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Original poster

Slings and baby carriers

33 replies

amberali111080 · 29/12/2013 17:01

Hi mumsnet, I need some advice/recommendations - I'm 8 months pregnant, due 19th of Jan 2014, hopefully! I already have a 17 month old and am looking for a good baby sling/carrier. Something I can comfortably carry my new baby in while busy cleaning, cooking etc round the house. I've already got a Baby Bjorn but don't feel it's right for this particular need. Any advice would be hugely appreciated?

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cogitosum · 29/12/2013 17:02

I have a wrap from cot2tot. It's amazing. Ds still sleeps in if at 5 months and it enabled us to establish a routine of sorts. At first it seemed a bit difficult to tie but I got the hang of it within a week

TaurielTest · 29/12/2013 17:03

have a look at www.slingguide.co.uk
find a sling meet near you and go and try some out

for a newborn, a stretch wrap (e.g. moby, kari-me) is a good choice... or explore a long woven wrap, which you could use to carry your baby or your toddler, front or back!

Indith · 29/12/2013 17:10

Have a google for sling libraries in your area or sling meets if you can't find a library. A library will have a variety of slings you can hire so you can try a few out to see what best suits your needs before you part with cash. A sling meet will be a meet up of sling fans who will be more than happy to let you try their slings on and give advice. They might seem like bunch of nutters but they are generally really friendly and love helping new people to find a sling they love.

There are so many different slings that it can feel daunting and what works for some doesn't work for others so trying them out is the way to go if at all possible.

Personally I love wraps, they look tricky but once you get used to them they are a doddle. Some people like stretchy wraps for a newborn, they hold them nice and close and it is easy to pop baby in and out but a stretchy won't last once baby gets heavier. A woven wrap will last from newborn to preschooler, they are a little trickier to get the hang of but I love them.

Otherwise some people like buckles, so they go on a bit like your bjorn but offer better support, are kinder to your back and hold baby in a better position. The connecta is a nice brand and a standard size would see you from newborn to around 18 months.

There are now fakes around for some of the major brands such as Ergo and others so be aware. There are some good FB groups such as Slings and Things- FSOT (the FSOT stands for for sale or trade) where second hand slings are bought and sold and advice is given so if you were wanting to buy online from a shop then you can ask there first to make sure it is a genuine site and some of the ones selling fakes are really difficult to distinguish from the real ones.

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addictedtosugar · 29/12/2013 17:15

Another voice suggesting a wrap style sling.
Please be careful cooking in a sling - thats about the only thing I wouldn't do with baby tied to my front.

yellowsnownoteatwillyou · 29/12/2013 17:23

I had a moby until ds was 4 months I now have a mei Thai.

Look on YouTube for help putting them on, really easy after the first couple of tries.

roweeena · 29/12/2013 17:31

I went to local sling library when pregnant and it was really great to have a good idea of what's available and I could try with weighted dolls.

I used a Hana wrap, has been a god send x

Madonna1987 · 29/12/2013 20:27

I used Baby Bjorn, but i know what you mean... It wasonly when DD was older... Ergo seems very popular. I haven't tried a wrap but intend to with next baby. Baby carriers are fab!

RebeccaJames · 29/12/2013 22:28

Cogitosum, I'm curious about what you say about the sling helping you set a routine. I have a newborn and am in a free fall breastfeeding fog right now and trying to find a path forward. I have a sling but haven't really used it yet as need to re-learn the tying.

Could you outline how you used the sling to aid routine? Would really appreciate your experience as might help me! :-)

TheGreatHunt · 29/12/2013 22:46

There's no routine with a newborn Rebecca! Just wake baby up at the same time each morning then switch to night feed style after 12 hours. I kept Dd in a sling for 3/4 months. Didn't have a proper routine until 4/5 months when the number of naps dropped.

I did use the sling with ds to get him into a nap routine when he was a few months as I kept trying and failing by forcing naps etc. hence me just sticking dd in the sling from the off.

I cooked with dd in the sling - but I don't have gas and was careful with hot water etc.

I used two slings - a close carrier for indoors and a (brilliant) manduca. Still use the manduca two years later.

RebeccaJames · 29/12/2013 22:55

I see, so when Baby is a little older I could use the sling to force naps at the "right" times in hopes of nudging him into routine. Makes sense. At the moment, though, he won't just be held so sling probably won't help. He just keeps rooting and rooting. Did you nurse in the sling?

Sorry to OP for hi-jack...

Indith · 29/12/2013 23:00

for me a sling helps with routine when you have older children that need attending to as you can stick baby in the sling when you spot signs of tiredness and get them to nap while dealing with other child. rocking to sleep or standing over a cot patting them for half an hour isn't doable with another child at home. so in that respect or helps with routine. Being able to bf in sling while legging it to school on time is a useful aspect too .

EeyoreIsh · 29/12/2013 23:04

I'd second the suggestion to go to a sling meet/library. I'm pregnant and went to one and it was really helpful, they taught me how to wrap the sling, I got to try lots of alternatives etc. We'll be getting a hana wrap as it felt the most comfortable for me and DH.

