Sling Wraps and Going Out

[NellyE]

I'm currently struggling a little to get out and about with our buggy, due to various issues. I'm going a bit nuts stuck in the house all the time, so was wondering about getting a wrap sling for my 3 week old.

I was wondering:

Which one would be best - Moby or Closer seem to be popular, he's not heavy enough for a Baby Bjorn yet.

Is it OK to take them out for long periods of time in a sling?

And also, this is probably a stupid question, but what do you dress them in to go out in a sling, don't they get too hot? And what do you do if it rains - just put an umbrella over them?

Thank you!

I've got one for my 3 week old for when I can't be bothered with the double buggy.

I had a kari-me sling for ds1 which was fantastic but the material was really thick and found we both got too hot.

This time I got one off eBay from a WAHM. Loads of different colours to choose from and it was only £20.

The material is thinner and so we don't overheat lol.

My 3week old is still wearing vests and bodysuits or vests with cotton top and stretchy cotton trousers so I just put a Cardigan on him if it's a bit chilly and pull the sling up fully over his body. He seems to be ok and if I think he's a bit warm then I take his Cardigan off.

Haven't had a problem with rain yet but if I did he would go in the pram. Only because I can't push the single pram and hold an umbrella at the same time but would use umbrella if I only had the one baby.

He has spent all day in the sling before when shoppin in town. I'm not too worried about that as he frequently comes out for feeds and nappy changes etc.

We were the same - its very hilly, muddy and lots of cobbles round here and I have a dog thats scared of prams (actually petrified) so we started with slings when he was 2 weeks and not looked back.

We tried quite a few before we found one that suited. I really do think it is trial and error to find something that is comfortable for both you and your baby - you can buy and sell them easily on ebay or there is a good website called Slumber-roo that lets you hire them to try.

We have a Beco carrier which wasn't cheap but is fantastically comfortable and well made - we used it from 2 weeks with the newborn baby insert. I also bought a second hand Moby wrap on ebay but he just doesn't like it at the moment. When they are tiny and can't support their heads they need to have there head under the wrap material and he hated this but plenty of babies love it. I am definitely planning to try again with the Moby when he is older.

At first I just went out for an hour or two between feeds but I have been out pretty much all in day with him in the sling and he alternates watching the world go by and sleeping.

Clothes wise our little boy tends to get very warm in the sling and so I tend to dress him in a long sleeve top and long trousers + socks and a hat too if its chilly. Really warm days he's just worn a vest. So far I've not needed a coat for him but expect we will as it gets colder. The beco carrier has a little rain cover for their heads and I zip my coat over him if its really raining and he's fine.

Hope this helps. Enjoy - its great carrying them around so close!

natural mamas website is a bit fluffy, but they have loads of great advice on slings (better than you will get here :) )

One thing I will say - don't get a Baby Bjorn - they are often called crotch danglers - if you look at a pic of a baby in one you will see why. Dangling babies by the crotch is not good for their development, and you can't carry a baby in this sort of sling for very long.

Properly supportive slings you can safely use all day, every day :)

Other good resources include www.thebabywearer.com and the Yahoo slings and wraps group for buying and swapping discounted or second-hand carriers ([email protected]).

The Moby is an excellent wrap for a beginner with a small baby as long as you're not put off by learning to wrap. If you're worried about tying it, the Close baby carrier is made out of the same snuggly material and distributes weight similarly but is semi-structured. When baby gets heavier, or for back carries, something less stretchy is more comfortable. I've heard very good things about both Ergo and Beco carriers although they're not my personal favourites.

With a good carrier you can walk for miles/hours very comfortably for both mum and baby. Baby can sleep in them and even feed in them with a bit of practice. It's very liberating.

We've only ever used carriers with DD, now 20 months and don't own a pram. I don't drive, frequently travel by train/tube with baby in tow, and like to get up and go out in our free time without having to plan too much and worry about steps, lifts etc..

When it rains lightly, I just put a good hat on DD. If it's heavier I put up an umbrella. In terms of clothing, just treat the sling as an extra layer and dress baby accordingly. Now that autumn is here you're less likely to have to worry about overheating.

I used a moby from 6 weeks and as it was about the only way she'd sleep i'd go for 2 long walks a day - or just pace the house. She was comfy in it for 2 - 3 hours at a time and i could feed her in it too. She was a winter baby so wasn't worried about overheating and I had a huge old coat that I'd do up over both of us (not the most glamorous look - people thought i was still pregnant ). Stopped using it recently cos she's a year now and I need something with more structure cos it beaks my back - still, it was a life saver in the early days.

I've got an Ellaroo which I love. Still use it now with an 8month old.

They do take a bit of practice to put on but are well worth the effort. My DD loves being in the sling.

I have a Beco and a Sleepy Wrap (like Moby).

wrap slings are the business! Talk/ email big mama she knows all and is incredibly helpful. I adore slings and have carried both of mine in them. I used a stretchy hug-a-bub, which is very similar to a Moby and haven't looked back. Am now using a didymos which is a woven wrap sling and often put babe on my back, is about the most useful bit of kit I have, really!

What everyone else said. I used a Close carrier which is easier than a wrap sling IMO and then a Connecta (which goes either on your front or, when they're bigger, on your back).

A wrap would be more versatile, though, as you can use it for back carries too. The main problem we had with the Close carrier was that DS got too heavy for the stretchy fabric to give enough support.

Baby Bjorns aren't great for any length of time as they're not that comfortable for the little ones (or you). Longer periods in a fabric sling are fine.

When dressing them, take into account the thickness of the sling fabric. My Close carrier was a warm jersy fabric (you wouldn't want to use it in summer) and I was advised to treat that as one layer of clothing.

DS used to enjoy being tucked inside the coat, though.

We used a big umbrella when it rained.