Best Sling

I got my sling from www.lucky-baby.com and I absolutely love it! It's really easy to use and very helpful when you have a little one who always wants to be held like I did and it sounds like you do too! :) My little girl is now 1 and I still use mine for certain things! It's great!!!

I love my Moby Wrap! I got mine at Allinace Brastfeeding Center on North Academy, and they showed me how to wrap it - it also comes with an instruction book. It looks complicated at first, but just takes once or twice of tying it and it is real easy. I used it with my second baby from the time he was born, and didn't leave the house without it for the first 7 months! I still use it for certain outtings for him (11 months), and have also used it to go hiking with my 2.5 year old on my back!

Alliance Breastfeeding also has a Baby Carrying class where a lady shows multiple types of carriers, and will show you how to use them. Their calendar is on their website. Good luck!

I would recommend a ring sling. I have tried many types as well and have found the ring sling to be the easiest especially around the house or when we are out at parties. After a long time the weight on one shoulder gets to be a lot - but for short amounts of time and for ease of use. Hope this helps.

The best baby sling is New Native! I have tried them all and was having the same issues as you. Baby Bjorn was good for hiking. Mayan wrap is great if you are at home and have time to sling yourself up. But the New Native is SIMPLE. They have great materials to choose from and your baby grows with it. My little guy is 6 mo old and when he sits in it I call him my "buddha baby". He is so content! I get tons of comments on it. It is super easy to slip on and take him into stores, without cumbersome carts and car seats. Perfect around the house too! You can wear baby on front, side or back and be hands free.

My son loved The Ultimate Baby Wrap (babysrus), it takes a few times to figure out how to put it on, but it is super soft, adjustable as they get older and for many positions, evenly distributed weight so you can do a lot with your free hands. It saved my life.

I am not sure if you are completely sold on a sling, but I had alot of luck with my Hotsling - just put the sling over your sholder and instert the baby. The down side is that it only works for a few short months, at least comfortably!
If you think you want to baby wear longer then would highly recommend either BECO or ERGO, they are great for infants and toddlers alike, can be worn in three different positions and both have infant instert to help support the littlest babies. the ERGO are less expensive, but are not as cute as the BECO. There is a lady in Colorado Springs who sells the BECO - www.cottonbabybottoms.com, and I believe you can find somwhere in Denver to buy a ERGO.

I borrowed a ERGO from a friend for my son, love it so much that I bought a BECO that was totally my style when he was 5 months and still use it now that he is 15 months.

J.

Check out www.mommycouture.com I got the light wieght ring sling with no linning, it's great for summer months, or winter with a blankie. It's easy and adjustable, and comes with a pocket for a bottle or keys ect. I also have a pouch by hotslings. I think I got it at www.mammasmilk.com. Verry stylish. I love them both and would be lost without them! Good luck!

I love Ergo. We've used it since my daughter was five weeks old and we still use it--she's 2 and a quarter. I think it's worth a try.

I love my Hotsling - I got it with my first daughter when she was older (7 or 8 months) and so we only used it for hip carrying. It was one of the sateen cotton ones with the padded leg rail.

With my second, I had gained too much weight and the hotsling was too small, so I opted for a new native sling (organic cotton), and my second daughter loved being in it when she was little, but it did not have the slight stretch of the Hotsling, and I did not feel like it was as comfortable / secure. I lost the baby weight, and now she is back in the hotsling and we both like it a lot better. It was worth the money.

It is easy to use, comfortable, and so easy to fold up and take in my purse or diaper bag. And is is very snuggly for both us to have so close.

There are lots to choose from, and a lot of them are similar. I would look for a single loop of fabric (no rings, no complicated wrapping) that you fold in half, slip over your head, slide the baby in a cradle position.

My favorite is made by hotslings. You can go to their website or buy them at target. They have dvds to help you, plus instructions on their website. Good luck!

Hi E.!

My favorite baby carrier for little ones is the wrap. You wrap the fabric onto your body and simply put baby into the folds. I, too, tried the ring sling, and I could never quite get my daughter in there right, I didn't find the wrap until she was 7 months old- and we still get tons of use out of it (she is 16 months old now).

If you want to see some pictures and instructions for the wrap, go to www.mobywrap.com I also sell this brand, and if you are interested in seeing what I have in stock, go to http://www.naturalchoices4baby.com/catalog.php?category=8 I would be happy to give you a bit of discount, just email me for the code if you are interested.

Good luck finding the best option for you and your baby! You'll love having your arms back (while also carrying your baby)!

