Suggestions for Baby Slings/Wraps?

Liz - posted on 09/20/2011

I nursed in my sling. It took more concentration than you would want but it is handy when you want to play online and need two hands to type. I agree with a pp who said it is easier when you are in a nursing top instead of lifting your shirt. I wore nursing camis when at home and was able to go from not nursing to nursing in about 5 seconds. There is a big learning curve but I eventually got the hang of it enough to vacuum or wash a few dishes. Nothing that required bending over.

Rebekah - posted on 09/19/2011

Never mastered nursing in a sling either... but I have a friend that nurses her daughter all the time in mei tai type carrier, completely hands free.

Susannah - posted on 09/19/2011

I've never quite mastered the art of nursing in a sling, but oh, how I've tried! I suspect it's much easier if you're not a busty sort, and if you don't need to support your breast while the baby nurses. If it works, you can just latch the baby on, and then use the sling to support them while they nurse - and you can move about freely and go about your business. That would be living the hands-free baby care dream, wouldn't it? Like you, I have heard that the ring slings are easiest for nursing, because they're infinitely adjustable. Also: it's way easier to nurse in a sling if you're wearing a nursing top you can pull down (rather than trying to lift your shirt up). You can use the sling for coverage once the baby is latched if you're worried about being discreet.

Brianna - posted on 09/18/2011

i just learned that you can actually nurse your baby while its in a sling there fore u can be walking around at the same time. one of the good slings for that i heard was ring sling

Lucy - posted on 09/16/2011

I have this one on my registry... Can't tell you how it is yet, but my SIL recommended the brand... and it's super cute :) http://myregistry.com/babystore/details.... We're also going to get a more traditional (and unisex! dh isn't digging those flowers haha) baby carrier, probably something like these... http://myregistry.com/babystore/items.as...

Liz - posted on 09/12/2011

I had a New Native sling, a moby wrap and mei tai carrier. Yes the moby is 300 feet long but I just put it on one time and popped my DD in and out of it as needed. As she got older, I used the New Native sling which I loved! I didn't get my Mei Tai carrier until later on so I used it after 9 months but will be using it from about 3 months with this new LO (EDD Jan 2, 2012) If you can go somewhere and try them on, that helps. Especially since you are not very far along. You can tell how they feel. Carry a gallon of water in it (~8lbs) and see how it pulls on your shoulders.
As for mine, I felt secure with the Moby wrap. The sling I always had a hand on her. She was secure but when they are not pressed against you, it sets your center of gravity off a bit. Just don't get a crotch dangler and you will be good.

Susannah - posted on 09/12/2011

Yes - I'm having great luck with the Baby K'Tan too - still using it daily with my 6 mos old (and she's a big girl, at nearly 20 pounds already). Lots of support for a newborn, and it distributes the weight nicely across both shoulders. Much as I like Baby K'Tan, my all-time favorites are Kangaroo Korner's fleece adjustable pouch slings (http://www.mothering.com/community/t/129...); they're by far the most comfortable we've used, and I relied on them in the cooler months for both our kids during the baby years. They've gone out of business, but if you see any used, I highly recommend them as well.

Rebekah - posted on 09/11/2011

I love the Baby K'tan (http://www.babyktan.com). I used it with my daughter, almost daily, when she was a baby so I could keep up with her big brother. It's very similar to the wraps, but it doesn't require any wrapping so it only takes a few seconds to slip on. The only negative I have is that it's not very adjustable so as my daughter got heavier I needed to wash it to shrink it up again after every few uses.

I also had a pouch style sling, but after the first couple of months my daughter was too big for it. I think a good ring sling would be much better.

I have a mei tai type carrier, but the one I have (from Infantino called the Eco Sash http://www.infantino.com/category.cfm?su...) always seemed a little too big. In fact, I bet my 2 year old would fit in it perfectly now, but she'd be too heavy for me to carry.

Good luck! I've heard great things about the Ergo carriers too.

Naomi - posted on 09/01/2011

Can't help too much but I'd be interested to know what others think too! I had a hug of joy for my first which is a tight pouch sort of sling. It was ok, I could carry him around in it, he liked it, but I didn't feel I could use it hands free, I always had a hand behind his head, and it was too tight to nurse in, or lift him out into his bed once he fell alseep (without waking him). Also, after a while of walking in it my back would start to hurt low down because it's an over the should one. For those reasons I'm looking at two options this time; The Ring sling for the early months cus it seems best and easiest for nursing in discreetly while walking around and such and is adjustable for sitting up versus lying down. Then, for longer walks or trips out where I don't want to push a double stroller I'm thinking something like the Moby Wrap. I know it's that super long piece of fabric, but I tried one on at a store and it's SO easy to tie. I was always worried about a wrap because I was afraid I would not do it right and it would come undone. But this is really secure because it rests on your shoulders. That's the other big bonus, the support is on shoulders and hips so backs don't hurt as much. I think it will be harder to nurse in but it does work with several different positions so I'm going to look for both second hand and interchange them.
Any other thoughts??