Questions from a nervous newbie

[qumquat]

Hi, I'm due in December with my first and really want to use a sling as much as possible, but I have a few worries which I was wondering if you lovely ladies could help with!

I bought a boba wrap (second hand) in a fit of enthusiasm very early on, but I've hardly seen them mentioned here, can anyone share any thoughts/opinions on them?

I understand that when the baby is tiny you can use the straps to support their head, but how do you make sure they don't get smothered/ can get enough air?

Linking to the above, if their neck is turned to the side, could this not be bad for their neck and spine? How do you make sure they are aligned right?

I've got a buggy that is suitable from birth but doesn't look too comfy for a tiny one. There's a Cary cot attachment I could buy, but it's very expensive. If I'm using the sling mainly, do you think it is worth the expense? How much (if at all) did you use a buggy in the early days?

I'm so keen to use a sling but terrified bub will hate it or I'll do it all wrong. Any advice welcome!!

[chickadee1]

Hi qumquat
I've never posted before so apologies if I do anything wrong! my friend used a boba wrap and loved it though other than that I can't advise. I used a baby bjorn sling. They seem to have fallen out of favour a bit recently but I found it very useful and easy to use. When my DS was older I used an ergo which takes a bit of practice to put on but I found it fantastic once you get the hang of it. My advice would be that once your baby is born, just try it out at home with the help of someone else, and I think you'll see that the baby will be very comfortable and safe snuggled up next to you in a sling. Personally, I used a sling instead of a buggy with all three of my children until they were about 5 months old at least so you could leave the cot attachment for the time being and see how you go?
hope this helps..good luck with it all

[Splinters]

I regret the carrycot attachment a bit really -- even though we did use the buggy, dd wanted to be sitting up more by the time she was about 4 months. So the carrycot was used for a very short time and now we have to find somewhere to store it in case we have another baby, but as I now vastly prefer slings, I don't even know how much use it would get a second time..

Wrt head support, dd often slept in our stretchy wrap with her cheek against my chest, just above my cleavage. Although this meant her head was at a sort of 90 degree angle to her body, it looked very natural and comfortable (babies have pretty supple necks!), and I was able just to pull the shoulder 'strap' over the back of her head to support it.

If you use FB, I really recommend asking to join the closed group 'Slings and Things' -- people there are great with advice and will help with photos etc. And if you have a sling meet in your area, I'm sure anyone with a bit of experience will be really pleased to give you some pointers in person. Good luck!

[qumquat]

Thanks Splinters and Chickadee. I've been experimenting with my sling using a cuddly toy and feeling more confident with it! I think because I've had neck problems that aspect still worries me, will def look up the Facebook group!