H. Gaitten
www.naturalchoices4baby.com
____@____.com

www.wearyourbaby.com has a pretty complete list of the different types of slings and what activity they are good for as well as what works best with the baby's age. They even have pattens for slings and wraps made from a single piece of cloth....with NO SEWING!!

The website is full of pictures and very clear instructions on each position or carrier type.

Good Luck

Wow! You sure have some great ideas for all sorts of slings from the responses. I know you are thinking about a sling, but I LOVE using a Baby Bjorn front pack carrier, especially for the first couple of months (I have 4 children). Sounds like you have the hiking one. Let us all know what you chose and what you thought. :-)

My neighbor owns CuteSlings. Check out their website (cuteslings.com). I know all of the women in the neighborhood love them, and they come in several sizes to get a good fit (plus cool fabric choices). The plus is since she is local you could probably get one from her directly or at a local boutique where she sells them. She also sells nursing covers- got one for my cousin and she uses it all the time.

I have a Baby Bjorn, HoneyWear sling, Moby wrap and a Hotsling. Personally, I think the Hotsling is the easiest and most comfortable. The only problem is that you buy it fitted to you, so you can't share it with your husband, caregiver, etc.

Ergo Baby Carrier, New Native Baby Carrier (pouch), Moby Wrap (my favorite), Hotslings, Mei Tai (probably the easiest).

If you know how to sew, or know someone else who can, I'd suggest looking at the model you like carefully and buying your own fabric to replicate it to save on money. They're really not complicated.

I use the hotsling, and I love it. http://www.hotslings.com/. It's great for infant to 9 months. I can still put my little one in it and he loves it, but it can hurt my back after a while.

It's super easy once you get the hang of putting the baby in the sling. And, once he's in, he isn't getting out. It's great for around the house, airports, errands, wherever. Also, my son would fall asleep in it, he found it so soothing to be so snugly close to me.

Word of advice - make sure you get the right size.

E.,
i use a snugli front carrier for my 7 week old. he stays nice and secure while i play w/ my 2 year old. i have just a regular sling that i use at times, but it is difficult to bend over in, or carry laundry baskets :)

I have a friend who designed wonderful slings...here is the link to her website...

http://zolowear.com/About.aspx

The pictures on this first page are of my friend Darien and her family...Zoe who is 8 and Clark who is 4. Her slings are beautiful and get rave reviews. She also has a program where if you send pictures of you and baby using the sling you get a free or discounted sling, or something along those lines, not sure of the exact rules for the program

Perhaps you'd like a pouch as others have suggested. I have a couple pouchesand I like them for squashing in the diaper bag and getting through airports with no metal rings, etc. But, I do think there's a learning curve with everything, and I like to use the tail on my Maya ring sling as a little blanket. A ring sling is my favorite. What a pouch gains in simplicity, it loses in adjustibility--and that might be important to you as your six-week-old grows.
I own a LOT of slings (I like to change my "look," ha, ha) and it was not until I worked with a sling expert *in person* that I really felt comptent at slinging and started to enjoy it. The DVD is fine, but working with a human who can set you up is superior. I highly recommend attending a local La Leche League meeting in your area. You can find a local contact and meeting time at www.llli.org. Then, bring along your sling and ask one of the Leaders to help you with it. I can almost guarantee you'll have some moms there who are able to guide you to easy, baby-wearing comfort and you will quickly feel like it is a quick and easy throw it on and go-type of sling.
Good for you for being a sensitive and responsive mom, and working to meet both your childnren's needs for being with you.
Keep us posted on how it goes! Best wishes!

Hug-a-monkey slings are the best I ever tried! And I shopped around before I got one. They are light-weight, made or organic cotton, super easy to put on. They open up great, fold up small so they are compact, lightweight and don't take up much space. Yu can find slings for cheaper, but it was the best $40 investment I made for my little one! We call it the magic cling because she calms down or falls asleep whenever we put her in it. Check it out at hugamonkey.com
Good luck!

I just had my 7th baby two weeks ago, so I've been through a number of carriers at this point! I saw the moby wrap during this last pregnancy and decided I'd give it a shot. It is without a doubt, the BEST baby carrier ever! I have been through two bjorn-type carriers, and also have a ring sling and a pouch sling (polkadot papoose). While I do like the slings and still plan on using them, I much prefer the way the Moby Wrap holds a smaller baby. And the best part is that you can just go buy a 5 1/2yd length of cotton/jersey fabric, cut the width in half, and voila-the same thing! Just look at the instructions on the moby wrap website for the different wraps!

