Thoughts on baby slings?

So glad you are getting on well with it, mine was a god send. In the end we used a sling far more than the pushchair.

Fwiw I breastfed until 4 years, co- slept for all naps and at night, used a sling the vast majority of the time- and my 6 year old is the most confident child I've met.

You cannot spoil a child by giving them what they need, you spoil them by not giving and keeping developmentally appropriate boundaries.

Enjoy your new found freedom!

I am a total sling convert. I had a stretchy sling for young babies but the Ergo was great for hikes when older.
Frog legs is fine.
Adults couldn't switch in rear facing car seats like young kids but kids bodies are different so can be completely comfortable.

Slings are amazing. It's worth having a search to see if you have a local sling library with a baby wearing consultant. I had a one to one with my local one when I was starting my baby wearing journey and ended up with a ring sling. Something I never thought I would use, but me and my squish loved it. Sling libraries are a great way to get to know other mums and try out different styles of slings and carriers as well.

@Spockrates The Aura is perfect. It is very light and breathable. I am so pleased that you both like it!

It's a personal choice. I'm not a fan and my baby doesn't like them either but they are worth a try.

Which Ergo do you have? Slings are fantastic and it's possible to carry very safely in warm weather but I would not use the Ergo infant insert, which is only needed in some models, in hot weather.

'Frog' legs are the optimum. It is very bad for a baby's hips for their legs to hang straight down in a carrier which only supports the crotch. The fabric of your sling should reach her knee pits and her legs should be in an M shape, with her bottom slightly lower than her knees. Baby should be high on your chest with her head resting against your sternum, and you should be able to kiss the top of her head comfortably.

Babywearing is very safe if you follow the TICKS guidance - see the image.

Frog leg is ideal position for hip development. They should never hang straight.

Birth to 3 months is often called the fourth trimester. Many babies are happier if you try and recreate that womb feeling by swaddling and carrying them around. It doesn't spoil them - it reassures them and they often nap better as they are cosy and can feel your heartbeat.

Do you see the children in cultures where carrying is standard being clingy? No. They develop normally and happily.

I carried my August born son and he loved it. It was often hot for me but he would enjoy the sensation and I got to look after my other 2 kids hands free.

Is your mum from a generation where they schedule fed and had children cry it out using Ferber Method or Doctor Spock? Thinking is different these days

DD2 lived in the sling for the first three months of her life! I think they're almost mandatory with a second child, I don't know how we would have managed without. She is 12mo and I still use the carrier a lot.

I used a Close Caboo soft sling for the first three or four months or so and then switched to a Tula Explore. I'm not very good at tying and wrapping slings so the Close Caboo was pretty idiot proof!

To add extra support to the baby's neck you can roll up a small Muslin and tuck it round

Definitely use the sling. They can be a bit tricky to put on- look up sheen slings on youtube and she has videos for most of them. I liked the soft caboo for my tiny boy, then Beco for when he got a little bigger (6 weeks is already ok for Beco- it has more structure so really saves your back). Baby will love being in sling and being able to see what you're doing/bounce along as you walk.

Important to remember that prams are newer than slings and majority of the world's population carry their babies!

An ergo will be fine and will have instructions too for use with newborns. It’s also one with straps, it’s not one just made of a piece of cloth? But more comfy than a lot of the other carriers out there.

I'm probably your mum's age, and dh and I carried our dc in slings. It's hardly a newfangled thing!

It did not spoil them or make it harder for them to settle for other people. It was lovely for us and for them.

Dh favoured the Baby Bjorn, whereas I liked one whose name I don't remember, but had a soft pad you tied to the baby and long straps you wrapped around the baby and yourself in a multitude of ways, depending how you wanted to wear the baby. I also had a couple of different ring slings. The adjustable one was very useful for breastfeeding a younger baby in while keeping mobility and a hand free to help an older child. The other was microfleece and useful as a pram/carseat blanket which could be used as an emergency sling for any age small dc, for example carrying a tired 4yo.

So slings have been around and used for ages. They do not harm the baby in any way. They make life easier for the parents. And they are such a lovely way of being close with your children.

BTW the best slinging advice I was given - by a sling manufacturer's rep - was that the baby was well-positioned if you could comfortably kiss the top of their head.

Enjoy your baby

My mum was always quite weird about slings too and quite keen to tell me it would be different if I had two, or it wouldn't work for everyone and all sorts of random examples that really didn't have any bearing on my life or situation.

You likely will get a bit sticky at this time of year but you won't overheat her. Just remember the sling counts as a layer so she won't need to be wearing much. Otherwise, they're the best. I used to get out walking every day and generally pottering about, it was so good for me. She's an entirely normal toddler now who is happy at nursery and being cared for by other people.

I absolutely hated slings and with twins they didn't work well either.
But no baby is spoiled by using them.
If they work for you then great.

In the nicest possible way, your mother sounds like a blithering idiot. Does she know many 6 year olds who insist on being carried around? You cannot spoil a baby.

Your baby is 6 weeks, you’re both having a tough time, a carrier is a possible help or solution. Even if she was right (she’s absolutely definitely not) now is not the time to give a toss about the longterm, you do what makes life easier today, tomorrow and next week.

My 3 month old loves being in the carrier and it makes life so much easier. I was running late to get my preschooler earlier and got the sling on, baby in and out the door in about 2 minutes. I’ve got a stretchy wrap one and a caboo and love them both.

Ignore your mum and her comments. You make your own choice how you want to parent your child and if that involves carrying them - that's your prerogative.

But that aside - yes I highly recommend! I used mine aaallll the time with my firstborn, as did my DH. They're now 2y8m and very independent and confident. Only stopped carrying them shortly after turning 2. Now I use with my 9w old newborn since a few days old and it enables me to get out and about with the toddler, cook clean and continue our lives.

Have a look for a sling library near you for advice:

https://www.carryingmatters.co.uk/sling-pages/