Nursing Cover Vs. Sling

I'd definitely go the sling route. It doesn't say, "I'm Breastfeeding!" as loud as a nursing cover up does. Not that there is anything wrong with that--just that *I* don't like tons of attention while I'm nursing. lol

I use a maya wrap. But I know those aren't for everyone. I've heard good good things about the hot sling. :)

Hi D.,

I had great success with the "Hooter Hider" nursing cover up. The thing that I liked about it was that there was a little plastic piece in the top part so you could look down and see what was going on in there. I have 4 kids, and not one of them could just "find it" on their own without me helping them get latched on. And they all stopped and started multiple times in one nursing session, so I would have to constantly get them situated again, and I couldn't do that discreetly, until I found the Hooter Hider! Also, they have lots of stylish choices of fabrics. I bought mine at a store in Newport, RI called "Little Bits" I think you can go online and find them if you search for little bits. My friend had one almost identical that was called a "Bosom Buddy" and it was cheaper. She found hers online somewhere. But definitely get the kind with the plastic insert so that it leaves an opening for just you to look down and see how it's going. Best of luck to you!

Hi D., I tried both, the sling and the cover-up. My personal preference is the cover-up. As the mother of 6, however, I've also found that a lot may depend on baby. A couple of mine were perfectly happy snuggled into that sling. The others, no way . . they couldn't see, they felt confined and wanted OUT! I am fairly large busted as well, and the sling just never seemed to provide me with the cover that I needed. But, like I said, you may need to try both just to see which you prefer, and which baby prefers. Hope everything goes well with your labor & delivery!!
C. M

I loved my hooter hider as well! It was very ackwaqd for me to nurse in public - covering with a blanket and such, and we got a hand-me-down sling which my son (now 8 months) hated the first time I put him in it.

The hooter hider is great bc theres a strap that goes around your neck that you can adjust to wahts comfy for you - and a plastic lip that goes around the top so the baby gets air and you can see the baby. Theres tons of styles so you can get one that is "you". My family practice doc reccommended it to me and I loved using it. I felt safe in knowing that I wouldn't pull "a Janet Jackson" thing in public - it stayed in place the whole time, unlike blankets that always fell. I liked it too because it folded up so nicely (ok, squished nicely) back into my diaperbag or purse. The hooter hider is now the gift I give to all my friends who are expecting. Besides - with a name like "Hooter Hider" I don't think you can go wrong - Even tho my doc reccomended it, I spent the money on it bc I thought the name of it was hilarious! lol! I didn't like nursing - but thats not the point - i totally reccomend the hooter hider.

My daughter is 6 months old today. When she was first born I did us a hot sling. Now that she is bigger I do something a little bit different. I wear a cami under all of my shirts. It is light weight and spaghetti strapped and helps with holding in the 'after pregnancy belly'. When it is time to feed, I pull down the cami under my shirt under the breast I am about to feed on, and then pull up the outer shirt and feed. This is easy and no one can see anything. This way all of your belly and back is covered and nothing is hanging out. It is comfortable.

Best of luck!!

I bought a cheapie nursing cover and I hated it. I didn't have my sling when dd was an infant, but I think you'd get a lot of use out of it, even without nursing (I have a hotsling - www.hotsling.com). I still use it for my 24 lb 2 year old.
Honestly, I had the best luck with those thin, kind of stiff cotton receiving blankets. I couldn't really walk around with it, of course, but it draped nicely, without suffocating the baby and I could tuck it into my collar.

I love the Moby Wrap found at peppermint.com It is fabulous. You can nurse in it, carry the baby frontwards and backwards, let baby sleep in it, give baby a bottle in it. It crosses over both shoulders so it does not hurt your neck.. And the best part is that it only costs $35. peppermint.com also has a great comparison chart for all the different wraps and slings out there. If you get the wrap and need any assistance in making it work for you, feel free to contact me.
P.

Hi D.,
Congratulations! I love the Maya slings, they are so great for carrying your baby and keeping them close. As far as covering up during nursing, you may find that just lifting your shirt is sufficient cover and you won't need something over you and the baby. And so what if someone knows you are nursing, as long as you are discreet. Be proud of being a nursing mom. The more often woman nurse in public, the more normal it becomes and it makes it easier for other moms. Try practicing in front of a mirror or a friend and you might find you show very little skin at all. Nursing shirts are great and make it easy to nurse in public. It is going to be summer soon, and a hot cover-up may get too warm.

The slings are so great, I highly recommend one. Congratulations and enjoy your new baby. Don't hesitate to call La Leche League or the hospital lactation consultant if breastfeeding doesn't go smoothly or if you have questions. It can be tricky to start, but is worth it. It shouldn't hurt, some discomfort, but not pain. Call someone if you need help with it. Take care.

I personally love the sling. My son is 5 months old and I use my sling all of the time. There are so many ways to use it and it grows with him so you can use it longer. I have a nursing cover as well and I liked it too, but at first you will probably want to be able to see what you are doing a little more. I kind of got frustrated with mine because it could fly open more easily and the top part was not stiff enough to allow me to look down as much as I needed to. I like it a lot better now that I am used to breastfeeding. The sling keeps the baby more confined and you can see what you are doing little better I think. I have the peanut brand sling, I think, and I like it a lot, but I think that they are all about the same. You need to make sure that you get the right size for you and the baby though. My mom got mine for me in New Mexico and it was a large and it was a little too big so it made it a little harder to keep him latched on because if I wasn't holding him or sitting down, the sling would give and my son would unlatch. Talk about sore nipples!! Now that he is bigger though, it works wonders. I also like that I can walk around and do my grocery shopping now and nobody even knows what I am doing!! I just either use my nursing cover up on top of the sling or I tie a knot at the end of my recieving blanket and tuck the knot under my bra strap. This allows a lot of privacy and is functional so that you can get more done. Anyways, enjoy that little one, they grow up so quickly!! I hope I helped you out a little in your question. Either one though will work, you just need practice with it. Good luck with the delivery. K. W.

I would definitely go with the sling. It does take practice to learn how to nurse in a sling, but then you can do other stuff while you are nursing. Some babies nurse A LOT! Also, you will get so much use out of your sling while you are not nursing, when you are grocery shopping, walking around the mall, running the vacuum, etc, etc, etc. Plus, sometimes a blanket or nursing cover makes it more obvious that you are nursing even though it covers you up.
Good luck with everything.
Oh, and I like pouch style slings like the hotsling, but the sizing can be tricky.

I would purchase both and see what works best for you. My son was premature and is now 9months old and I still use the sling all of the time but, I was never able to nurse in it as discretely as I would have liked. Sometimes I would nurse in the sling so that my hands were free but, if I was in public I would still use my bebe au lait nursing cover. This way my hands were free and I didn't worry about being exposed. People never knew what I was doing... it's kinda funny actually. But, if you are nursing on both sides it wasn't an easy, discrete transition to switch to the other side when using the sling. Do what works best for you and whatever you feel most comfortable with. Congratulations on being a breast feeding mom!!!

i always had a hard time trying to nurse in a sling. I would recommend the Under Wraps Nursing Poncho. The other ones you mentioned scream breastfeeding where this was more like a accessory. I nursed in church and restaurants and people had no idea what i was doing. It was great for living in florida and going to the beach. I put it in my diaperbag and put it on over my bikini to nurse, very light weight.

Good luck.