Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think that having a 10 month old in a sling is a bit dangerous?

142 replies

lolaflores · 21/06/2012 17:58

My friend wears her baby she also has a ds aged 5 who is handful. Today we all walked back from school, baby head butting friend as was tired or hungry. Elder child drove at mum on scooter twice. Would I be a big old whinge pants to suggest that time for baby to go in the buggy? It scared the shit out of me. He is a big baby too and can wriggle out of the sling thing with ease. He doesn't look very comfortable either.
What would you do

OP posts:
CheshireDing · 21/06/2012 19:58

We have a pram but use the sling if "off roading" with the dog, or if I want DD (8 months) to DEFINITELY go to sleep Grin.

We tried a few different ones at a sling meeting and picked a Storchenwiege sling.

I agree with what others have said she probably just needs to get the 5 year old in check and sometimes you can tie the slings and if they have a really wriggly day you can need to re-tie them again. I think she was just having a bad day with wriggly baby, shopping, 5 year old and a scotter. Sounds like a handful!

AikoOoki · 21/06/2012 20:04

LittleWaveyLines, umm. I might have one or two... Wink

otchayaniye · 21/06/2012 20:04

squeakytoy i used to sling my eldest until 3 for naps or longer walks and would be often left carrying her and her bloody scooter all through my pregnancy. i bloody hate those scooters!

BarredfromhavingStella · 21/06/2012 20:46

Can I just add to the Baby Bjorn haters that I love mine & as ds falls fast asleep in it I assume he quite likes it too Hmm

LittleWaveyLines · 21/06/2012 21:02

I don't hate them - just found our borrowed one really uncomfortable after DD hit 10lbs - and she was starting to squirm in it as well - then I found the wonderful world of collecting too many wraps Grin

They are also not great for babies with hip problems as they don't hold the baby in the optimum position for correct hip development, but if you're both happy with yours, and the baby is not in it for hours everyday then great! :)

AKE2012 · 21/06/2012 21:03

Personally i dont like slings for any age baby.

A bit off subject but was reading a 'news' article bout Victoria Beckham carrying her child. Some idiot wrote a comment saying 'why is she always carrying that child why doesnt she put it in a sling or a pram. If she falls she will hurt the baby' Im not sure what this person thought wuld happen if she was carrying her child in a sling and she fell.

LittleWaveyLines · 21/06/2012 21:04

Just being nosey, but how heavy is your DS barredfromhavingStella? Or is it a super-duper baby bjorn with more than just the crossed straps at the back?

LittleWaveyLines · 21/06/2012 21:07

I've fallen with DD in the sling a couple of times as I'm dead clumsy.

What happens is that I put my hands out to catch my fall and protect DD instinctively. She's fine, I normally have a skinned knee and dirty hands and a bit of a sprained wrist. In fact she laughed the last time my ankle went over - she thought it was great fun! Hmm

I also fell when pushing the pram before I got into slings. It tipped. DD was not so fine but had a bump.

BarredfromhavingStella · 21/06/2012 21:18

He's about 19lbs I think-due to be weighed in next couple of weeks-it's just a normal one with the cross over straps Hmm
What you should say is the Baby Bjorn is crap IMO as not everyone, ie me, thinks the same.

WhyDontYouMindYourOwnBuisness · 21/06/2012 21:19

I would mind my own buisness seems as it isnt my child and i have no say in its upbringing

LittleWaveyLines · 21/06/2012 21:26

I said "I also think that commercial type carriers like baby bjorn are incredibly uncomfortable for the wearer when they are more than about 10lb, and also uncomfortable for the baby - so if she's using one of these then YA(n)BU, but she needs to swap to a different carrier, not stop carrying her!" which implies IMO as I said I think...

