Best breastfeeding sling?

[Aliama]

Right, lovely as it is to sit on my arse all day with a snuggly 9 week old asleep and/or feeding on top of me, I've got shit to do, and only two arms with which to do it, so I'm in the market for a breastfeeding sling. Please could I have your recommendations?

Ideally not too pricy (£30 ish, but less would be better), easy to put on and take off, something I can bundle into my bag would be perfect. Anyone?

I'm not convinced how safe it is to breastfeed a very young baby in a sling tbh, unless you are paying very careful attention to their positioning/airways being clear.

An older baby who has good head control - you can have them upright in a ring sling and just loosen it to lower their head to boob level.

I used a ring sling to bfeed, so they could nurse in a cradle hold or sitting up as they got bigger. It was very easy to adjust as well.

Mine all had good head control by 9wks.

tbh, I think you are going to struggle with a £30 budget, and anything you get for that money (unless it's a 2nd hand bargain) isn't going to last you very long. My 23 month old DD is still in her Manduca. Can the budget stretch?

I third the thing about head control - they need to be able to get themselves latched on and off in an upright position.

For the sling itself, I used to walk around with DD latched on in my Manduca. Also used a ring sling, but when she was much older.

I haven't used it yet (hurry up DC2!) but I've bought a je Porte mon bebe for feeding from birth on recommendation of a sling-obsessed pal! It's really comfy, stretchy organic cotton so feels cool. About twice your budget though but I'm hoping it does us into toddlerhood!

It's hard, and you need to be good at slings and good at breastfeeding to manage it. I only managed it a couple of times (and only with dd2) and even then it would have been less faff to take the sling off than to fiddle around getting it loose enough for the baby to be low enough to latch on.

If you really want to try it, visit your local sling library and try a few different slings to see which will work for you, and to get advice on safe positioning.

I would recommend a ring sling, it takes a bit of getting used to but is very easy to put on and take off. If you follow the recommendations, it's perfectly safe, and most babies LOVE it.

£30 is not much for a new sling, but there's a great second-hand babywearing group on facebook (Affordable Baby Slings), you can probably find something quite decent there.

Ring sling is easiest but only if you can get someone to show you how to do it properly, I didn't find it instinctive at all.

I never managed it with any other kind of sling, TBH. At least not to a level where it felt safe or particularly discreet.

Polo a stretchy wrap won't last til toddler, it will probably be comfy to around 6-9 months depending in how heavy your baby is.

I remember reading a thread from a poster in MN whose baby almost suffocated being breastfed in a sling, which always makes me cautious about following safe sling guidelines with very young babies.

Here www.schoolofbabywearing.com/Images/TICKS.pdf

other options (apart from ring sling, which I'd recommend):

1. a stretchy wrap. Since they're stretchy, it's not too difficult to move the fabric around and get the baby in bf position. But they can be quite long and a bit of a faff to put on.

2. a carrier (mei tai, connecta, etc). By moving or unbuckling the straps, you can breastfeed without taking the baby out. They'll take a bit more room in your bag, though.

I'll second whoever said that you have to be good at breastfeeding, it took us a few months before we manage to breastfeed on the go efficiently. (but now it's great!)

Fleder I looked at the link and it's not a stretchy wrap although I agree stretchy fabric doesn't usually have enough strength to be comfy into toddler years. It's a hip carrier so it might be okay for short carries.

It looks like they do two - a stretch wrap, and a sort of stretchy ring sling.

Hi everyone, and thanks for all your posts. Lots for me to think about here.

Fair point on the safety aspect; he can hold up his head okay, but is still quite shaky, so I will bear this in mind and possibly wait a little longer.

It would be mainly for use in the house, just so that I'm not having to unlatch and put him down every few minutes when I'm doing something in the kitchen. I have a 3yo as well, so not doing anything in the house at all is not an option when there are lunches to be made.

In cafes as well, it would be nice to have something supporting his weight so that I've got at least one hand free. (sometimes have gravity issues with my breasts so have to support them while he's feeding).

I'd go for a ring sling, you can probably get one 2nd hand for your budget - either cradled www.littletummytucker.com.au/wp-content/uploads/8137751994_18d0359353.jpg or upright www.boobiemilk.co.uk/userfiles/IMG_4173.jpg

Just be really cautious about your baby's face being uncovered.

There is an 'affordable slings' group on Facebook where you might find a ring sling for around £30.