Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Shopping

From everyday essentials to big purchases, swap tips and recommendations. For the best deals without the hassle, sign up for Mumsnet Moneysaver emails.

Original poster

ok, The sling cupboard April part 1

389 replies

misdee · 03/04/2009 16:31

no idea if anyone wants to join me

am just getting into sling with dd4.

have a napsackbaby mei tai, which i use for dd3 as well.

ring sling

and peanut shell.

all have different uses, and work well for us.

OP posts:
babyphat · 25/04/2009 10:56

next time round, if there is one, i plan to carry the baby a lot more and not even bother with the pushchair, i think slinging just feels so magical, feeling their little chests breathing against you and kissing their heads...yikes, i'm getting soppy, sorry!

jumblies · 25/04/2009 11:15

hmmm, I can almost smell the newborn head aroma...am getting broody - which is just as well Unfortunately will still have to take a pushchair for my will be two yr old...she has always hated the pushchair though.

foxytocin · 25/04/2009 11:37

if you were to buy a fleece or a coat a little bigger due to pg then you can just stick the baby in the wrap under the same coat after s/he arrives.

i would wait to get a pushchair for a newborn as a sling and the current pushchair for your 2yo will be sufficient for a long time. My dd2 is now 7 months old and has never been in a pushchair.

foxytocin · 25/04/2009 11:39

a hugabub is also a stretchy wrap. i learnt using woven wrap, not at all difficult so I never used stretchies. just going by what others said. I bought a stretchy (second hand) to see what they were like and didn't get on with it but I think it was because I was so used to woven wraps and being petite, all the stretchies are way too long for me to like.

JackBauer · 25/04/2009 22:12

Not been on this thread for awhile so will catch up in a second but in the meantime, have been using my calin bleu with this carry and it's brilliant!
For the first time I have had a comfy carry where DD2 feels secure, is easy to do (I swear), with ruck straps, and I even got DD1 (who is a 3 yr old the size of a 4 yr old) in it for about half an hour with no problem.

tryingtobemarypoppins · 25/04/2009 22:40

Hello! Loving the thread.
DS is 16 months and very up and down, but more up and a barnicle at the moment!! What do you think??? Go for a hip seat??

MoominMymbleandMy · 26/04/2009 13:31

marypoppins, do you mean a hippychick hip seat? I wondered about those but someone told me it is very irritating because you have to use one hand to hold the DC in place all the time.

You can do hip carries in a pouch, a ring sling, or a short wrap.

Or you might like a SSC that is quick and simple like a Sleepy Nico. That just has two buckles to fasten, and you can keep it on without a DC in it, if they want to walk for a bit.

JackBauer · 26/04/2009 14:31

Hip seats are good but as moomin says you have to hold them and they are quite bulky.
when DD's were this age I used a ring sling as it is very fast to put on and off but is hands free as well. Plus you can shift them round do they are on your back if they want a cuddle while you are cooking

jumblies · 26/04/2009 16:30

Foxy, know I'm am wondering if a woven wrap might be better - I am petite as well. Are most of the woven wraps shorter in length then?

Just had a lovely 6 mile walk round a nature reserve with 19 month old DD...would never have managed it without my meitei. I am trying to get as much use out of it while I am still svelte and bumpless

foxytocin · 26/04/2009 17:11

woven wraps come in all lengths. i think 5.3 became standard for stretchies because almost everyone can do the front wrap cross carry (fwcc)with it. Didymos makes wovens up to 5.8m long and i think someone above size 24/26 would use that length.

if you are a size 8 - 10, a 4.2m (sz5) woven wrap is long enough. i can squeeze on a fwcc with a 3.8m (sz 4) wrap but only just.

foxytocin · 26/04/2009 17:13

i think they are better because you can use them from newborn to 3yo. if you like wrapping you almost always end up trading up to a woven and price wise there is little between them, new and used.

jumblies · 26/04/2009 17:53

thanks foxy, will take the plunge with a woven and do some practising

Will report back if/when I get in a tangle!

tryingtobemarypoppins · 26/04/2009 21:03

Are ring slings ok for a 16month old who is very up then down on occassions?? How easy is it to get them in and out. Thanks so much for advice so far! I'll google Sleepy Nico!

MoominMymbleandMy · 26/04/2009 21:23

marypoppins, yes, ring slings are easy to pop them in and out of but, having said that, I prefer MTs and SSCs myself.

