Baby slings - are they really dangerous??

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I was hoping to get one for my baby for the first few months as i was planning on doing a fair bit of walking as i have horses etc it would be more practical to have baby strapped to me whilst out and about, also for doing things like shopping etc and for dad to carry baby too.
However, 2 of my friends have recently had babies are a look of horror came across their faces when i told them my plans for a sling, they said they are dangerous - what if i was to have a fall? (say they have heard of people falling on their babies) and a horrible thing (could be an urban myth) about a lady who took her baby shopping in one and baby had somehow managed to get stuck/tangled in the sling and actually suffocated??
Its really put me off, am i over reacting or are they really dangerous as they say??

I think the only ones that are 'dangerous' are the 'bag slings'. Link : peekaroobaby.blogspot.co.uk/2008/01/potential-danger-of-bag-slings.html

However, I don't think any other type of sling/carrier is unsafe, as long as you use it correctly. Women have been carrying their babies in slings for centuries. Baby should be 'close enough to kiss', their chin should not be against their chest and should essentially be the same hold as if you were just carrying them. Link : www.modmum.com/content/HowToWear/1002

I find it highly unlikely that a baby got tangled without her mother noticing. Yes, you could fall over with the baby in a sling, but you could also fall over while just carrying the baby. Or you could trip while pushing the buggy.

Carrying your baby in a sling is great and beneficial for both mum/dad and baby, certainly in the early days.

Also, I love my carrier! I have a Close Parent Caboo carrier, and it's brilliant. I go on long walks, go shopping, carry the baby while hoovering etc. It's ace.

I used a moby sling pretty much full time for the first 4/6 months of DS's life. However, I fell down the stairs once and, in fact, my sister did the same thing twice with her two. The main problem with the sling in your weight is pulled forwards and you can't see your feet. So balance is a bit off and if you step on something (bramble, hole in ground for example), you can't see it and could go flying. However, none of the babies were hurt because you instinctively fall in a way to protect the baby - you can't help it. I was bruised all up one side of my body and DSis still has problems with her hip because of her fall.

I continued to use the sling in spite of all this because it was the only way DS would stop crying and I could stretch my legs a bit. It was crap if I wanted to do anything like housework, dishes, cooking etc - baby just gets in the way. So it wasn't the liberator I expected it to be. By the time DS was 5/6 months I put him in a back pack and never looked back.

Used correctly and provided you NEVER use a bag sling (Babasling, Infantino and similar), they are no more dangerous than anything else.

A Moses basket can be tipped off its stand.

A buggy can be pushed into the road, under a bus.

A baby can fall out of a high chair.

You get the idea (accidents happen)

I used different slings to carry DS1 until he was about 3.5/4 years old and NEVER fell, never dropped him, never got him tangled.

They're an excellent way to promote bonding, settle fractious babies, and if you use a soft carrier (rather than a structured one like the Bjorn) they promote healthy spine and hip development.

Babies who are carried in slings don't get that awful flat-head that many non-carried babies seem to have.

A babasling isn't a bag sling by the way - it is more like a ringsling.

Right so is there a difference between a "bag sling" and a pouch sling. I had a Peanut Shell pouch sling with ds2 5 years ago and was going to use it again with dc3 in jan. is it no longer considered safe?

Pouch slings and ringslings are fine - the baby's face is uncovered, they are not curled up and hanging low.

Bag slings are dangerous because they hang low down, sometimes with the fabric closing at the top of the sling and the baby curled up so their chin is on their chest disturbing their ability to breathe - it is the same risk as babies slumped in a carseat or pushchair.

Pouch sling - 4.bp.blogspot.com/_MOcKPufdyzU/TBTRPZpDR-I/AAAAAAAAAN4/F6S9qAh3Rq8/s1600/Pouch+sling.jpg

Bag sling www.katherine.teknohippy.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/SlingRiderMom.jpg

I used a Moby wrap with my DS when he was little & it was winter. He absolutely loved being in it & regularly fell asleep within moments of me starting to walk! I currently use a pashmina tied over one shoulder & across my body to hold him on my hip which works really well & is much cooler than a Moby wrap & let's him feel like he's got more freedom!
I'm expecting DC2 in June & have been told that pashminas can be used when they're tiny so will probably use that instead of the Moby wrap as that did make me rather toasty!

If you're planning on doing lots of walking I'd definitely recommend a strip-of-fabric type wrap rather than a sling as it'll hold your LO snugly against you & is supposed to be better for their spines than more rigid slings!

I'm sure they are safe lol. I put both my DCs on my back using a simple beach towel and no issues! Well it's normal practice where I grew up

The looks on people faces is priceless though

Obviously not both babies at the same time!!

Don't forget mothers have used slings around the world going right back in time - I didn't see a baby not wrapped to its mum in Ghana. Flat shoes will probably help.

Thanks rubirosa the one I have is like your first image so that reassures me that it's ok.

Babaslings may not technically be a "bag sling" but they still do not provide adequate adjustability for appropriate, safe positioning, in my experience.

