Infant Slings

The Moby Wrap gives the best back support and best coverage while breastfeeding. It's probably the least attractive but most functional of all of the wraps. I also have a hotsling which is fashionable, but does not provide much back support and I found it difficult to use once the baby was older. It was nice to have while "out" with the baby in the beginning.

Try the Moby Wrap!!! You can use it from newborn up and it is WONDERFUL!!! My son is 4 months. I've had about every sling and carrier out there and this one is by FAR my favorite and most comfortable!!!!

The right sling depends on the person, really, it's different for everybody.
www.thebabywearer.com is all about this subject. It explains & compares the different types, reviews slings and websites, and there's a forum too. A TON of info.

Also, another website I love is the message board at www.babybargainsbook.com. It's a great book, and the message boards are even better. The mamas on the boards have a lot of opinions and experience with slings.

Good luck! :)

I first tried the baby bjorn carrier and did not like it at all. There were too many straps and I had a difficult time getting the baby in and out. I researched online and I found i like the "maya wrap" (I just call mine a baby sling) as well as instructions to make your own. You can position the baby front, hip, or on the back. I have made several for my friends and they absolutely love it! If you don't sew find a friend to sew one for you they are inexpensive and easy to make. They come in handy for nursing. The average cost to make one baby sling is $5 for material at WalMart $1 thread and $1 for metal rings at hobby lobby so for less than $10 you can pick your own material, length, size, etc. Instead of hands free bluetooth, you get a hands free baby holder :D

It would be worth the drive to go to Peppermint in Richardson. They have 8 lb babies to try out the slings before baby and classes afterward. Many of the slings come with directions, but if you are new the class really provides clarity and peace of mind.

You can nurse in most of the slings, but "try" it out to see how you would move baby around and how covered you feel. I use my ring sling more as a cover up plus the extra fabric acts as a "hooter hider" without smothering my son.

www.peppermint.com

I have a ring sling and a Bella Baby Carrier (kind of like the Bjorn carrier). I got the Bella carrier because it fits in my diaper bag but I'm thinking now I should've tried the ErgoBaby recommended by others here. My son is really heavy so I have gone back to preferring my ring sling. Any shoulder straps (even crossed in the back) seem to bother me after 40 min to an hour. I can wear him in my ring sling for hours.

I personally rejected the Hotsling/Native Baby options because I wanted something that would grow with baby and give me more flexibility. I have worn my son in an infant carry, tummy to tummy (he started to like that very early on), kangaroo carry, and hip carry (now that he is a strong sitter).

Choosing is very personal. Select by how it feels and with patterns and fabric that you will enjoy.

Once you try it and are relaxed, I think you and baby will enjoy it. I have a 6 year old so I finally tried it to free up my hands- like you. Get a second one or another kind of carrier so you have one while the other is in the wash.

R.,
I make a wonderful sling that I have given to lots of moms. It is adjustable so that you can carry a tiny infant, later they can sit forward facing or rear facing when they are a bit bigger and when they are toddlers you can carry them on your hip. You are able to breast feed in them as it has a long tail to cover you and baby. I'd be happy to send you a picture.

It isn't a sling -- but I LOVE my moby wrap. I have a 16 month old (she's small though - only about 16 lbs) and we still use it when we go places where a stroller is a pain. I have also carried a friend's 28 lb 2 year old in it with very little effort. You can also nurse while using it.

ERGO is the best! I won't go into much detail, because I see others have already told you about it. I've tried different kinds, and it was the best. we can even carry our 3 year old in it on our back (like at the airport-saved us!) Supposedly bjorns and ones that let their entire legs just hang are bad for the babies backs and it was bad for my back too! Hope this helps!

I put this same request out before I had my 3rd baby in August. I got a lot of responses but I don't think anyone said the Baby K'tan but a friend recommended it. I would say Baby K'tan is a must have item - more than a crib. The website is www.babyktan.com. You can carry a baby 8 differnt ways. There are no buckles or wrapping. I would you encourage to check out the website. My baby can be fussy and I put him in the Baby K'tan and he calms down. It is great to have my hands free. The makers of it are 2 sets of parents who took different types of baby carriers and sling and combined it in to one. You can nurse the baby it in but I usually do better sitting down instead of walking around. Congratualtions!

I received an Ergo (without the infant insert) when my daughter was almost 4 months old. My daughter turned 3 in November, and I still use it. It is one of the best gifts I have ever received. http://www.ergobabycarriers.com

I have found that slings are a very prsonal choice. What your friend loves may not work for you. And what you love your baby may not.
Try visiting Peppermint, a great store for baby items. They offer all sorts of different carriers and classes to get you started. Enjoy wearing your baby, it's the best!

