slings - which ones?

galah

Hi all,

need your help ;-)

I'm currently looking at slings for our 5 week old, and it's getting confusing. Can ye recommend any good ones on the medium price range? Any preferences for ring slings or pouches? Or 'hybrids'? Any good brands out there?

I have a manduca baby carrier which I love, but our son is too small for it yet (I feel), and I can't breastfeed in it. A sling is perfect to do stuff around the house and run after our toddler as well.

Cheers in advance

pwurple

http://www.babywearingireland.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2&Itemid=3

There are sling libraries around where you can try them out. Different slings suit different builds and needs. I had a cloth one, but my husband preferred to wear the baby-bjorn (baby facing inward) as he found the cloth ones way to girly.

krankykitty

Congrats on your new baby!! A ring sling would be perfect for breastfeeding. I agree the manduca might be a bit big at the moment but it will be great in a few months time. Where are you based? Babywearing Ireland run sling meets all over the place where you can meet other parents and try loads of slings. The Facebook group is great for advice also
https://m.facebook.com/groups/182364631890918?ref=bookmark

Chattastrophe!

Where are you based? I'm going to a mums-and-babies coffee morning in Dublin 15 on Thursday - the lady running it is a sling consultant, and she said she'd bring along a few slings for me to look at and try out - if you're anywhere near there, might be useful.

cyning

Pouches are much more difficult to get the hang of: baby should be upright so I would avoid them personally. I have a Close Carrier for my new almost here baba: it's a cross between a stretchy wrap and a ring sling. I also have a ring sling and a mei tei, and a huckepack for when baba is older!! A manduca will be great soon too but for me when babs is small either the Close or else something like a Moby wrap: I just don't like wrapping! Different carriers suit different people though: a sling meet is the way to go if at all possible.

Moonbeam

I loved the baba sling for feeding and the Ergo for carrying my not so small baby around:) try out loads,personally I do not like the wrap or ring slings.

Blueskye

Moonbeam wrote: »

I loved the baba sling for feeding and the Ergo for carrying my not so small baby around:) try out loads,personally I do not like the wrap or ring slings.

I have an ergo which I love but found it tricky when babies were small, despite the newborn insert.

wmpdd3

Yep the insert drive me mad, but once they were out of it the ergo was faster then lifting them up and they were comfy in it got hours, I then moved on to the toddler tula and its is used every day.

For the first few months you can't beat the Moby or the easier versions of it, baby is so content in them.

I never got the hang of ring slings or wrapping but they also look really comfy.

Also never managed to get baby to feed in a sling until the last one was 10 months, at that point he was able to guide boob into his mouth anyway.

Moonbeam

we didn't need the newborn insert for long as he was 12lb by 6 weeks and 61cm so very little experience with it. Initially I got very frustrated with the sling because i could not close it with the baby in it but I saw a nice lady with one and asked her how to do it lol
My bump is too big to manage the sling now but up until a few weeks ago it was the easiest way to take him anywhere quickly,now he stands on bump,takes my glasses and sticks his fingers in my mouth though:)
My friend loves the Moby wrap and has got brilliant use out of it.

How Strange

I had the jpmbb for when my daughter was a newborn and it was fantastic. She was so cosy in it she's sleep for hours. Then when the weather last summer got nice it was too hot to use it so I went back to my ergo. The insert is a bit diddly but we stopped using it around 3 months as she was so big.

I got great use out of the ergo this time around.

galah

Thanks you guys, will have a look and see if there's a sling meet up in galway soon. Don't want to spend a fortune as I'll use the manduca soon enough, it's just for a few months as babba seems to hate being on his own, and trying to do stuff with one hand is so much more difficult :rolleyes;

The woven slings look really complicated, I tried one 2 years ago but found it way too fiddly. is there a cheaper version of the Moby wraps?

Again, thanks

NBO

the galway sling meet is on the 8th March in Knocknacarra. Lots of slings there to try and you can rent slings on the day so bring baby and try a few different slings. The sling meet takes place in the community rooms over Joyces

Little My

https://m.facebook.com/GalwaySlings?id=226388304113196&_rdr

sari

I used manduca from day 1 never breastfed in it though but know many who did. I never managed to feed in any sling though so maybe it was just me. Get to a sling meet if you can then you can try loads.
Just stay away from ones that look like this, very bad for baby hip development

Chattastrophe!

This is the one I went for, almost a mei tai, but with a buckle at the waist.

I ended up paying €20 for a private sling consultation, so I got to try on loads of different ones. I think I'll be using it a lot, so it was worth paying that for peace of mind to be certain that I get the right sling for me and him, and to be sure that I'm using it right. After all you could do serious damage to yourself and the baby with the wrong sling.

I wanted an upright carrier, as the baby has reflux and carrying him that way seems to help a lot - also it's good for the development of his neck muscles. I also wanted one that was relatively fast and easy to get on and off. Also, tbh, I wanted to avoid the real "hippy-ish" look. And this one is at the less hippy end of the scale - but comes in lots of pretty patterns (and they only make one of each!) Oh and it's machine washable - very important with a pukey baby!

Only disadvantage is that this one is only suitable until around 16 months - but that's fine by me, it's most important to get one that'll do him til I go back to work when he's six months, as that's obviously when I'll be using it most. If I really want to continue with the sling after 16 months, I won't mind investing in another one ... anyways from what I hear, slings tend to have excellent resale value.

NBO

Can I ask where you did your sling consult?

Chattastrophe!

NBO wrote: »

Can I ask where you did your sling consult?

http://activemum.ie/whats-on/baby-wearing/

The lady's name is Hilary, she's lovely!

wmpdd3

Half buckles are great forgetting a little baby really secure.

krankykitty

I can vouch for Hilary, lovely lady who knows her slings

Cunning Stunt

anyone with the manduca carrier - is it OK to carry baby with his legs out each side at 12 weeks? I am a bit confused as to when we can ditch the newborn insert. I think he's a bit big for the insert - but I am reading horrible things online about hip damage if you put your baby with the legs spread out to the sides too early...

sari

Manduca website says you can stop from about 4-5 months old

Cunning Stunt

Thanks. He seems to be at an awkward 'in between' stage - I think he's too big for the newborn insert but according to manduca site he's too small to have legs spread out...maybe I'll just have to postpone using the sling. Pity because it's lovely weather here today and we were planning a little hike in the woods

Nead21

I used to synch in the bottom with a scarf in that in-between stage with the Manduca. That way his legs weren't overspread.

Cunning Stunt

thanks for the tip - I'll try it out when baby wakes up - maybe we can do the hike afterall

wmpdd3

Yeah I synched to, counldn't believe how well it worked, but be sure the baby is not to far down in the carrier, google 'ticks' !