A "true" sized pouch sling, or adjustable pouch sling such as a Hotsling or Peanut Shell, is far better as they do not have the bulk of padding or bizarre buckle shoulder that Baba slings have.

In my experience the padding and buckle tend to interfere with safe wearing. Not only that, the buckle is on the back of the wearer, meaning that in order to adjust the sling to fit you and your baby, you need to repeatedly remove the baby from the carrier, make the adjustment, the pop them back in again. This can be frustrating for both mum/dad/carer and baby. Also terrible if you want to share the sling with someone of a different body size to you.

Seriously Babasling: AVOID There are many, many other, much more sensitively designed slings out there to choose from.

Also worth mentioning, since safety is the issue here: forward facing positions in a wrap sling are NOT safe. Forward facing positions tend to mean the baby has its legs dangling down, in sub-optimal positioning for hip development, they also tend to get very overstimulated, not having the option to turn away from the world.

Explanation here: www.calinbleu.com/pages/Carrying-a-baby-facing-forward.html

Can someone post a few links of designs of safe ones please?

there are many safe slings and carriers. check out if there is a sling meet near you where you can chat regarding what you want/need.
I have an ergo in which I still occasionally carry dc (nearly 3y) and have used it a lot from about 3 months old.
wrt falls, as you have both arms free you can easily use them to balance or to break your fall. I once fell with dc in sling down the stairs, a couple of bruises for me, dc was quite snug and safe.
the other time I fell with dc in my arms I had the choice to fall badly to protect baby or to throw baby against the wall. result: a couple of broken bones in my foot.

slingmeet
there are also sling libraries which can give you useful advice and you can try before buying

A Maya ring sling was the best thing I had when my DS was a baby. I still can't bring myself to get rid of it even thoigh he now weighs 13kg and I can't carry him in it any more! I took him everywhere in it.

They are great if you have a horse as you can groom it and tack it up with your baby with you. When DS1 was little I had no time to ride the Highland Pony I had then and found someone to help out, I'd get him ready for her and she would take him out for some exercise. used to zip my Barbour over the sling
so he just had his head sticking out and he was no trouble at all.

Following that logic you'd never carry your baby in your arms either! You are no more likely to fall with your baby in a sling, than you are when carrying her, and there would only be a risk of falling out or suffocation if used incorrectly.

I bought a bag sling when dd was born nine years ago, she was a big baby at 9lb3 and also really long. I put her in it and I have never seen a baby look more uncomfortable, it was just all wrong. It went straight back.

I can honestly say this is the first time I've read about them being dangerous, but from seeing dd in one I can truly understand why.

My MIL whipped up a sling out of a shawl and two scarves once and carried our then 13mo DS around in it for nearly two hours (she's in her sixties). Awesome, and yes - completely normal way to carry babies in many parts of the world.

I have several different types of sling (stretchy wrap, woven wrap, mei tai, ring sling) all of which are safe to use. The only time one of my children has been hurt being transported was in the pushchair, when DH tripped and fell and pulled the pram over backwards. DS2 hit his head on the floor.

Never, ever had a problem with them in a sling. You could just as easily trip and fall on them if you were carrying them in your arms around the house.

As for safe slings, anything they sell at these places:

www.lovetobenatural.co.uk/
slumber-roo.co.uk/
www.bigmamaslings.co.uk/zen-cart/page.html?id=25
mamanatura.co.uk/

I'm a huge fan of baby carrying and will be using a sling then carrier again this time. However, one thing I wasn't aware of until dd (now 2) was diagnosed with hip dysplasia at 16months is the importance of healthy hip positioning. Dd has had to have 3 anaesthetics and spend 3 months in cast this year because of this - and the carrier we used may or may not have contributed (we'll never really know). Before choosing your sling please read this info on healthy hip positioning from the international hip dysplasia institute.

www.hipdysplasia.org/developmental-dysplasia-of-the-hip/prevention/baby-carriers-seats-and-other-equipment/

In a nutshell carriers that support the legs (like the ergo and others) are fine, ones that hold the legs together or dangle by the crotch are not.

Also worth a look at the info on swaddling on the same site - it's really important for healthy hip development for legs not to be trapped together.
In a nu

Bry, so sorry to hear about your dd. I have to say after working with many children with mld/asd/sen and a surprising number with hip issues (plus physio's rants about lack of stairs and climbing opportunities these days for strengthening hip flexors) I posted the exact same q in the sling forum after seeing that website - I personally came to the conclusion its probably fine to use the type that dangle if you choose to (I do after all know lots of parents that have used them, all fine!) but I've personally chosen the wider seat type for that reason (it was all just 'too close to home') from what I can tell people who like slings like to mix n match so there's a variety of positions and probably good for baby and the partner/dh tends to prefer a diff sort anyway! (mine needs it to look 'manly' - thinking the caboo dx good for this reason!) The only thing I have noticed is that traditional ancient sling types do have wide seats.