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Original poster

I've joined the secret slingers club

63 replies

AliceTheCamelHasGotTheHump · 07/02/2009 13:29

When I was pregnant with dd I knew I would want to wear her and probably not even bother with a pushchair. Well. That didn't happen. She hated every sling and wrap I tried and I gave up and bought a pram.

When pregnant with ds I did a bit more research. I enlisted the help of my baby wearing friends. I accosted women with interesting slings and wraps and grilled them for advice. I spent another small fortune on various slings and wraps. He hated them all. I gave up and bought a double pushchair.

Ds is 9 months now. A few weeks ago I was trapped in the infernal hell of Ikea with a screaming, overtired ds, and a rancid tempered dd. In utter desparation I threw ds on my back and tied him on with a kanga I had in the pushchair and off we went. He LOVED it! I've done it a few times since and it's working brilliantly! A couple of days ago I was 3/4 of the way around a mamoth supermarket shop when both children went in to meltdown. I only had a single child space in my trolly so I chucked ds on my back and tied him on while standing in the middle of the supermarket ! Then I popped dd in the trolly and finished the shop in peace while ds dozed off on my back!!

This is how I'm doing it.

I can even cary my nearly 3-year-old quite comfortably.

Every time I do it it gets a bit better.

And I am suddenly a member of the Secret Slingers Club. I didn't know it existed! Everywhere I go I am approached by other baby wearing mums or wannabe baby wearers. It's like a secret handshake or something. It's great and I'm SO pleased I finally got there!

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Original poster
AliceTheCamelHasGotTheHump · 07/02/2009 16:09

Someone be impressed! Please??

I'm so delighted and I've no one to tell.

OP posts:
madlentileater · 07/02/2009 16:18

well done!
I can remember trying to do this and failing completely- I concluded it was oneof those things you had to grow up doing.

Original poster
AliceTheCamelHasGotTheHump · 07/02/2009 16:34

Thank you .

That's what I'd concluded too. Twice! But I think I just hadn't found the right tie for me.

Wait - do you mean this specific tie, or slinging generally?

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Mummyfor3 · 07/02/2009 16:38

Alice, well done and congratulations!

I am still waiting for some sort of epiphany in regards to using my Ergo with DS3. I really WANT to like it but I just (so far) don't .
It is great to hear a success story! I suppose I'll keep trying...

diedandgonetodevon · 07/02/2009 16:44

Yay! well done you. DS & I love, love, love our slings and we always get comments about them too

cyteen · 07/02/2009 16:47

excellent!

i'm always surprised by the amount of older ladies who comment when i'm wearing DS, telling me about how much they loved their sling or carrier when their kids were tiny.

Original poster
AliceTheCamelHasGotTheHump · 07/02/2009 16:53

Ergo was going to be my very last attempt. I am very pleased to have found that a 2 meter squared bit of cloth does the job before I spent yet more on slings for my children to reject.

Although... oooh the ergo does look nice...

OP posts:
jooseyfruit · 07/02/2009 16:56

this has inspired me.
i've just ordered a kanga wrap off e-bay, and am going to give it a go!

thanks alice for a lovely op

Original poster
AliceTheCamelHasGotTheHump · 07/02/2009 17:28

Hooray!

It's the way forward.

OP posts:
Penthesileia · 07/02/2009 17:41

Ooooh - must try this.

Well done you! I love seeing babies in slings!

My DD loves being in my Moby wrap, but I've only tried front wraps, and when she's facing forward her little hands get into everything... If I wore her on my back, I could get on with stuff. Hmmm.

It's funny: others mums (and dads!) do smile at you when you're slinging it (!); but the people who are most forthcoming, I find, are the older generation, who always say something like, "that's the way to travel", or "s/he looks cozy!".

frazzledgirl · 07/02/2009 17:58

I LOVE slings! Have a Baba, a hugabub, a mei tai and an onbuhimo, just bought s ring sling and like it so much I'm planning to make a silk one.

I love chatting to DS (18 months now) as we go, and him patting my head or hugging me.

I bang on about slings to all my pregnant/new mum friends. Surprisingly few of them go for it, though.

snowgum · 07/02/2009 18:42

I adored carrying my dd as well but always on my front. Now she's at least 11kg (24 pounds) and it just hurts.

So how have you been putting ds on your back? I tried but the instructions I had were so complicated and involved all sorts of balancing baby precariously that I gave up. I would love some tips though ...