Hi!
We used a baby Bjorn. It was fine when our little one was little- under 3 months. But it got too heavy. I used a Hotsling after that- I really liked it, (and I still use it now that she is going on 20 months) but you have to size it- you might want to check out their website for sizes.

I've used the New Native Baby Carrier with all 3 of my kids. I think it's pretty comparable to the Hotslings, but it's been around longer. I think Hotslings are cuter though. Mine is black and is made of a denim/canvas weight cotton. It has held up really well and I've used it a ton. I got it like 6 years ago at Babystyle.com for about 40 bucks. The good thing about slings in general is that you can use them for your infant, but you can also use them for your 3 (or even 4)year old. You just put them on your him like you normally would but put the sling around you and under their bottom. It really helps your arm. Also look into the Ergo baby carrier. I'm planning to buy one when my baby gets a little bigger. It's like a Baby Bjorn, but it's "ergonomically" (SP?) correct to give your back a break. It has an infant insert as well to use as a sling. It's pretty pricey though. I think it's about $140 with the insert, but the goo thing is you can use it front or back. Hope that helps!

For newborns and infants I love the moby wrap! I had a sling and it just didn't feel right for me. Is their a baby wearing group in your area? They often have someone trained to teach you proper positioning and have a library of carriers to try. Back to the moby wrap, I liked that they were so snug close to me and breastfeeding in it took some practice but once you master it it becomes second nature. I just bought one online for a friends on mobywrap.com and found the coupon code bf10 and got $10 off my purchase. just wanted to share the coupon love :)

Hi, R.-

I have 3 different slings/wraps and my opinion for the BEST one for a new baby is The Ultimate Baby Wrap. I bought mine at http://www.thenestingplace.biz. I like it because it literally holds the baby to you and even holds their little head to your shoulder or chest when they cannot hold their heads up yet. It also allows you to bend over and unload the dishwasher or something and have both hands free.

The con is: it is a VERY long piece of cloth so it's kinda a pain to put on when you are not at home. Other than that I was very pleased with it.

I had the Hotsling too, but I felt like I had to keep checking my baby girl to make sure she wasn't suffocating in it. Plus, you basically still have to have one arm around the baby for a little security and you cannot bend over easily. But, as a newborn she did love being squeezed in that thing b/c it hold them pretty tight.

Then, last, but not least, I have just a plain Snuggli that I got at Babies R Us for about $20. I used this for my son (now 4) and I still use it for my daughter (now 11 months). Very easy to get on and off and great for when they are a bit fussy or tired and you still need to grocery shop or do Target. My daughter will ride in the Snuggli the entire time I am in a store and be quite content.

Good luck to you with baby #3!! :-)

congrats on your growing family!!
we love the ergobaby carrier. it's not a sling per se, but it is worlds better than other carriers like the baby bjorn. we tried a sling (my sister-in-law's), but found it was already too small for our infant. we'd hate to buy a sling only to have our baby grow out of it quickly, so we looked further and found the ergobaby. it's fantastic!!!! we can carry our baby or our toddler in it if need be, because it can help keep our hands free while carrying a child from newborn all the way up to over 40 pounds.

the other day i was in the grocery store nursing my baby in her ergobaby, and a man walked *right up to me* and made a comment about babies being able to sleep anywhere...he had no clue she was nursing!! ;)

HTH!

I delivered my 4th baby in June and this time around I bought a sling from Chicken Scratch Slings. It has a built in tail that doubles as a nursing cover-up. It comes in pretty designs and it is well-made. Chicken Scratch offers discounts with a Mamasource discount code as well.

www.chickenscratchslings.com

Hotslings!! I used mine everywhere and forever!! Grocery store, mall, park, appts. My little one lived in it. I'm 5' 2'' and tried to use different ones before I found Hotslings. The carrier that holds the baby infront really pulled on my back once I put my baby in ...the same for the one that you put on like a letter carrier..It pulled into my neck. I liked the Hotsling because there are no adjustments. Nothing to come undone ...I was worried it would come undone and the baby would fall out. I bought mine at Right Start on Lovers Lane but they also have a website online. An instruction video on the different ways you can carry your baby on it is posted on the website as well. Good luck on finding the one for you!

Hi R., how exciting your expecting your third baby! You are right on with a sling, to me that's THE best way to have your hands free and your baby close, especially with having two other little ones running around! I have tried three different slings, and my personal favorite is the Maya Wrap Sling. It is perfect for breasfeeding - even when your baby gets bigger and can sit up in the sling. I find it very versatile, and I even used it when we went on an plane trip when Julian was already 2 years old. I liked having him close in the crowded airport, and even at that age is still worked well for me even though he was pretty heavy.
The main reason the other slings did not work well for me was that I am pretty slim, and the other slings just did not let me pull enough fabric through the ring so that Julian would be safe and snug.
No matter what sling you decide on, you may find the video tutorials on the mayawrap website helpful for ideas how to to carry your child - from infancy through toddlerhood.
And one last thing: I bought my MayaWrap on their website under the "Maya Outlet" section and got a great deal. It was a new wrap except that a previous customer had returned it for not liking the color, so it was technically still brand new - and much cheaper.