My sister bought me a "hotsling" for my baby last November. I LOVE IT!!! It is a one piece - no straps, buckles, buttons, NADA. It has sizes based on your chest and torso size/length. Just slip in on, slip baby in, and away you go. What is also nice, is that for small babies, they can go in sideways, as they get bigger, you can hold them on your front, even bigger it will hold them on your side(hip), and can even hold them on your back. You just rotate it slightly around to where you want them sitting. And it comes with the dvd to show you how you can use it. I practiced with a baby doll first to understand, and had no problems immediately using it for my baby - who now weighs over 20 lbs. and I still love it and NEVER leave home without it. It is a necessity in my diaper bag.

She found it at Amazon for about $50 - and it was sooo worth the money. I use it ALLLLL the time.

Fussy at night and need to do the bounce and walk - I just put him in so that my hands are more free to rub his back adn my arms aren't tired after an hour of bouncing. Falling asleep at church - no problem, I put him in so my arms again aren't killing me, and he's nicely snuggled. Watering the yard and he's pathetically crying at the door - put him in - on my side, and he's laughing as we bend down to pick up the water and move it - and trying to help grab things. Wal-mart shopping day? Hates the carseat/cart? No problem, just pull it out of the diaper bag and put him in. I can still get things andn put them in the cart because my hands are free, and he's happy to be near me. (He's definitely a mama's boy.)

The Ergo is fantastic and super comfortable. It is easy to put on and can be used for the longest amount of time-- you can use it as a backpack with Toddlers.

Mei Tai is also great-- there are a lot of companies that sell them--- I love Babyhawk. (The Ergo is a hybrid Mei Tai). It can also be used for quite a while.

I loved my New Native Sling although if it hadn't been a hand-me-down, I think I would have bought a PeanutShell instead because it has a bit of lycra in the fabric. I used my New Native until my son was about 8 months old.

My favorite was my Moby wrap but I had a winter baby and I think all that fabric could be hot in the summer. It looks difficult to put on but it is actually very easy. Sometimes I would put it on and leave the house then slide my son into it when I got to the destination. It was his favorite too.

Hi! I sell Maya Wraps and have helped many women get more comfortable wearing theirs. I don't know where you are located, but i would be happy to see if we can make your maya wrap more user-friendly if you are willing. I specialize in helping women wear their babies. I am located in pueblo, and frequently go to colorado springs. I run a company called Green Women Mercantile and I would be happy to help!

I have tried the Maya Pouch, and many other pouches. I frequently use the Bundle Bug sling which is more labor intensive, it must be wrapped on each time you want to wear it, I often wear a Maya Tie... I have them all and you could try them out, and see if any of those feel more comfortable than your maya wrap!

S.
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email: ____@____.com

www.b-sling.blogspot.com they are really cute and super comfortable just $40 good luck

http://www.ergobabycarrier.com/

Hi E.,

I am a mom user of and retailer for several baby carriers. Ergo is probably the highest rated, but for older children.

I'd recommend a pouch or ring sling. Pouches are the easiest to use. Most are not adjustable (Peanut Shell and Karma Baby), just over the shoulder and go. Both have a little stretch. PS has some reversible. A couple brands do adjust (Mamma's Milk, Rocking Baby).

As for Ring Slings, the Maya Wrap or Zolo Wear ring slings are your best bet. Some design - big difference in fabric and patterns.

I'm in Lakewood, and would love to set up an appt to show you some of the options available. Send me a note if you are interested.

I offer 10% off/$100 with this discount code for Mama Source readers: MamaSrc10

R.
www.ModernMommyGear.com

Check out www.hugamonkey.com They have very cute slings and they are very sturdy. Also, they are very lightweight and compact enough to fit into your diaper bag. I love the choices of different fabrics. It gives you the opportunity to feel cute and have something that might actually fit your personality!

One more thing, if you are military they just started doing a drawing once a month for a FREE baby sling!! All you have to do is enter your .mil email address and wait for the good news!

I have a Maya Wrap too, enjoyed it until my daughter got too heavy, put too much pressure on one shoulder was uncomfortable.

Now I'm a huge fan of the ERGO baby carrier, sits on hips, baby sits instead of hanging, super-comfortable I think.

Hi! I love my Peanut shell wrap that I got online at Nordstroms.com You just throw it over your head and put baby in....there are no tricks to wrapping the baby in it. It is a very simple design and my baby loved it. It has simple directions and you can use it different ways as your child grows. Go online and check it out! Good luck!

