A question about slings/ pushchairs/ buggies

[TheCountessOlenska]

All being well, I'm expecting DC2 when DC1 will be a month off 3. I REALLY hated my Quinny Buzz last time - I live in a small house, have a small car, use public transport a lot, and live in ye olde worlde town where the shop doorways are tiny and usually up/down stairs.

I do like my McClaren pushchair which I had DC1 in aged about 5 months (having sacked off the pram).

I don't want another massive pram basically. Would it be feasible to treat myself to a new McClaren AND get a sling - then have new baby in sling, DC1 in pushchair. Then when new baby is a bit bigger, put it in McClaren and DC1 will then be able to walk everywhere (at 3 and a half)?? I walk everywhere, very rarely in car.

Oh, and which sling!?

Thanks!

Yes, definitely. I'd go for a mai tei, used on your front at first (baby in 'froggy' position, and on your back from 5 months ish for days when your older child is tired & needs a go in the buggy. You can get mai tei video demos on YouTube or slingmeets are really useful, or an alternative would be sonething like an ergo, which I think have infant inserts for the very beginning, and would also last you a long time, go under the buggy for later on.

Definitely! And if you get a McLaren which leans all the way back (like the Techno XLR) you can put the baby in from a very young age if you want. It has a headrest which really helps, so we've had DD in our XLR from 3 months and she loves it, it still kept her nice and snuggly when she wanted to sleep. In fact the only downside I have found with having a young baby in the XLR is that I want her to sleep in it and because she's not facing me I have to keep tipping the pushchair back a bit or leaning around to see if she has gone to sleep.

Re slings, definitely try a slingmeet as you can spend a lot of money on something you find you can't get on with. I bought a Moby Wrap, I thought it looked brilliant, but it just didn't suit me and I rarely used it. The Baby Bjorn got used every day for three months, however.

Have a look at the Close Baby sling too. It's really comfortable and because it's soft it doesn't take up much storage room in the buggy.

Yes! Whyever not.

Agree definitely with a sling meet if you can get to one. I'd say it's pretty rare to find a baby bjorn comfortable enough to use daily, although up to 3 months or so it might be okay. I'd utterly avoid anything you can buy in mothercare etc, well, the Ergo is okay, but not great for newborns even with the insert.

For newborns I'd go for a stretchy wrap (IMO a proper one is better than the close carrier/caboo although some people like that), a ring sling or a mei tai as Mavis suggests. Then get a woven wrap and/or a larger mei tai or soft structured carrier when the baby is bigger, realistically, you're not going to find one sling which works from birth to toddler unless you're very skilled with the woven wrap.

DS walks pretty much everywhere and has done from 3.3 when he started nursery.

I have the techno xlr and got the carrycot insert so dd lay flat in that for the firat three months
so so snuggly and got it from Tesco Direct for £35 (the carrycot not the buggy!)

I have the techno xlr and got the carrycot insert so dd lay flat in that for the firat three months
so so snuggly and got it from Tesco Direct for £35 (the carrycot not the buggy!)

Oops sorry

Close is gorgeous when they're tiny. Hard work as they get heavier.

I'm interested to hear a positive review of a baby Bjorn - I've only hears people slagging them off before! (backache in the adult & too much stress on the baby's pelvis)

Yeah, I know the BB isn't popular on here. But I had no problems at all, I found it distributed LO's weight perfectly for me and she seemed really happy and comfy in it, happier than she was in a sling (though I can't say anything about her pelvis)

I've just looked at the carrycot insert and that looks fab! Fab enough that I might not wheel out our beast of a Graco pram and just put any future newborns in that. Anything not to give up the lightness of the XLR!

yes def, that's what we did. but do invest in a good sling/carrier, not a babybjorn type thing.

I did this with 2.5y between my dds. I used a stretchy Moby wrap and then an Ergo from about 6 month.
If you are getting a new pushchair then get one that will take from new born. If found it really use full to be able to put dd2 in the pushchair when we stopped at the park or a cafe

I loved it, and dd would nap in it in the lounge during the day too.

