ISO baby sling recommendations

[beacooker]

I have been trying to get out of the house with my newborn and my 2 1/2 year old, but am discovering this is not so easy! My 2 1/2 year old is not old enough to be able to handle walking in a store by himself without getting into everything, so I need to have him sit in the cart. My plan was to put my newborn in the Snugli carrier, but it turns out that he hates the Snugli. :( Someone suggested that I try a sling instead of a carrier, but they didn't have any recommendations about which sling. The research I have been doing on the Internet is just confusing me more, so I thought I would ask you guys - does anyone have any positive or negative reviews for slings?

[Luv to Cook]

I have the Mayawrap, which is pretty good, but if I were to do it again I would probably do an adjustable pouch type. Mine has the rings that you weave the fabric through, which can be a pain. But it is good in the sense that it has enough fabric on the end to discreetly breastfeed the newborn. You can also use it with the 2 1/2 year old for a hip carry or back carry. Also, I like the unpadded slings which work all year long. The padded ones can get very hot in the summer. Their are pros and cons to each type of sling, so you will need to look at some comparison charts and see what is important to you...things to look for: ease of use, discreet breastfeeding, weight limits, padding vs. unpadded, fabric styles. Definitely check out the websites and if you can find a few friends who would loan theirs, I would try them out for a few days.

Browse around this website:

http://www.kangarookorner.com/k_choose_opinions.shtml

This is their opinions page.

BTW, congrats on the new baby!!!
Anita

[slknight]

I highly recommend the Carriers forum over on the Baby Bargains Bulletin Board. The women there are very knowledgable about every kind of sling:

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=62

I have an Over the Shoulder Baby Holder (OTSBH) and am not thrilled with it. I find the padding bulky and awkward. I've also got a silk Zolo sling (http:/www.zolowear.com). It is absolutely gorgeous and beautifully made. However, I rarely use it. I just don't think I'm much of a ring-sling person. I can never seem to get either one adjusted right. I would consider getting a pouch sling, but I think at this point DS is getting too old so I wouldn't get much use out of it.

Popular slings in the forum I mentioned seem to be Hot Slings, Maya Wraps, and Kangaro Korner Adjustable Fleece Pouches (KKAFP).

Congratulations!

[Blissful_in_TX]

I went for a pouch sling b/c they are by far the easiest to work with. I got a simple non-adjustable cotton one from hotslings.com as my first one (to see if DS would like it...which he does). My next one will be a fleece adjustable pouch from Kangaroo Korner, which I hear are supposed to be super comfy (the fleece is just a little hot for the summer where we live).

thebabywearer.com has great reviews, and you'll probably be able to learn a lot more there.

Good luck...I couldn't live without my sling!

Amy
Corbin 4-23-04

[Robyncz]

With my first baby, I tried a pouch and a sling and baby and I hated both of them. When I had my second baby, DD1 was only 17 months old so I HAD to have something for the little one. This time I went to a local shop specializing in breastfeeding (bras, clothing, pumps, etc) and had a sling fitted. What a difference that made. They showed me how to use it and help me practice. As my baby got older, I went back a couple of times to learn how to use it in a different position.

I feel STRONGLY that the thing that made it work the second time was getting help from someone who really knew how to use it. I could have bought one much cheaper on the web, I'm sure, but I never would have used it because I couldn't get it comfortable for either of us.

Perhaps there is a similar store in your area? If you'd like I can call mine here in Austin and see if they have a suggestion for you.

Good luck!

[beacooker]

Thanks for the replies and info. After doing a lot of reading, I discovered that apparently most people who own slings own lots of different ones. And for every positive review of any sling, I could find a negative one. I finally decided that I need to just pick a sling, and hope I like it. I decided on a non-adjustable pouch sling from Hotslings. Robyn, part of the reason I chose that one is that it is non-adjustable, and I looked in my phone book and didn't see any place in town that specializes in lactation, so I didn't think I would get much help in getting a sling adjusted. Thank you so much for your kind offer to call your place. :) If I hate this sling, I may take you up on it!

[Robyncz]

I just checked out the site and that looks like a super choice! I hope it works for you. I don't know what I would have done without my sling. . .