I have a mei tei/asian baby carrier. Once you tie it once, it's simple. It does need as much assembly as a wrap. It has straps of all corners of a body piece. 2 straps tie around the waist, and the top two go over the shoulders, around the back, and tie in front. It goes over both shoulders, so I found that I can wear it longer without back pain (compared to a ring sling).

I like the Dr. Sears slings. I have an older style one, but the newer ones look better. They are made by Balboa Baby. You can find them online at

www.askdrsears.com/store

I used The Peanut Shell sling and my son loved it! It is one piece of fabric and very easy to figure out. The only downside is that it is not adjustable, so if your husband wants to wear the baby in the sling and is bigger than you, it won't work for him.

Check out Lucky-Baby.com This is the one I have and I like it a lot, but there sure are lots of them out there to choose from. Good Luck!

I have a sling that I got from www.mammasmilk.com. I love it. I just got a cotton black one. There are several positions that you can carry your little one around in. But you don't have to mess with the sling to do it.

E.,
I loved my Moby wrap for my little ones. It keeps the baby in very securely when I am running around after my older toddler. At around 9 months, I switch to the Ergo Baby Carrier. It is comfortable and easy to use.

You can get a Moby Wrap at www.thegoodmama.com and the Ergo at www.ergobabycarrier.com . Good luck!

Hi E.,

I have 2 that I love. The 'Over The Shoulder Baby Holder' is a cinch and works really well... the pouch is a good size, too (my younger daughter was born big, so some of the smaller type slings never worked. She's 5 months old now, and still fits great). It's very adjustable as well. The other one I have is the Urgo, which is great if you want to put the baby on your back.... it's great for making dinner or just having your hands and front of your body completely free to focus on the other child.

Hope this helps,

A.

I've tried many and I LOVE the ERGO- baby carriers....they are easy to use AND you can put them on your back or side...

Ring Slings are the BEST!! I LOVE mine! My littlest one is now 4 years old, and still asks to "swing" with mommy. You can find them at many places online ranging from inexpensive ($20) to very expensive (over $100). It depends on the fabric/design you want. They are very easy to learn to use and can be adjusted to carry a small newborn or a large toddler. You simply put the baby in whatever position you want to carry her/him in and pull the tail of the sling to tighten. I have many friends who have seen how wonderful they are and have been "converted" to slinging their little ones.
Blessings-A.

I love the ergo baby carrier. It has an infant insert for tiny ones, and once they are 4-6 months old you don't use the insert any longer. I use it all the time with my two year old--when she is clingy and just wants to be held for awhile, and I love that it leaves my hands free. You can wear it on the front, back or as a side carrier for older ones.

Also, as a sling, I used the NoJo baby sling from Babies R Us, and that worked pretty well until she was bigger. I did find doing any housework that required bending--like laundry, or picking things off the floor, was difficult. Walking and any upright activities were fine, though.

Good Luck. It sounds like you have your hands full!

Taylor Made slings, they have a website. I used mine constantly with my youngest. So simple and safe and wonderful. Good luck.

R.

I really liked a simple ring sling when my little guy was that little. But I would suggest an Ergo carrier. I wish I had had mine when he was smaller. It is super easy to use and comfortable, even with a 25 lb. baby on a long hike!

I know you have already gotten a ton of advice, but I thought I would put my two cents in. I read through most of the responses because I too was in the market for a sling. Someone suggested going to Sweet Beginnings, a store down in Littleton. I went this afternoon and with the wonderful help of the owner Michelle, I got the Hands Free carrier. It is AWESOME! Much more than I wanted to spend, $80, but I kid you not. My 3 week old son was fussing when I started to put it on and when I laid him against my chest and sinched it up, he stopped immediatley and fell right asleep. It is super comfy. I love it! I have been wearing it all day now! Good luck!

I loved the sling made by walking rock farm. I think the email address is www.walkingrockfarm.com It was so easy. The one I was given was for infants and it looks like a little pea pod. Hope this helps.

Hi,

I received a sling from slingsandmore.com for my baby shower. I find it to be very user friendly. I have a 21 month old and and 8 week old so I use it whenever I need and extra set of arms! It can hold the baby in a lying down position or sitting up facing towards you or away from you. It also comes in handy while nursing. I also love the snap to wrap towels that she has and I can't wait to purchase a car seat coat this winter. Hope this helps!

Hi E.,
I hsve a Baby K'Tan for my son and we both love it. It's easy to use and very comfortable. There are 8 different positions and can be used until your baby is 42 lbs. I bought mine at Sweet Beginnings in Littleton: www.oursweetbeginnings.com