Anyone using a wraparound sling?

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I've always used a Babybjorn babycarrier with my 2. But now we're about to ttc for dc3 and so I'm starting to think about baby things. One thing I've always wanted to try is a real sling, however due to a slightly weak back I'm a bit iffy about that. Then wraparound slings caught my eye. How easy on the back are they and how easy are they to use when BF, 'cos I know the Babybjorn wasn't really compatible (another reason why I'd love to give a wraparound sling a go).

if you want something supportive for your back your best going for a mei tai or a wraparound sling. the woven ones are more supportive than the stretcy ones.

Thanks for your reply. I don't really know what a mei tai is exactly. I saw a picture of one on eBay, but it doesn't look all that different from a traditional baby carrier. Could you tell me what the difference is?

I have a mei tai that I can use on my front for 11mo ds & on my back for 2.7yo dd. I can carry them for hours as the sling spreads their weight across my hips so the pressure on my back & shoulders is minimal. Also there are no buckles anywhere to dig in & the baby is firmly tied onto you so it doesn't feel as if they might slip out (which I always felt with the tomy carrier as it buckled onto me first & then baby was buckled into it separately.

The mei tai is really easy to use too - very easy to tie/untie even with a wriggly baby. I bought mine 2nd hand off SabaSaba & I know she was selling another although not sure if it's gone yet.

fwiw the mei tai is probably one of the best bits of baby kit I've bought & it's so beautiful I'm always getting comments when we're out with it

Wraparounds are fab. Get a good one, if you do it will be as good value as a stroller. I use a Didymos I love it. See if there is a sling library near you to try one out.
Me Tai slings are a kind of shaped cloth carrier, here. Like a wraparound, there is no sling between you and your baby, unlike the carriers, and they have very wide, padded wraparound ties. You can put a bigger toddler on your back later on. They are very good. I have one for toddler carrying. They are to use than a wraparound sling.HTH

I have a Moby D wrap and find it really easy and comfy to use. I have also bfed in it. I've just bought some jersey fabric from ebay to make a very cheap homemade version to knock about the house in. You can get some great ideas and instructions on www.mamatoto.com.

HTH

I tried a friends BabyBjorn when DD was about 4 weeks/12lbs - I lasted about 10 minutes before my back gave out. Then I got a Hug-a-Bub, which is just starting to struggle at 6 months / 19lbs. It's been great and the stretchiness has made it very forgiving for a lighter baby, but now she's bigger I need something more robust.

Have a look on SlingMeet and you should be able to find a group reasonably close to you to get some advice and/or try out different types of sling

Hi, I have a bad back and used the kari-me (like a hug-a-bub but cheaper) - it is an awesome sling. They do show breastfeeding positions but I never got the hang of it - I think cos I have large norks so would have had to position baby around my belly button mark which is not great in a sling.
www.kari-me.com/position.php#cuddly

I have lots of different types of carriers, some are better than others for BFing though.

A wrap is great for BFing a small baby in a reclined position and an older child sitting up and are really easy on the back as the weight is spread over your back and shoulders evenly.

A pouch or ring sling can also be used to BF in but is not as easy as a wrap and takes some adjusting to feed easily but are carried on one shoulder so can be uncomfortable after awhile.

Mei tai's are my favourite for carrying and really comfy as again the weight is spread evenly but I have found them very tricky to feed in unless you have a child who can manouver themselves around IYSWIM!

HTH!

Tangle, that sling meet website is brilliant. Got really distracted by that, there's so much out there I didn't know AND so many ways of tying a sling, amazing. I know for sure I'll get one. If they really are that comfortable my Babybjorn will be on eBay in no time!