What is the best sling for preemie?

[Lucy in the Sky]

Looking for a way to carry my 5 week old preemie (3kg, 50cms)
At home I have on loan:
Ergo with heart2heart infant insert, baby bjorn, mei tai (handmade by a friend), a ring sling, and a wrap around sling. I have a lot of generous friends into baby wearing, but they all had big fat newborns, so can't advise for my little possum.

When I put her in the ergo and bjorn, her head ends up between my boobs and I feel like I am suffocating her.
The mei tai doesn't seem to give her head support (this could be my tying method, or the way my friend made it?).
The wrap around seems very complicated to use.
And when I put her in the ring sling she seems to slump in a way that makes me nervous (after that baby dying in SA).

I want to carry my baby, but do I need to wait til she grows a bit? Any suggestions or advice. Am I missing something? Thanks!

[Hunbun]

I don't have any experiences with prem babies, but I would say the best one would be the wrap. They are the most supportive and also adjust to any size baby and mum.. Which one do you have? How long is it? I find shorter woven wraps much easier to do than the long stretchy ones. Also google wrapyourbaby, it's a great website with lots of different ways to tie your wrap! :)

[Melting Mayo]

Had my little fella all tucked up in a breeze baby sling. He loved it was like a little possum, and was where he needed to be, all tucked up against my chest :) he was 5 weeks prem born 2.7kg and he is now 5 months old 7.68kg and is still in it! But as they get bigger you have to slightly change the ways they are tucked in it (he now has his legs out of the sling rather than when he was born when he was all tucked up like a little Froggy). Check out their website because they have instructions on how to put bubs in and best ways to wear now and when they are older :) good luck xx

[Melting Mayo]

Omg I just said tucked in/up like 5 times in my post. Time to start proof reading before submitting Melanie! Lol

[breakthemould]

Wrap type one would be best and safest for bub IMO. I carried my 3k 47cm bub in it from birth and found it was super comfy, super supportive and she LOVED it. On the Hug-a-bub website they have a video of how to wrap which is really helpful when you first try to work it out! I found that it has to be done up firmer than you think, firm as in skin tight like a singlet IYKWIM. The wraps are great because the support all of bub, dont put pressure on their spine, dont compress anything, keep the head up so not restricting their airway like the slings can with newborns if not positioned correctly.

Hope that helps :)

[meljemillie]

yeah id go the wrap i carried my dd3 in our hug a bub at 3kg and it was great she was all snug:)

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[missie_mack]

Another one recommending the wrap. I know it can be a bit daunting at first but after a couple of goes it gets easier, particularly as the ones for newborns are stretchy. It is just like being back in the womb for them :yes:

[Witwicky]

I have to agree with the wrap. I prefer a wrap for newborns, and I imagine a premmie would feel quite secure and snug within a wrap :)

[Lucy in the Sky]

The wrap is a hug-a-bub. It's not stretchy. I think it's cotton.
Sounds like it is the right sling. Maybe I just need to get out a doll and practice a few times. :)
Thanks for the advice.

[Hunbun]

Hugabub is a stretchy wrap.. I personally dont like them, because of how much they stretch, I found bub sagged a bit in it, but I also have a huge baby :D Also it was way too long for me, I'm short and small so 5 meters was just too much fabric for me. I then got an ellaroo wrap and also a didymos and they are so much better, I just wish I had them when DS was a newborn!
Oh and it gets easier the more you do it, so practice practice practice! :)

[breakthemould]

Lucy - hugabubs do come in a ring sling type and a wrap type (wraps are where the baby is held upright on you) you can buy much cheaper homemade hugabub style wraps try www.madeit.com.au or u can make one simply by buying 4.5m (or 4m if you are petite) of cotton interlock from spotlight and cutting lenghthwsys it into 20inch strips. I did this and mine is fab :)

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[Witwicky]

^^ I made my own too - WAY cheaper. I can't justify the price of an actual hugabub, it's literally just a piece of fabric. You can youtube the wrapping methods to learn how to do it :)