The website for Sleepy Nico is:

www.sleepynico.com

Original poster
misdee · 27/04/2009 13:00

i love my MT

OP posts:
cornflakegirl · 27/04/2009 13:44

Hi everyone - I hope you don't mind an interloper, but I'm after some advice. I'm currently 5 months pregnant with DC2, and thinking about using a sling this time. We had a front carrier and a Hippychick for DS, which were okay, but when at home DS spent most of his time on a play mat / in a play nest, and I'm thinking that might not work so well for this one with a boisterous 4yo brother in the mix.

Problem is, I've looked at babywearer, and at various threads on here, and I'm thoroughly confused! Are there any sites for slings where you can do a survey or something and it just suggests the one sling that would be best for you? Also, I'm a size 20/22 and an H cup, which I figure probably makes the whole thing a bit trickier?

MoominMymbleandMy · 27/04/2009 14:02

cornflakegirl, everyone is welcome and we come in all shapes and sizes.

Any advice depends on what type of sling you want and what you want it to do for you.

Are you interested in wraps, either stretchy or woven, pouches, ring slings, mei tais or soft structured carriers? There are others but I won't muddy the waters by mentioning them at this stage.

TheBabywearer is a bit confusing. This UK one:

www.naturalmamas.co.uk is a lot more straightforward.

cornflakegirl · 27/04/2009 14:45

Moomin - thanks for the link - will have a look.

I have no idea what type of sling I want!

I don't really like the idea of the baby being stuck in a bouncy chair to avoid trampling, so a sling seems the next option. The front carrier we have was good for going shopping and stuff, but I can't imagine wearing it around the house. That's pretty much the sum total of my thought process. Breastfeeding was definitely a two-handed affair when DS was tiny, so can't imagine I'm going to be doing any in-sling feeding. Not particularly planning for DH to use the sling either, although he may surprise me.

So I guess I want a sling that is comfy for me and the baby, and easy to learn how to use. I'm not sure what else is going to be important - I've completely forgotten how to do newborns!

TaurielTest · 27/04/2009 15:35

cornflakegirl, just to start you off, I'd suggest you consider a stretchy wrap like a Moby or Kari-Me (I had a Moby from newborn and loved it) - although lots of other types of slings would be good for you too. After a few goes, tying wraps is no bother, and they're very flexible. The Moby website has good illustrations of different ties for you to get an idea.
If you go to a sling meet locally you would be able to try some different types out - have a look at slingmeet.co.uk to see whether there's one soon near you.
Once you've decided which sling you'd like to try, you can pick them up second hand quite easily - have a look at the Yahoo UKBabywearingswap group, or the Market Place section of the natural mamas site.

newlark · 27/04/2009 15:41

cornflakegirl when ds was a newborn I used a stretchy wrap (like a Moby/Kari-Me/Hugabub - these often come up on ebay). It doesn't take long to get the hang of tying it (the are lots of youtube videos if the printed instructions are confusing) and they have the advantage that you can leave them tied on and pop the baby in and out.

Can you get to a slingmeet to try out some different types or use a sling library to borrow one for a bit?

newlark · 27/04/2009 15:43

xpost with puddock - was a bit slow typing one handed with sleepy ds on my front!

cornflakegirl · 27/04/2009 15:50

Cool - thanks both (assuming you are actually different people...)

ChairmumMiaow · 27/04/2009 19:13

cornflakegirl - most people will recommend a stretchy wrap for the first few months as they are so very comfy. We carried DS in our kari-me for the first five months before changing to a mei-tai for everyday use.

I'm also almost exactly the same size as you (although down to an F cup now thankfully!), and from my experience, most of the sorts of sling you'll find recommended here will be fine for you. Its the ones with those webbing straps and buckles I struggle with.

You'll be fine with the stretchy wraps - if you decide to go for anything else, just ask for help here - a couple of us at least are larger ladies

tryingtobemarypoppins · 27/04/2009 22:09

Oooo starting to get overwelmed with the range of slings. DS is 16 months so even more confused!

MoominMymbleandMy · 27/04/2009 22:22

cornflakegirl, if you don't fancy a stretchy wrap, there's also the option of a Close Baby carrier for a newborn.
It gives the effect of a wrap, though it isn't as versatile, but it is very easy to learn and use.

Swipe left for the next trending thread