Sling for a premature baby

[IloveCheese11]

Has anyone any experience of using slings with a premie?

My ds was born at 28w 5d and is now 32w. He weighs 1.3kg and I am looking for a sling I can wear in the NICU for kangaroo care/skin to skin. He is stable but still on oxygen via cpap and the usual monitoring leads so I would need to fit those in or around it.

Your best bet is a stretchy wrap (go for something like a snuggiwrap not a moby as the moby is thick) or you can buy kangaroo care tops. I think why're called vija off the top of my head. Speak to NICU too they might have something they especially recommend. Depending on you/babies circumstances a stretchy may not suit as they tend to pool on the floor whilst you put it on and could be an infection risk.

Congratulations

We used to just put a front buttoned shirt and he went inside that for kangaroo cuddles while we sat down

He was still on oxygen and other wires but the staff helped untangle him iyswim

We would unbutton and the staff would pop him in for kangaroo cuddles

Thanks for the replies, it's much appreciated. That's what we've been doing so far KangaMummy (is that where your username comes from?). I just wondered if a sling would be better as I read that the pressure of a sling makes them feel safe. I did read that on a website selling them though . He has just been moved down from cpap to nasal canula so it is much easier now there are less tubes.

Thanks for the advice icclemunchy. I was looking at the moby so good to know. I hadn't heard of kangaroo care tops but will google them now. That sounds perfect. I also want something I can use when we get him home as I think he needs a lot of cuddles to make up for his start in life

How about a Close Caboo? It's not long like the Moby so less risk of it getting dirty from the floor.

Thanks peaceloveandbiscuits. That looks great for when he's a bit bigger. He'll have to be over 5lb to come home so I can get one for then.

Also really love the Vija kangaroo care tops. Definitely getting one of those.

I'm sorry, never even thought to check the weight restrictions, I presumed it would be ok for anyone.

Have a look at these. www.milkandbaby.com/collections/kangaroo-care

We Moby wrapped dd (23 weeker) from about 1kg (roughly 32 week gestation if I remember correctly). Are you still in NICU? Could you ask the ward physio to check the positioning for you?

Don't be sorry, peaceloveandbiscuits, I really like them. And he is 3lb 2oz now so getting there.

Thanks kiwimiri, those are the Vija tops, but at better prices.

justsay, We are still in the NICU and ds is 33 weeks now and bigger than a kg. Would you recommend the Moby? I would ask his nurse to position him in it the first couple of times anyway.

I liked the Moby because it was so easy to adapt to fit her size, and we could do skin to skin - I could just throw a big cardigan on over the wrap.

When she was bigger I could bf in it, but for the first few weeks she was too little to manoeuvre in it while still learning how to latch.

It worked really well for us, and it's not crazily expensive and there's always a resale market so I'd say you don't have much to lose by trying it!

Thank you all. I've ordered a sling and this preemie Vija top. It has poppers to fit round the wires and they were so nice when I emailed them for advice. www.vija-design.co.uk/collections/nhs-institutional-use/products/prema-wrap-with-poppers-and-micro-fleece-front-one-size-fits-all

Wow that top is great id have loved that! We got a nct close (?) to sling our 30+0 ds in- had to wait til he was 5lbs but it was worth its weight in gold, loved it. Did lots of kangaroo care too hope you're doing well with it all