Slings

[Seekrit]

:smiliedance: For Antenatal classes tonight, showing around a few carriers.

We have a Baby Bjorn which was lent to us to no cost lost there.. but the thoughts have changed to slings.

Ideally I would like a sling that allows me to hold bubsicle comfortable as she grows (and also for daddy to hold).. that lets me have both hands free and also allows me to breastfeed.

What's your favourite sling? Where did you get it from.. and rough estimate on cost?

Thanks a bundle!

[Lunar]

I have a babasling and it's the best thing I bought!
So easy to pop on and off, no fidling around.
You can use it from birth up to 4 years! It cost me $80 i think but it is well worth it! Kailah loves it. It's great when she has wind, I pop her in and walk around a bit and up it comes! It's the best......IMO anyways:D

[MummyCharmzy]

I've got a babasling as well which is brilliant! I used it with DS until I was too heavily pregnant with DD to carry him anymore (he was almost 2.5 by then) and then I used it from birth for DD once again up until I couldnt carry her anymore when she was about 7 months old and I was just over 4 months pregnant.. my back couldnt handle it anymore. Its just been washed ready for new bubs arrival in the coming weeks!

Its very easy to use, very comfortable and suitable from tiny premmies - as big as u want to carry them... even 4 yr olds can use it if u want in the hip position :D

[MrsMiggins]

Can I just ask you EmysMum & Charmzy, you both obviously found yours easy to use, how did you learn to use it? Was it just something you found easy right from the start, did you have someone show you how to use it, or did you follow the directions with it/on their website?

I was given a Babasling before my bub was born & I could never get the hang of it!! It's very frustrating to me, as I can see how great it would be to use if I could only just manage to work out how! I tried following the directions on their website, but I still can't get it. Is there a trick to it?

When Claire was newborn, she just seemed totally lost in it & now she's older, she just doesn't seem able to fit in there comfortably. Obviously I'm doing something wrong! Any tips?

(Sorry to hijack, Seekrit! I thought I'd be OK posting this here though for your info too!)

(PS: I also had a Baby Bjorn, Seekrit, and found it absolutely B-R-I-L-L-I-A-N-T!! I can't recommend them highly enough!!)

[Pixie]

I use a hugabub love it ,she hated it now loes it
www.hugabub.com
cost me $100 think from babies galore

[Harlequin]

How do those things attach? Are they really sturdy? I want one of them but I don't want to be worried the thing will break or fall off me :eek:

[reAllytee]

Well i couldnt find one when bubs was little so used the front carrier which in the end got packed away because bubs was too big for me to carry it nearly killed me !
A few months ago i looked through ebay & got myself a ring sling from a WAHM for $40 & its great !
It means i can put bub on my hip & carry him around when he is fed up of the stroller & it means i dont loose sensation in my arms doing so lol plus my hands are then free to do whatever i want.
Ive heard rave reviews about the hugabubs & babaslings so i shall invest in one of them for our next bub plus you need more than one so you can have different colours to suit different outfits :p

[reAllytee]

How do those things attach? Are they really sturdy? I want one of them but I don't want to be worried the thing will break or fall off me :eek:

Trust me they work when you have them on right.
As i said i have a basic ring sling & it holds my boof who is 13kgs no probs !

[Pixie]

A hugabub has 4 different ways to wear it depending on the weight of the child.

It's basically a huge piece of material you twist around yourself and pop the baby in, mine loves it sometimes I just put it on and put her in and in less than a minutes shes asleep.meaning I do the housework etc :D

[draught]

Nikki
You are very lucky to live in Brisbane where there is a great WAHM who makes and sells pre-made slings of all descriptions. Her website is www.carryingaway.com.au or her phone number is on the listing on this site under baby carriers - she is the best person to go and see to work out what will suit you and your baby and your DH. In the meantime check out www.ergobabycarrier.com - I am a huge fan as it goes from birth through to 5 years - DH wears it happily and my girls love it.

[Seekrit]

Fantastic all :D Thanks for your help! :)

[Veritas]

I grabbed one off ebay, $25.00 I think..... She has a whole heap of fabric designs that are really funky.... its a simple sling, no rings, no fuss... just pop it on and off....