I had a mei tai, really recommend, I'm still using mine and dd is 10 months so have got my money's worth!

Definitely think a sling and buggy is a fab idea for that age gap.

The Baby Bjorn can depend on how you put the baby into it. If you make sure the baby is in a sitting position then it's fine, but too many people put them in just dangling = not good. People also often wear them too low, which is a back-nightmare. The baby's head should be just under your chin.

We also used the buggy-and-sling system - had a stretchy Close carrier for very small then something more structured for when DC2 was bigger. I've just bought an Ergo with insert second hand on ebay (buy from a person not a seller as otherwise you can be buying a Hong Kong fake) for DC3, so this time we'll be using sling-and-double-buggy. (Can recommend the Joovy as it only takes up the space of a single buggy and folds flat.)

We loved the ergo from very early on with DS but others haven't liked it with newbies. I would try and go to sling meets so you can see the slings in the flesh and see if you will get on with them as I thought I'd never use a moby as I didn't get on with the tying of it.

I'm in a similar position except DS will only by 20 months so I think I'll need a double buggy for a while. I have the XLR and carry cot too and it was great for DS.

I was thinking of getting a Babasling. Nobody on here's even mentioned them. Is that because they're rubbish?

Look at baby ktan

Babaslings are rubbish, sorry. The sizing on them is stepped so they're fine if you happen to fit exactly into one of the sizes, but if you don't (which is likely, and even if you do, when the baby grows between sizes you may find it uncomfortable again) they're really uncomfortable and can even be unsafe.

If you like the idea of a pouch type sling you could go for a ring sling, a short wrap or a properly fitted pouch (look for a site where the maker asks for your body measurements) or something like a Hotslings is probably the closest to a babasling, except it has totally adjustable straps kind of like rucksack straps.

Do watch out for fake ergos on ebay, even from personal sellers, because they might have bought a fake in the first place and be unwittingly selling it on. There are signs you can look out for if you google "fake ergo signs".

No I want to know if they're rubbish! No need to say sorry. I was a bit sus that there are so many 'used once and still in box' going on eBay to be honest. I do fancy a proper sling for round the house so I can keep my hands free for DS. I'll look more into those ring slings. Thanks.

Have a look at the Kali Sling - they are on Facebook - lightweight wrap slings for £25 in loads of nice colours. I'm swapping my close sling for one because I was so bloody hot under the thick jersey of the sling.
I'm in same predicament as you - same age gap and same Quinny!
I'm really hoping I can manage with a sling until dd1 can walk and dd2 can go in my zapp - godsend pram for small spaces

You could try a manduca. Similar to an ergo but you don't need the insert thing when they are newborn.

I'm still carrying my 1 year old, he has moved to being carried on my back now (a double buggy is a major pain for me too, small house etc), we are starting to have a few days with no buggy at all!

you should be fine with the solution you suggest, though maybe think about a buggy board for when DC2 goes into the buggy. I had a kari me which was very comfy and the idea is that you leave it tied on even when baby is not in it - you can pull it down over your shoulders like a cardy so you don't need a coat. Maybe get a head hugger for the buggy as well. I had DD in a coasatto twin which is not quite for a newborn and she rattled around a little until I got the head hugger but then she slept in it every night for a week's holiday.

I love my Babasling and still use it with my DD, who is now a year old. She loves it too! But I did struggle with any sling that required me to tie/buckle anything......

This is roughly what I did - ds was 3.7 when dd born, and went back to the pushchair when I was heavily pregnant. Weaned him off it in the few weeks after she was born, hid it for a month then got it out, reclined fully and with baby toys on for dd.
It's a Maclaren XT with John Lewis muff, and I used a Baby Bjorn for 3 weeks as while she then did my back in, it is idiotproof which I needed then! Then used a Closer wrap sling until about 3.5mo, and now a Moby or Cailin Bleu one depending on temperature.