To sling or not to sling?

[Rosenip]

What are the pros and cons? I am a clueless first time mum!

Also, which one should I get, it seems there are so many options...

Just marking place as I have exactly the same question!

Definitely do, they can save your sanity completely. Find out if there is a sling library near you so you can try before you buy as there are so many out there. Fwiw I have a babyhawk and love it.

I have two - a fleecy rainbow one thats over the shoulder, and a mai tai. So lovely!

I had a baby Bjorn (awful!) hugabub (very good) and ring sling. The ring sling was brilliant. I used it ever day for nearly 2 years - dd was a small baby and a light toddler!

Sling! Yes yes yes.

Some people prefer a structured one - the bjorn is popular but I found it awful after a couple of months. I used a soft ring sling for when indoors (close baby carrier). With my second I used a manduca - very good support but no outward facing mode (which I think isn't great for baby anyway support wise?). The manduca you can use from birth and up to toddler.

I didn't use a pram with my second just a sling. With my first I used a pram a little then mainly sling then upright pushchair from 5 months with a bit of sling use.

I had my sling for going to baby groups because they were always rammed with prams it was easier. Also shopping since I had both hands free for trolley pushing and picking things up, although bottom shelves were difficult.
Cons were the heat, I was always so hot carrying him around and he was born in December so was being slung in the snow, I'd hate to do it in this weather. I had a Moby so maybe there's a cooler option.
I did like it, although it didn't get used for long, my DS is 7 months now and I've used it once in the last couple of months. Got most use out of it between 3-4m.
I did like it, I'm glad I bought it and I might dig it out in the winter to carry DS when I go back to work as I'll be on the bus.

The pros for me are:
very convenient
guaranteed to make a newborn/young baby fall asleep
keeps your hands free to do stuff mumsnet around the house
don't have to lug a buggy on public transport

cons:
you can't carry as much shopping as you can with a pram
some carriers (babybjorn style) aren't great for the baby's hips and are very uncomfortable for the wearer.

I had a Close Caboo carrier when DS was newborn-6 months (very easy to use and snuggly) and then a buckled carrier (Beco) which could go on your back or front. Lasted until about 18 months.

yes, yes, yes!

In our house we used a Kari-Me when the babies were tiny, then an Ergo when they were a bit bigger. Totally saved our sanity.

See if you can find a "Sling Meet" or "Sling Library" in your area (google or search on facebook) where you can find out lots of information about the different types of slings available and work out what might suit your requirements.

Good luck with your pregnancy!

DD has silent reflux so it was a godsend. Without it, I would not have been able to eat. I used a Kari-Me wrap till 6 months and I now use an Ergo.

I preferred to have the baby in a sling as I pushed the trolley around the supermarket instead of putting the baby in the trolley, and potentially abandoning her if I spotted a bargain.

Yes yes yes - meant i could eat dinner in the evenings (my new born hated being put down at all) as well as do quick walks to the shop. Had a baba sling. Used a baby bjorn for longer journeys but the sling was a blessing in the house particularly. Although ds ( now 11 mo) is quite heavy I still use the sling occasionally to walk round a supermarket if we've parked the car. Early on walking long distances with the baby bjorn saved my sanity and gave he some freedom.
I perhaps wouldn't have the same sling again but it did the job I wish there had been a sling library near me. DP also wore sling occasionally in the house whilst on the laptop with baby sleeping so I could rest- a god send!

yes

wait til born then sling meet

i have
moby:good for newborn but a bit hot in summer
ring sling: v fast to chuck on and versatile ++ (I have ellaroo and a padded maya)
bjorn: rubbish but husband liked it
babyhawk meitai -- std and toddlerhawk

the above have got me carrying until age 2 and a bit twice

i thought I wanted an ergo this time but, after a sling meet, what I really want is a manduka or connecta

ring sling has been most useful on second and subsequents as fast, easy, can do with 1 hand (ie whilst holding baby), can breast feed in it. love tummy to tummy and hip carries best

wait til born then sling meet

No need, I've been going to my local one since i was 7 months pregnant, and was confident enough to use it on ds aged 1 day and still in hospital. Any stretch type (moby, close, kari me, Victoria slinglady etc) will do you fine until around 6 months, then you need something stronger.

