Sling cupboard MAY part 1

[babyphat]

Just thought we could start a shiny new thread, as the old one is getting so long. Anyone care to join me?

But dd is squawking so can't actually write anything... Back later to post photos of back carries and my new babyhawk!

am just back from holiday, lots of time to practice getting dd on my back...i got TONS of compliments on my slinging

one guy in a cafe watched boggle-eyed and said, 'that's amazing, i've never seen anything like it!'

only downside is that i went away with a shiny new MT but have come back a wrap devotee, i think perhaps my MT days are almost over - i love it on the front but just look hideous with a MT back carry (not helped by too much cake during holiday)

here is a back carry pic and here

This is good timing for me - I've been meaning to ask a sling question for ages !

DD2 is 8 months . I have a calin bleu gauze wrap which I love and have been using in a front carry for a couple of months .

I am getting better at getting her into a back carry but I am concerned that when DD falls asleep in the back carry her head is not supported at all and she kinda lolls around , especially cos she always wants to have her arms out too.

Any advice ?

I also have an Ergo on loan at the moment and that seems good for back carries . I know it has the little hood/head support thing for when they fall asleep but I can't seem to get it over her head when she's on my back - it always gets stuck at her neck !

Any tips for this ? If I can get the hang of it then I will buy our own Ergo but I dont want to fork out for it if I can't master the head support !

Love the holiday pics babyphat - very cute !

Good timing for me too. I'm about to make my first sling purchase. DD2 is nearly 6 months old. I am thinking of buying a Freehand Mei Tai. But undecided. Looking at a Moby wrap and Babyhawk too.

Any recommendations?

Love the photos babyphat

gorgeous photos babyphat - I've been doing lots of practice getting ds on my back - am fairly new to wrapping.

suiledonn a stretchy wrap like a moby might not last you long - I stopped using mine when ds was about 6 months as he was getting too heavy. A mei-tai, ssc (ergo/patapum etc) or a woven wrap would probably be a better choice. I use all of the above in different situations at the moment but am particularly trying to work on wrapping as I love the flexibility of different carries.

monkeycat - no particular advice on the head lolling issue I'm afraid - it is easy with a front carry as you can just tuck their head in but you can't easily do that without assistance on your back (unless you are a contortionist ). With a back wrap cross carry if I can get the cross pieces nice and tight and high up on ds's shoulders the head doesn't seem to loll quite as much but tbh I'm more likely to put him on my front if I think he will sleep.

monkeycat, with back carry if they go to sleep i lean forward a bit with back still straight so little one has head flat on back. Drop one shoulder of the back cross down my arm a little then lift the cross back onto the shoulder 'catching' the head (and arms if necessary) under the edge of it and make sure it is pulled right across babies back again. Try it out as it is difficult to explain but it works really well for us!

I have just had a new comfy joey pouch arrive this morning to keep in my handbag as they are so small, I have just gone and put both the little ones to bed without trying them in it . duh talk about forgetful.

Thanks for the tips - will have a go tomorrow.

I do tuck her in when she falls asleep on my front - it's so cute , and so many people don't even notice that there's a baby in there !

But she often needs a wee nap just as I'm trying to prepare dinner and I can't have her on my front then .

I will get practicing .

I have also rediscovered my ring sling which I didn't get on with when she was small , but seems to be easier now she can sit up in it - yay!

monkeycat, I've used a long silk scarf as a temporary sleephood successfully when back carrying.
I haven't tried an Ergo but with other SSCs I reach behind, grab the hood straps, stretch my arms backwards, and pull the hood up so it doesn't get caught under the baby's head.