Also ... I'm really impressed that you kept trying for 9 months!

jooseyfruit · 07/02/2009 18:48

watched this and then had a go, using a cut down tablecloth, with dh on hand for the first go.
it was a bit tricky but ds just lolloped on my back with his legs dangling down (he's 1) and it got easier and easier.

zonedout · 07/02/2009 20:00

ooo er alice, i am hugely impressed

i love love love slings. the only time ds1 was ever happy for the first year of his life was when he was in a sling (completely gave up on even attempting the pram) and ds2 (4 months) has been in his pram twice! i use a hugabub and love it but reading this thread has made me want to experiment with other types... am absolutely addicted to slinging and will miss it desperately when my slinging days are over...

but am seriously impressed by your back slinging and may give it a go when ds2 is a little bigger (cue zonedout getting into a right flap, attaching poor unsuspecting ds2 to her bottom )

cmotdibbler · 07/02/2009 20:51

I carry my big 2.8 year old, and get loads of lovely comments from oldies (a lot of old men tell me that they would like to travel that way). Today he was peacefully snoring on my back whilst a gaggle of women in a kitchen shop cooed over him.

Doing back carries is a bit scary on your own at first, but is pretty easy once you (and they) get used to it. Of course, now I can just sit on a bench and DS will climb on

Original poster
AliceTheCamelHasGotTheHump · 08/02/2009 03:38

Joosey - that Youtube link is it exactly! In fact I'm quite reassured to see it because I didn't actually know if I was doing it right.

I've done it like her standing up a couple of times, but it's easier to lay the kanga down on a bed or sofa and then lie or sit ds on it and sit in front of him to tie it. Especially while I'm still getting used to doing it.

It's ACE!

OP posts:
foxytocin · 08/02/2009 04:28

oh, alice, well done you!

Have a look at my profile.

Was down at the family beach yesterday and dd2 slept in the wrap half the time we were there. Dh got some lovely pictures but they are still on the camera.

jooseyfruit · 08/02/2009 07:36

foxy, your pictures are lovely.
what's the sling/wrap you are using in the last photo?

Original poster
AliceTheCamelHasGotTheHump · 08/02/2009 09:43

Great pictures Foxy . It's definitely the way to travel.

Another bonus - ds is starting to get attached to the kanga I usually use. He was crying in the car, I gave him the kanga and he happily snuggled it and went to sleep. Yay!

OP posts:
Loopymumsy · 08/02/2009 20:21

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claireybrations · 08/02/2009 20:43

Well done Alice! I absolutely loved my wraps when ds was younger but never quite got the hang of tying him on my back when out and about so spent rather a lot of money on a mei tai-which I like, but don't love.

He is now happy in the buggy but I miss wearing him so am going to give it another go with the wrap, might also try the traditional carries with a tablecloth too although MIL tried to teach me when he was youger and concluded I don't have enough boobs to hold him up!

The carry in your pictures, do you just basically tie it into a pouch and swivel him onto your back? I have a sarong I wear him on my hip in when he is having a clingy day but have never put him on my back in it...

Mummyfor3 · 08/02/2009 20:53

DS3 and I had another go with the ERGO today and, yeah, it worked! Worried daddy was on stand-by to prevent almighty thump as DS hits the ground, but was not needed !
And, as added bonus, got DH to try - and : he liked it . He is usually dead set against all this lentilly weavery stuff-nonsense .
So, tomorrow, as it is snowing here and further 6in are forecast, I shall wrap DS in his snowsuit+fleece+hat+mits and have him on my back for the schoolrun, rather than struggle with the buggy like I did last week when it had snowed quite a bit here.
I have to admit, I cannot wait to see some of the faces at the school gates - we are a -C- conservative kind of community, don't ya know ...

CharCharGabor · 08/02/2009 20:54

Wow that is cool, glad you got the hangof it Only now you've made me really want one of those. Where did you get it from? I've been looking at African clothes shops on the internet just now but not sure I'm looking at the right thing I carry DD on my front in a woven wrap and on my back in a mei tai. Still haven't mastered a back carry in the wrap, I need someone to show me really but don't know anyone who uses them I know what you mean about everyone coming up, DD and I seem to be a magnet for comments. Usually from old ladies who say how snug she looks. I did have one woman say she'd never walk and want to be carried everywhere That was my face I've had a few mums come up and ask where to buy them. It's nice to share as I love carrying DD

CharCharGabor · 08/02/2009 21:20

Ok, I've just found them on ebay. I may purchase one when we get paid I've uploaded one of my favourite pics of DD in my stretchy wrap. She'd just woken up and didn't want to emerge just yet

foxytocin · 09/02/2009 02:58

That is a v. v. snuggy picture charchar.

Joosey, the Meitai in my last picture is a Mom-tai.