Generally speaking, if the instructions mention facing out, avoid that sling. It holds the baby so their spine is out of optimal position and throws your centre of gravity out making you more likely to stumble or fall. The more comfortable brands need a little more research to find but it's worth the effort, just like working out which pram and car seat suit you best :)

Congratulations

We had two Kari-mes (twins) they were great. Benefit that they're soft so you can pop them on when you get in the car all ready to put the baby into when you reached your destination.

Obviously I couldn't use them everyday with two babies but they were used extensively at the weekends/ holidays. If I'd had a singleton I'd have used it daily I think.

We eventually graduated to backpack type carriers and used them to take the kids hill walking.

Slings all the way!! Get a stretchy for a newborn (moby or Kari me), when they get bit bigger either go for a woven wrap or a buckle carrier such as Beco Butterfly or Ergo. You will never regret it trust me!

Ergo here and I love it - wish I'd got it with dd1.

Pros - you can go on escalators and avoid waiting for lifts. If you drive mostly you can get way with v minimal pram use. You can feed in them and generally babies love them. Dd2 was utterly content in them from day one.

Cons - there's nowhere to put the shopping and you have to learn to go to the loo with it on!

Also people look at you as if you are a tree hugging lentil weaving weirdo. Once in asda when dd2 was in her Kali sling (stretchy wrap) a random woman tried to reach inside my cleavage to have a look at her. When I recoiled she said..'oh she's asleep is she?' I was quite stunned.

Also people will make assumptions about your parenting which is v annoying but less annoying than struggling with a pram in a packed cafe

Slings are great. Dd loves being in the sling and it was amazing in the early months for helping soothe her colic. We had a moby and then a baby bjorn (which isn't popular on mn).

However I developed a v bad back and had to abandon the slings. My back wasn't caused by the sling btw. I am now recovered but wouldn't use the sling unless for a v short period of time. And the moby is now with my friend for her newborn.

I use a combination of sling and pushchair depending on what i am doing. It works great. I would recommend a close caboo for the early months and then see what you prefer after that. Manduca is a good one if you live kw buckles and it is quite man friendly too. It is very useful to have a sling handy if your baby gets pram rage as it is hard to carry baby whilst pushing pram one handed. Some places are also not very pram friendly and some babies want to be attached to you more than others. I think a sling is a handy thing to have. Doesn't mean you are opting for a lentil weaving life without a buggy.

Can I ask a quick question without hijacking?

I ff my first and will most likely be ff-ing my second. Is this totally irrelevant? Can I still use a sling? DS1 was the least cuddly baby ever, loves his own space and slept blissfully in basket and cot. So have never done the whole baby wearing thing. But I would like to, for ease with a newborn and a toddler, and because it's such a lovely cuddly thing to do!

Any advice / experience, or am I being a twat?

Completely irrelevant, Shreddies there's absolutely no reason why a ff baby can't be in a sling! Babies are all very different; depending on your reasons to ff, you may find bf easier this time. The skin to skin contact of a sling can help promote milk production.

Some babies like to he cuddled every second, others are independent from birth. Feeding method has sod all to do with personal choice :)

Sling, sling, always sling!

If I ever have a second I'm not even going to get a pram.

Also, if I had another, I'd get a wrap for the teeny tiny stage (I had a ring sling, which worked great, but I never mastered feeding in it, and it got a bit uncomfortable after a while)

But, I'd use the ergo I still use with my 2.4 year old. I love it!

Forget the cons, there's nothing like hugging your little one (or big one!) up all snugly, out of harms way, and weaving in an out of the Saturday shoppers leaving pram-wielding bimblers in your wake!

Slings are great! I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed carrying dd1 in a sling until Dd2 came sl

I am a recent convert - posting galore about how much I love my close caboo - it has saved my sanity and enabled me to do so much more with my toddler.
Didn't use one when she was born but so wish I had.
We bought a baby bjorn last time and it was my worst baby purchase.
Close caboo is the best so far for DC2.

shreddies if you ff your new baby, you might find the sling gives you even better bonding time. :)

Sorry!

....until dd2 came along and I'm using a sling again. I do use a buggy too but slings are great for certain situations like going around the supermarket. Both mine were/are pretty much guaranteed to fall asleep in the sling so it can be a useful tool too. I've got a Kari-me, which I love and used with dd1 until she was over a year and am using for dd2(14weeks). I have been lent a baby bjorn for dd2 but it gives me backache if a wear it for more than about half an hour, whereas I can wear the Kari me for hours as it seems to distribute weight more evenly. I've just bought an ergo on eBay which I'm looking forwards to trying.