Babyphat, I was hoping for pics of the MT but pretty photos nonetheless. I love the stripey cap. Were you in Devon? IT looks like Devon.

yeah foxy my only MT pics are on my phone and i've not worked out how to upload! but will take some on a real camera and add them. it is so lovely. i think i will just stick to MTs for shorter front carries for popping to shops and stuff (and for DP). maybe once i am thinner a MT back carry will look nicer on me!

it was cornwall, sling was v handy for an afternoon at heligan.

and thanks about the hat - i made it from an old t-shirt - credit crunch-tastic!

any tips on wrapping a wriggly baby? she has just figured out how to get her arms out and she keeps lunging backwards, bit alarming and she bumped her head yesterday as she did it while i was walking up the stairs (not badly!)

ahem, mind to share with me the www how to make a babyhat out of an old t-shirt? it looks like it is one that a baby will find hard to remove whilst on your back. no wiggly tips I'm afraid.

talking of leaving a man boggle eyed, yesterday I was putting dd2 in Saisbo's cafe and a woman stopped eating her panini, slack jawed just watching me put her in a front carry. imagine what would have happened if i had superman tossed her.

I've come to look because I tried my first mei tai back carry yesterday. Actually, had similar probs to monkeycat. I think she wanted to sleep but her head/neck weren't quite well enough supported.

My mei tai doesn't have a sleep hood - are they useful in a back carry? Any idea if I could modify my MT?

Moomin - what do you do with your silk scarf?

suiledonn - I've loved my mei tai up til now (6 months) and still easily carry her on my front. I only tried a back carry yesterday, but I think it will be good. My only reservation is the sleeping thing - TBH I think it'll be fine once I figure out how to get her sitting a little lower. I'll be back to let you know if I figure out how to do it!

foxy, for the hat, i trawled craftster for ages but couldn't find a simple one, so just guessed it. i don't have an overlocker so not a great finish but did the trick.

i just used an old hat (the stretchy newborn kind) as a template (and added some width as old ones were too small) - basically 2 triangle shapes, then sew up the 2 sides. you can use the t-shirt hem as the hat hem iyswim, or you can get away without a hem, it will just roll up a bit. i made another where i made it really long so i could make one with a knotted top, will put it on her when i take MT photo.

Found you all!!!

Could whoever starts a new thread please put a link to it on the old thread so spuds like me dont get lost?

As i was saying (to myself lol) on the old thread, i had a fluffy day yesterday! I went to the sorting office to pick up what i thought was a travelling Himmel, and i was overjoyed to discover that my Zara Choco was in there too! It was posted from Norway on Saturday and arrived at my house on Tuesday! How fast is that?!!

Haven't tried the Himmel properly yet, but the straps are sooooo soft!

aha! found you.

UncleFluffy, I just sling the scarf behind me, pull it up so it's supporting the baby's head, thread it through the MT shoulder straps at the front and tie.

It isn't ideal but it's worked in a pinch.

You can add sleephoods to MTs and SSCs. If you look on TBW there's a business called Monkey Pockets in the USA which makes Universal Sleep Hoods. You can swap them between slings.

Closer to home I think Rumba Lucia and Pixie Dance, both on NaturalMamas, will make and add a hood to a MT. The Pixie Dance ones are detachable.

Moomin, that's fab info! Just what I needed. For some reason, it didn't occur to me that I could just buy one!

sorry for not linking , i did mean to but no sooner had i started thread than was interrupted by baby howls and it slipped my mind

lol no worries! We got here in the end!

RGPargy, what do you think of the Zara? I am very tempted even though I am supposed to have sworn off wraps. But they look so pretty and thin.

unclefluffy, happy to be of service. The Monkey Pockets website is: monkeypockets.blogspot.com/search/label/Home
If you order from Carrie (Monkey Pockets), ask her to post 1st Class International rather than US Priority. She's happy to do it and the parcel then has less chance of attracting Customs duty.

Zaras are pretty. Natya bamboos are uber soft. But I still want a 2nd silk didy. is that a silly thing to want?

I ordered a Freehand Mei Tai yesterday. Can't wait to get it now. I chose it because several people recommended Mei Tais and I feel in love with the fabric (probably not the best reason )

I got this one

www.togetherbe.com/productPhotos.aspx?itemNumber=1

I hope I will manage to tie it properly. Looks easy enough on the website but I'm sure it's trickier in real life.

oops typo fell in love - not feel

suiledonn I love that fabric! It's 'Pod Posey' by Michael Miller and quite hard to find now.
And falling in love with a fabric is usually the way I choose my slings.
You will be fine tying it. The key is to keep the baby high and snug. After a few goes you won't even have to think about what you're doing.