Anyone used a hipseat?

[memoo]

And are they any good, have a very clingy 9 month old and looking for something to give my arms a bit of a rest.

Yes they are good, but look silly if you haven't got the baby... and I spend hours carrying dd around all day then remember I should have used it.

You still have to hold them, so not that much better - just improves your posture. A ring or pouch sling would be better I think - just as quick/easy to use and much more support. (A ring sling is hands free, and when you get confident with it you can bring your arm around over her head and have her on your back in it - until you can do this it's technically hands free but one of your arms is out of action due to having a baby in the way!)

yes, pouch slings are ace and fold up to nothing in your handbag

in fact I carried knackered a 2.10yo home from the park today in the one I usually use for toting the 5mo round Tesco

mine isn't flowery though

I love my hipseat and so does my son - now aged 2 - I wear it around the house and he jumps up and down from it (not literally). I also find it invaluable on trips to places like the city farm where he is always asking to be carried and then to get down. I don't think it looks that silly - have seen other people wearing them at places like the zoo and always think they look quite mysterious if you don't know what they are. At one point just suggesting the hipseat to him was enough to stop any whinging or crying, and he used to get it and bring it to me when he was feeling clingy. I do use slings too, all the time, but don't like ring slings as they pulled on my shoulder which the hipseat doesn't do. I do find the hipseat easier to put him in and out of than a sling.

I have a hip seat and a hotsling I use the hip seat for short "nip into the shops" "school gate" kind of trips but for longer periods of time I would use the sling.