Can't attest to how good it is yet, but I figure for $25, there's no harm in trying it!

From memory I think the name was Chickadee, or something like that!

[LucyE]

I second seeing Amanda at CarryingAway. She is fantastic and super helpful!

I have a BabyTrekker (similar to BabyBorjn but I think it's better), BabbaSling which I think is total rubbish and a very simple ring sling. I have also used a BabyBorjn, Kathmandu backpack carrier and a big wrap style one (Lana??).

The ring sling is my favourite and I wished that I had bought it first. If you can sew, you could probably make it youself they are that simple. You can have bub in many, many different positions from newborn up to toddler and it is so simple to put on and take off. The one size fits most so both my husband and I can use it without trouble. They look lopsided but the trick is to get the fabric to cup over the shoulder (so not dig into the neck) and spread it across your back. The wider the strip across your back the less weight you will feel in any one position so I can carry my 11kg DS without feeling tired or weighed down. They are easy to adjust while on and are machine washable (put the rings into an old sport sock so it doesn't damage your machine) and dry in no time. I am looking forward to using on #2 and actually want to buy another one in a different colour LOL

I found the BabbaSling to be a waste of time because it has a fixed clip, you can not adjust it while wearing the baby. The first time trying to get it right, DS became very agitated because I was constantly putting him in, pulling him out and putting him back in. Then once I finally got it right, he grew on me and the whole thing was out of whack again. The other thing is that the BabbaSling had a tendency to come off the shoulder and dig into the neck. That was a real pain and not very good for wearing for long periods. I gave up on the BabbaSling after about 3 months of trying (Amanda even offered to show me how to use it for free but I was totally over it!).

The BabyTrekker was our main baby carrier from approx 3 months to 1year. I used it all the time for grocery shopping when I needed to have two hands free. DS would fall alseep in it without fail and made for a very simple experience. It's a little more fiddly than the ring sling but very simple to use for beginners. Basically, bub sits against you and is held in by the BabyTrekker. It has two straps that go over the shoulders and cross over the back to distibute bub's weight and provide better support. It also has a waist band to assist in this and honestly if you have bub in properly, you barely feel the weight. It's similar in principle to a quality hiking backpack. The straps are secured by plastic D rings which you adjust to your size. It's fairly simple to put on (the straps can drag on the ground though so not good when the ground is muddy) and you can have bub infront, facing in or out or on your back. DH found it easy to use too. It also has a handy pocket to store keys, phone, wallet etc.

What I disliked about the (ordinary) BabyBorjn is that it would drag on the shoulders (no cross over or waist belt). It was fine for smaller babies but once they got a bit bigger, it was too difficult to use and gave me a sore back after a short period. Also, it's not reccommended to use these upright carriers on young babies (under 3 months) due to the risk of spine compression. You need to make sure bub is in a 'seated' postion in this style of carrier so that the pelvis takes the weight of bub. Unfortunately, most times the baby is held by the crotch with their legs dangling.

Hope this helps.

[Harlequin]

Trust me they work when you have them on right.
As i said i have a basic ring sling & it holds my boof who is 13kgs no probs !

Cool :)
I'm sure once I get around to trying some on my fears will be allayed. Im a little paranoid at times.

[reAllytee]

Oh dont worry i was paranoid too especially when i had such a big baby to juggle & i kept thinking there is noooo way that could work lol !
But when i got it i practiced on a stuffed bear for awhile until i felt more comfortable & then in went Boof with no dramas !
Good luck anyways hopefully you will love them :D

[littlepickle]

H seekrit,

I have a Peanut Shell (http://www.goo-ga.com/). I love it, Mine is all microfibre and is one piece so no buckles etc to have to worry about. Its also really comfy. You can get them in loads of different styles and colours, although I just got black microfleece

[Rainbowbrite]

Trust me they work when you have them on right.
As i said i have a basic ring sling & it holds my boof who is 13kgs no probs !

Very true. I'm glad that they're great even with big bubs :thumbsup: I also have a basic black ring sling from hipbubby for about $50. Its great & I can still bf MJ now at 1year old in the sling with no worries. I highly recommend it :yes: