Best Baby Sling

[Stefka]

What would people recommend? If it makes any difference I am only 5ft 1".

pics on my profile of very cheap and easy DIY wraps.

Chirpygirl, this is like unwrapping Christmas gifts for me! Thank you so much! One last question: which materials do you recommend (cotton or fleece) and how stretchy do you like them? Is there a good fabric store in the greater London area you can recommend? I live about 30min west of London. Thanks so much to all sling-maniacs!

Don't get a Mamas & Papas sling - it's rubbish and I really regret buying it!

i have had every sling known to humanity, probably. Including some I had fashioned myself

here's what I have learnt. I HATE loads of fabric, esp when I weigh 2 stone more than usual, and I HATE loads of faff. I also hate the hotness from being swathed in great layers of fabric, the tug on my shoulder from a side sling, not to mention the "tyre round your shoulders" look.

I also developed back problems which my very lentil weavery osteopath said was partly due to using a side sling after birth (when muscles are easily pulled)

So for me, i am sorry, but the baby bjorn is the best for right at the beginning, or the ergo with a newborn insert (there are funkier versions, something like the yammuto (sp?)).

No spare fabric, no back probs, the newer bjorns ones don't stress the spine but the ergos with the insert don't anyway.

honestly, you name the sling and I have tried it.

My back was pulled all over the place in my last pg - I need to see an osteopath.

I used my baby bjorn with all three of mine from birth but have got the most use out of it with dd2 as we now have a dog and take walks across countryside. She was in it when she was a week old and I can still carry her in it now at 8 months old.

I think the wilkinet is great, you can use it with a newborn very easily, it's ergonimically sound and fairly easy to put on. DH loved it too, whereas he won't be seen dead in the hug a bub that I use now DS is heavier Baby Bjorns knackered my shoulders, I can't understand why they seem to be so popular

I LOVE my coorie too, and used it all the time when DS was tiny. So cosy and easy to use.

er, ergonomically that is

Oh, and a full stop between heavier and Baby Bjorns [grammar nerd emoticon]

Top tip for the Baby Bjorn coming up...

Sew some velcro on to the two long straps that dangle limply down by your sides in a rather useless fashion (which are used for tightening the fit on you) Then you can pull them behind your back, velcro them together as tightly as you can and hey presto, lower back support as well as shoulder support, plus baby doesn't flop forward when you bend down to do up your toddler's shoes...

I love the Baby Bjorn - so great for when they are first born and are still basically in the foetal position with arms and legs all scrunched up.

Glimmer, I actually bought mine from here and I have only used muslin and linen as I hate loads of amterial round me. I am going to make a pouch out of fleece for winter when I get round to it, it depends what you want it for really.

I would say 100% cotton is your best bet, maybe a jersey if you want a bit of stretch, but then you can regulate your temp a bit more. I know naff all about fabrics though so it's a bit of trial and error for me!

nooooooo! to wilkinet! (in nice way)

ok here is the problem. it has these GREAT HUGE straps

I once tripped on them when carrying a stuffed turtle in it down the stairs (look, the instructions TELL you to do this, it wasn't entirely hormonal). The back strap had come undone without my knowledge. I was bloody glad that ds was inside at that point, though it meant a couple of hours on the beepy hopsital monitoring machines.

and coories stretch like anything. And hopefully, you will be shrinking like anything. AND they are HOT.

(I mean inside ME not inside the wilkinet, obv)

My rainbow coorie doesn't stretch like anything. Did you have a microfleece one? They can be a bit erm elastic.

I like my mei tai but the straps can be fiddly.

I fancy one of these - connecta

have skimmed thread and see you have tonsof good advice/info on here

just to add my experience, in case you care, i have used dozens of different types of sling... and most have been uncomfortable or too fiddly or unsuitable in some other way. my back and neck seem to suffer with them all past the age of about 3m. however, the ERGO and Yamo are both easy to use and immensely comfortable ime. you can hire before you buy from bigmamaslings... v v worth it.

i now carry my 19mo in it, front or back, for longish walks with no pain whatsoever. really amazing ifyou ask me

baby bjorns, tomy, mothercare et al (all same design basically) killed my back. bloody horrible things to wear ime.

agree with filly re wilkinet and bloody great long strings. found same thing with the hugabub.

Yes, think, unlike pushchairs, there can be this problem with slings. There just isn't one which suits everyone.

I have probably spent around £200 all in on slings (am deducting quite a bit because most of them I have resold). I have NOW found that the ergo/yamo work best for me, and that in the early months I like the bjorn best.

otoh, that £200 allowed me to find the perfect sling-and it does represent 2, pos 3 kids worth. Now there are plenty of MNetters who don't bat an eyelid before spending that on a pushchair.

Icarus-fair enough, I did have a microfleece one. But the other ones seemed HUGE.

I found the wilkinet great for the first few weeks but then it got really dificult to do up if she so much as breathed as the straps woudl wander off behind your back!

I have tried baby bjorn type carriers and find that as the baby sits in them and then it is strapped on means they never feel as comfy or as secure as if they are strapped to you like in a wrap or sling.

yes with the wilkinet you bascially have to wrap the straps BEHIND you.

It doesn't feel right to do this with a newborn, even over a bed

I have to be honest and say that I normally recommend the baby bjorn to people, but also say that it doesn't work for everyone and if it isn't working, troubleshoot.

The reason I do this is that I DO know from experience that a good whack of people start out with a hard-to-put on sling and then, based on that, get put off sling wearing full stop.

Whatever the compromises on the bjorn (and in particular note the new ones have lumbar support) I do think they mean that more babies are carried in the first few months than would otherwise be.

Right, I've bought about 90 different kinds of sling in the last 12 months, and personally, my favourite is the ergo. You can use it from birth-whenever and it's really comfy. If I have another baby though I'll probably start off using my ellaroo when it's first born...