Best sling for 'hands free' breastfeeding?

[onehitwonder]

I am due to have my second DC in a few months. With a 4 year old to run around after, I am really keen to try and use a sling for the baby, and ideally one that will allow me to carry the baby and feed in the sling.
Ideally I am after a sling which doesn't place all the weight on the shoulders and has some support through the lower back. I tried the baby bjorn last time and found it killed my back.
I would really welcome any suggestions.
TIA

Moby for littluns
Didy when bigger

I have bf sucessfulyl in a Close, a Kari Me and an Ergo. I would say to get a wrap first - then you can be truly hands free and pop baby in and out all day without untying it. I have to say though, I am extremely impressed by the Ergo. ds is 9 months old and I fed him in it today with no problem whatsoever, and noone could even tell what I was doing I'm not sure I'd get one from birth though, and they are incredibly expensive- the place where I got mine from 3 weeks ago has just increased the price by 30 quid

I've got a freedom sling (ebay) which is great. I spent a fortune on a bushbaby but find it strains my back.

I'm rubbish at bf in anything but my sling recommendations would also be stretchy wrap (eg moby or hugabub) when small and then woven (eg didymos or storch) when bigger. I'd say that to also have an ergo (or connecta/yamo or something similar) would be a bonus.
Littlelamb - how did you do it in an ergo? DD is also 9mths...

depends a bit on your size (breastwise) - i'm quite small and found a mei tei dead easy to feed even while walking down a busy street. if you're better endowed then agree a ring sling or similar is probably a good place to start.
The ergo is good but not as private as the mei tei as it doesn't have a "collar"

It really does depend on your breast size. I am an experienced baby wearer of many types of slings. I am also an experienced breastfeeder. Yet, I have never been able to feed in a sling. My breasts are large and hanging down and this is a realy problem. The closest I have come is with a ring sling and it is certainly said by others that it is the easiest to feed in with larger breasts.

I am modest of nork and fed happily and hands free in a ring sling (Ellaroo lightly padded)

OMG - ergos are now £95!!!!!!

sasamaxx, I loosened the straps a little so he was lover down, pulled my t shirt up, my vest down and voila! IlanaK, we always meet on these threads I don't know why I can do it but you can't! I have massive F cups but it has never been a problem. I do keep a pashmina in my bag in case I need a little extra side coverage though.

Ah thanks (bet I still can't do it though )

I am amazed you fed in an ergo. I just recently got a Beco and laughingly thought I might try to feed in it. The problem is that when he is in it, his head is at the same height as my head so there is no way my nipple is going to reach his mouth!

I am not an experienced baby wearer or breast feeder but I hope to master both with DC3.

I would say that it depends on the position of your nipples rather than the size of your breasts. I have large 32FF boobs but luckily they are pert and my nipples are high up. If you have nipples that are very low or even almost underneath, this would make bf in a sling harder, no?

I am beginning to think that maybe my prowess at bf on the move is actually just ds being a milk fiend who will not stop until he is latched on Give it a try sasa, I was not convinced by the bf blurb on the Ergo website but now I have tried it it is very simple. I do prefer to carry him on my back though, which would obviously present more of a problem

Hmm so I need to factor in breast size? Pre pregnancy I was a 34 DD. Currently about a 36 F. Last time around boobs got pretty large when my milk came in, but settled back down to around a 34 F for the first 6 months or so. Not too droopy, but did used to have to nudge them up a bit when breastfeeding for DD to latch correctly.

I was looking at the reviews and the Tots Bots Papoozle seems to have been used by some people for feeding - has anyone tried it?

Yes, it is definately pertness that is an issue. I have no pertness at all. The dvd that came with the Beco shows that you just unclip one side and tilt your baby slightly to latch on . I would need to turn my baby upsidedown in the carrier to get him latched on!

Ooo Ilana I am jealous you got the Beco- I lusted after the Joey pattern but I couldn't find a stockist. I don't know if there is much difference between their designs? I think the Beco has an internal harness iyswim, which might make it harder to get them lower down? Also, I find the Ero more comfortable on my hips rather than my waist, so maybe my ds starts lower down in the first place? It does make me laugh though, the looks I get when I swing him onto my back in public- I swear a few of the old dears in the M and S cafe nearly had a funny turn when I did it this afternoon Ds loves it though, as soon as he sees me put it on he gets very excited

I am currently a 36F and managed hands-free Bfing with DS3 in a Huggababy ring sling, admittedly only until he was about 6 months old. I have not done it since - but have not needed to so have not explored other options.

The Joey is the one I got! It was the last one in stock at Slumberoo. Yes, it does have a sort of internal seat which means the baby sits quite high up. And I wear it on my waist not hips which again means high baby. I haven't tried a back carry with it yet, though I think I will have to soon.

Do try it, I nearly had a heart attcak when I first tried, but honestly, even though I can comfortably carry him on my front still, when I put him on my back it's like he's not even there! I practically just throw him under my arm now He seems to really enjoy it too, and people actually talk and smile at him which is so nice as when they're in a buggy they're so low down. Only one thing I don't like about it though- my word does it emphasise the muffin top

What's a muffin top?

littlelamb, sorry to hijack the thread, but have you managed to post the kari-me sling yet please?

Browny- I was just thinking about you! The babysitter didn't remember to post it on Thursday, but she did take it with her (along with ds's hat ) with a promise that she would post it. I am assuming htat if it's not with you then she hasn't done it. Let me call her first thing and get back to you. Sorry about that I was just thinking after writing about how much I loved my Kari Me that a new little baby would be snuggled up in it by now but that's obviously not the case

littlelamb, I did send you an e-mail yesterday to let you know that I haven't received it yet, l'd be very grateful if you could chase it up for me, I can't wait to put my dd3 in it (I've been looking at videos on youtube like you suggested, I could only find moby videos though and I'm assuming they're similar? Would you mind dropping me an e-mail to let me know if she's posted it yet please?

Will do. I found the moby ones very good for learning. There is also a dishy man on there somewhere demonstrating a tricotti

Thanks for that