TheGreatHunt · 30/12/2013 04:19

Not as a newborn - head control wasn't good enough.

If he's rooting, feed!

Tailtwister · 30/12/2013 07:45

Another vote for a stretchy wrap. I had a Moby, but there are lots of different brands. I found it great as I could pop the baby in and out without untying the whole thing and taking it off each time. It was relatively easy to push aside to breastfeed too. I used to put mine on before we went out in the car which meant I didn't have to mess around with it in car park etc.

I did most things with mine in a sling apart from cooking and drinking anything hot. I'm a bit paranoid about hot stuff around babies and children due to an incident as a child.

Indith · 30/12/2013 08:50

I shove stuff in the slow cooker, prep veg etc for cooking, do all my chopping, I'll shove pasta in a pan to cook. I just avoided frying or anything that could spit and catch baby when in a sling. That way I could plan most meals to only have a few min of baby screaming on playmat while I cooked. The slow cooker is your friend really. Especially if you have a baby like my dc3 who started cluster feeding right when I'd need to be cooking dinner!

tantrumtime · 30/12/2013 09:02

Hi I had 18 months between my 2 and found slings incredibly helpful.
I used a stretchy wrap in the early days, around the house and out and about with DD in the pushchair but DS was a big baby so moved to a carrier with straps and buckles because this was a bit more comfortable for me.
DS prefers the stretchy wrap and when he is teething or being a bit clingy I put him in it now (he's 11 months) so I can carry on playing with DD, he stops whining and watches us from his comfy pouch :)
Congrats x

theborrower · 01/01/2014 15:49

Can I hijack for a minute?

Last time we had a baby Bjorn but couldn't use it until DD was heavy enough which was when she was about 3 months old (she was 5lb 4 oz when born). It was then ok, but I found it a bit uncomfy across the back.

I'm pregnant again and will need to use a sling/carrier for the nursery bus run from newborn stage. If I have a teeny baby again, what slings will be suitable from such a small weight?

roweeena · 01/01/2014 19:14

Definitely recommend the hana from newborn

addictedtosugar · 02/01/2014 15:01

Hmm, looks like under 8lb has been written out of sling recommendations from an amerciain standard e.g. moby guidelines

BUT, I know they have been used for kangaroo care with prem babies. May need some investigation??

cogitosum · 02/01/2014 16:36

Rebeccajames sorry for late reply basically I put him in the sling for every nap and feed when he wakes up. A baby will not be able to stay up more than about an hour and a half so I would put him in the sling and give him his dummy and pat and shh til he falls asleep (which he invariably does). He now goes about 2 hours or sometimes a bit more. His naps are about an hour and I feed when he wakes up so it's every 3 hours for feeding.

I follow a kind of baby whisperer EASY routine (eat, activity, sleep, time for you) but the sleep part is in the sling.

I think having naps in slings helps nighttime sleep too as he really understands the day and night difference. He also rarely cries which is lovely! I put a lot down to him being secure as he sleeps on me for naps.

cogitosum · 02/01/2014 16:37

Theborrower I have a cot2tot and used it from birth. Ds was 6lb15.
I think any stretchy wraps can be. My hospital sell hr kangawrap.

pootlebug · 02/01/2014 16:41

It's true that US carriers tend to be 8lb plus because of safety guidelines. But equally true that stretchy wraps are used for young babies including premature ones.

The Hana Baby Wrap and Close Caboo both have 5lb as the lowest weight recommended. When carrying newborns, especially tiny and/or premature ones, have a good read of the TICKS rules for safe sling use

I love the Hana - my favourite stretchy for a newborn because it is so soft and light but also supportive. It is very stretchy, which means it is easy to get a newborn in, but because its so light it supports them nicely without squashing them. I run a sling library so have tried lots of stretchies.

Pumpkin567 · 02/01/2014 16:52

I had a close sling, both children lived in it. My physio said it was the best sling she had ever seen. It spread the weight so well.

I highly recommend one. It pops over your head and baby just slides in!

BocaDeTrucha · 02/01/2014 17:21

I had a stretchy wrap (hana baby wrap) but actually found it only really useful for taking ds out in, and he would fall fast asleep. As soon as I got indoors and wasnt maintaining the rhythm of walking, he would wake up, get frustrated and wanted out. Also with him being a big baby, he is now at 4 months feeling too heavy for it and it needs constant retightening or he starts to sink list and lower.

For this reason we have now bought a boba 3g carrier and everyone is happier all round. It's so much easier to put on when out and about as it doesn't drag on the floor when putting on and ds is much comfier. We don't have a sling library where we live so it was a case of read reviews, buy and hope for the best.

theborrower · 02/01/2014 19:49

Thanks everyone - I've just looked up the Hana, that looks familiar, I've seen lots if people with that. It looks complicated to put on though - is it??

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