But OK I should have also said IMO - cause that's what it is... Grin

LittleWaveyLines · 21/06/2012 21:29

You must have a better back than me then! But if it works for you then great :)

5madthings · 21/06/2012 21:30

yabu, slings are great and i still use a sling with my 18mth old dd and she is big for her age, wearing age 2 clothes, they are fine and if anything better if you have a child on a scooter as you can keep up wiht them more easily and grab them if they try and scoot off wihtout having to stop, park the buggy, put the break on etc, infact the other day i had the buggy with ds4 in it bizarrely as he was tired and dd was walking and toddled off towards the road, scared the life out of me as we were going up a hill and i had to quickly stop and put break on buggy and then run after dd, if ds4 had been in a back carry it would have been much easier to grab dd, or vice versa.

re babybjorn i would say yes they are crap as they arent good for the baby, they may seem happy but they arent very good for a babies hips or spine, which is why i wouldnt use one, its very easy to research.

i have had at various times, two wraps one woven, one stretchy, a moby wrap, a mai tai, a wilkinet and some ring slings, have passed some onto my sister now who has a 6mth old and loves using them, but i still use ring slings for dd, always keep one under the pushchair, they are a godsend :)

Noqontrol · 21/06/2012 21:34

Depends on the sling. I had ds in a babyhawk until he was 2. He could still go in it at 2.5yrs, but he decided to walk everywhere instead. It was very safe, better than the buggy, and it left my hands free to look after his older sister too.

BarredfromhavingStella · 21/06/2012 21:36

Oh ok, I'll just research that then, oh wait I already did Hmm My dd also used the Baby Bjorn & seems just fine amazingly, no hip or spine problems just a very active 2 year old! But hey, thanx for your opinion.

Staceisace · 21/06/2012 21:38

I sometimes see babies in slings and think it looks a bit precarious but I don't know anything about them really. Unless your friend said she was uncomfortable or the baby wasn't safe I guess it doesn't really matter what you think so perhaps keep your opinion to yourself but be on hand to offer advice if she needs it.

ReallyTired · 21/06/2012 21:38

Slings are great for developing neck control and its not great for babies to be on their backs all the time.

I have to admit I didn't use my sling much after 6 months, but I know plenty of people who use them for older children. Certainly slings are used all over the world.

My pet hate is people who leave their babies in car seats all day.

BertieBotts · 21/06/2012 21:39

takingiteasy babaslings are useless because of the stepped sizing. It's great if you fit exactly into one of the sizes, but if you don't (and who is a uniform shape??) then it will be uncomfortable and feel unsafe. And remember babies grow - whoever thought up the idea of a sling you can only adjust in set increments is bonkers!

Queen0fFlamingEverything · 21/06/2012 21:43

Babaslings are dreadfully uncomfortable IMO.

A proper ring sling is way better.

goingeversoslowlymad · 21/06/2012 21:51

YABU I had to switch to using a sling with DC2 as DC1 who was 3 at the time used to run off or deliberately run near the road to get a reaction out of me,she was going through the jealousy stage. At least with DC2 in the sling, I could keep a firm hold of DC1's hand and not worry about having to grab her from danger whilst having time to put the brake on the pram.

It sounds like the problem is the scooter/discipline of child and not the sling.

TandB · 21/06/2012 21:51

DS1 is nearly 3 and still goes up on DP in the ergo carrier if we go out for a long walk and he gets tired. It allows us to go off-road for much longer distances than many people manage with small children. DS1 walks most of the time but hitches a ride for a few minutes here and there or for the last stretch of the walk home which is up a big hill. I carry DS2 in a wrap on my back.

We are planning a whole day out walking fairly soon - there is no way we could do that without the ergo.

TandB · 21/06/2012 21:54

And yes to the neck control. DS2 was holding his head up around the 4 week mark. Various people at a baby group commented on it and the BFing counsellor who runs the group said that it is something she sees in babies who are slung regularly because of the muscles it engages.

I didn't know about that at all, although DS2 also had good head control from an early age - I thought it was just one of those things that varies from baby to baby.

Springforward · 21/06/2012 22:04

It depends on the sling I think?

Scrutler · 21/06/2012 22:05

I was carrying DD2 (then 3mo) in a sling when I was accidently tripped up by DD1 but wasn't able to put my arms out to save us. DD2 had fractured skull (which required surgery) spent time in intensive care and then developed epilepsy (infantile spasms) a few months later.

Other than a huge a scar and a slightly wonky head (!) she's doing fine now 4 years on but it still makes me panic when I see people carrying babies in slings (esp. outward facing ones for some reason) even though I rationally know that it would probably have had the same outcome if I'd been carrying her in my arms say.

PustyRussell · 21/06/2012 22:20

I fell whilst carrying my 10 month old in a mamas and papas Morph baby carrier. Snapped my collar bone, needed an operation to put a plate and pins in to fix it. I couldn't drive for months and it still aches now.

DD had a scratch on her face, but was fine.

The sling went in the bin.