabric. I still saved a lot of money over buying one.

Once you get a wrap, you'll need to learn how to use it, with all the different positions. The best way to do this is to get your wrap & practice tying with a stuffed animal, and then once the baby comes, practice with the baby the first week. Most newborns are completely passed out for the first week, and this is a great time to practice with them. If you wait until they're alert, you may give up too easily, as they'll fuss til they're comfortable. Most parents that claim their baby hated the sling waited too long to try one.

Babywearing cuts down on the crying by 50%! It frees up your arms to do other things, and cements the bonding. I'd also recommend The Happiest Baby on the Block--either the book or the DVD (you can get both at the library). This will teach you how to calm a crying baby, & how to swaddle the RIGHT way. So many parents think they know how to swaddle, but it doesn't calm their baby down, so they think their baby hates being swaddled. The best thing to do for those first few months is anything that mimics the environment in the womb. Babies were held tightly, had loud noise surrounding them, and food whenever they needed it. Once they're born, it's a harsh reality in comparison. This is why so many babies love being held, being worn, and being swaddled. Hope that helps! Good luck!

I highly recommend the Moby Wrap. My daughter loved "riding" in it and it was very comfortable for me and my husband. The best thing about the Moby is that anyone can put it on without having to re-adjust anything. It comes with a booklet showing you all kinds of different ways to put it on as your baby grows.

It really depends on your comfort, your comfort, your preferences and the comfort, preferences and size of your baby. My first baby was a preemie and tiny forever, and I loved my Moby wrap (www.mobywrap.com) with him. We used it for almost a year. Once he hit 17 lbs he was too heavy for it. He hated my ring sling with a passion (a Zolo ring sling www.zolowear.com).

My 2nd baby hit 20lbs at 4 months, and the Moby was uncomfortable after 2 months. We needed a more structured carrier. I've been able to wear her for hours on end in my babyhawk (a mei tai carrier -- www.babyhawk.com). She also enjoys the woven wrap I have, but after using a mei tai, it's much easier to use (and put on) outside of the house than a wrap.

I know some people who swear by pouch slings (like the hotsling, which you can even by at Target now), but I found them uncomfortable.

I'd HIGHLY reccomend a trip here: www.bebybaby.com You can try all sorts of carriers and if you go after your baby is born, they can help you figure out what is the best fit for you and your baby.

I tried a whole bunch and I ended up loving my Beco
http://www.becobabycarrier.com/

If you are breastfeeding you can even nurse them while you wear them, which is awesome!
They put the weight on your hips instead of your neck and shoulders (like the Bjorn's do, don't waste you $ on a Baby Bjorn type carrier).
The Beco is so comfortable I can still carry my 30 pound 2 year old in it on my back for a good long time.
Not that she ever wants to be carried any more LOL...but it is still comfy to do when she lets me :)
The Ergo carrier is similar to the Beco. I have not used one, but have hear d great things.

Congrats on the new baby, and good for you for choosing to wear your baby. It is so good for them :)

I used a Snuggy over a sling. We loved it..

S.

i bought all the slings and baby carriers i used online or got them as gifts from friends. if you know anyone with any, test them out to see what you think. i found my la leche league group to be a great help because many of the moms there with babies and toddlers use slings or carriers and gladly let me try them on and talked about what they like or don't like about them for different ages.

i think for a newborn my favorites were the moby wrap and new native pouch. the pouch had next to no learning curve while the moby did, but you couldn't beat that "close to mom" experience with the moby. ring slings are also great, though required a little more fiddling for me to get them adjusted. my favorites were a maya wrap and a lighter-weight one (much cooler for summer) by a wahm company called crafty carriers. once my kiddos were older, i enjoyed putting them in mei tais on my back or the ergo. there are tons of other brands out there and most you can find used at thebabywearer.com once you know what you're looking for or to maybe try a few out (resale is usually pretty good on a lot of the brands, so if something doesn't work you can usually resell and make most of your money back).

really, my biggest piece of advice is hook up with your local LLL group or AP group because the moms there will be your biggest support and help finding what works and helping you learn how to use slings or carriers successfully!