By the way, most slings need some "practice time", absolutely hang in there - practice with a doll or something prior if you need to - because it is totally worth it.
Enjoy your new sweet one - and you will LOVE the "sling thing".

M.

You are going to get a lot of different opinions on this one. But my daughter has had 31 babies go thru her arms and designed one with adjustable rings and the tail covers the baby while you nurse called a "Joey Sling" after the kankaroo. You use it for infant up to 2 years old and it is awesome. She has sold over 102 of them and had her own website for awhile to show them. Call her at ###-###-####, Christy and let her tell you about it. She adjusts the length for how tall you are. They are wasable and go with her everywhere. Then you are hands free to shop, cook or whatever.
The more you hold a baby near you the first years, the more content and the happier the baby is, I promise you. And when they are fussy, thie is the ultimate answer!
Have a blast with your new one.
Also the Bjorn is not good because of their hip and leg placement-it is not good for their spine and hip joints-but many do not know that.
I read the responses and noticed that someone else reccommended my daughters Joey Sling. What fun is that!!!
V.

I used a product like this mom makes called a Joey Sling. It was very versital. I have given this product as baby presents as well. It really helped me when I had my fourth child to be able to do other things and comfort my baby throughout the day (even nurse without anyone knowing I was nursing).

Her name is Christy W.
Phone: ###-###-####

Newborns and Infants, then Baby Gear and Products to see her reviews.

I found the Moby Wrap to be the most comfortable for me and baby to wear ($35). It is very supportive at the shoulders and back and its symmetry puts equal pressure everywhere rather than just on one shoulder, for example. I've heard great things, especially in regard to breastfeeding, about ring slings. I'd like to try one with my next baby, but I can't speak for them personally now. Bjorn is comfortable too ($80+), but I've also heard about the hip placement issue that another post-er mentioned and I stopped using it as much...did more Moby instead:)

My best advice though is to borrow a few different kinds from friends, moms group, etc. When baby arrives, try them out with him/her. Your baby will tell you which is best! And you will know which is most comfortable for you.

Good luck with your decision!

Rachael,
I have a moby wrap and a freehand mei tei. The moby worked better with the little bitty infant, and the freehand works better now with my 6 month old. I have several friends who use slings and other brands. Slings were not comfortable to me, I like even distribution of weight. It's all what is comfortable for you.
Here's my recommendation: Go to this store on Campell/Plano road called Peppermint www.peppermint.com
They were very helpful and have every kind of sling/wrap imaginable. You can try them on in-store, and they even have weighted baby dolls to make it more "real" to try on while you are pregnant. Good luck! And babywearing is definitely one of the best things you can do for your child so what a lucky baby! :)

I discovered Ergo when my daughter was a little older and I was always sorry that I hadn't found it earlier. They make an insert to keep newborns securely in the sling. It is a more natural and healthy way to carry a baby than the hanging-from-their-crotch style slings. I would actually recommend any sling other than these.

Ergo is a bit pricey but you can get them on Craigslist or eBay for less. And you can use them for a long time. Check out their website at http://www.ergobabycarrier.com/

I used the Maya sling with my second child and absolutely loved it. It was very easy to use & comes with a DVD instructing you on different ways to carry the baby as they grow. You can also breastfeed the baby (if you choose) while in the sling. I ordered mine online. Just google Maya sling. Lots of colors to choose from.

Slings are great, and I used them for both of my kids. But they are a personal choice and it depends on how you want to use it. I used the NOJO (bought at Babies R Us), and I liked it because it is adjustable. As my babies grew, it grew with them. I also put my babies in it in different ways. My first one liked to sleep in it and ride kangaroo style. My second one liked to ride laying down and then on my hip. And sometimes I was wearing bulky winter clothes and sometimes summer clothes (I have a winter baby and a summer baby) so I really liked that the strap part adjusted in length. The downside is that the NOJO one is very bulky and not very pretty/stylish. It does come with a video showing the various ways to wear it. I found mine to be something I could not live without! Good luck with your choice.

I love my "my fairy godmother" sling -- I have a corduroy one for winter and a very lightweight, summer one. I just got a hotsling too. I was known as the sling lady at my daughter's MDO because they never saw my baby fully because he was always in the sling. I love it! I find it easier to use than the Baby Bjorn. Happy slinging!