Slings?

Emily - posted on 02/18/2009

You should definitely try a mei tai for toddlers! They're much easier to get on and off, they're great on your back, and you can easily do front or back carries. I still put my 3 1/2 and 2 1/2 year olds on my back occasionally (not at the same time!) and my 13 month old loves front or back carries in it. :)

Mary - posted on 02/16/2009

I have a ring sling and a moby wrap. The ring sling is easy to put on and take off, super convenient! But it is not so good for my back. The Moby Wrap is great for my back, but complicated to get on and off. Also, it has gotten easier to carry him in the Moby Wrap as he has gotten bigger. He is 18 lbs now and we have issues with adjusting the ring sling now that he can move around and fight it.

Michelle - posted on 02/16/2009

is there anyone here in aus...? what kind of sling did you use and whereabouts did you find it?

Elizabeth - posted on 02/10/2009

We never really got the hang of baby carrying (and my son isn't super cuddly), but of all the things I had, I liked my Mei Tai the best. I know lots of people who love their Ergos... if I had it to do over again, that's what i would get.

Sherry - posted on 02/09/2009

Slings are my life, we have been slinging for 16 years. BOTH my husband and I wear the children.  I make my own ring type slings.  Work amazing.  I would be lost without a sling,  I've sling children of different ages on many vacations.  It's wonderful cause my children nurse in them so whatever you are doin you just keep on doin it :)

Heather - posted on 02/07/2009

I used a sling with my son till he was 2 but my daughter it doesn't work so well for. The seriously best thing I ever bought for my children is a chunei carrier try ihosa.com!

Amie - posted on 02/06/2009

For a child that age and weight I would recommend the Ergo. Its not a sling, but a carrier. It looks similar to the Baby Bjorn (if you've seen one of those) but it is ergonomically designed and can hold more weight then most carriers for babies. I have one and still use it for my 3 yo. Its very comfortable and you can carry them on your front, hip or back (which is my preference). I don't think its ever too late to carry those babies...the more time they spend next to Mommy (or daddy) the better! Good luck!

EJ - posted on 02/06/2009

Hi Julie. I use 2 slings different slings. One is the freedom sling (cloth and ring) which is great as it folds up small and fits in my changing bag so goes everywhere with me (except on wash days :) These slings can be used by people of all builds and heights, and can be used from birth to 3+ With the freedom sling you can wear baby on your front, back or hip, you get a cd which shows you how to fix it. Heres the website http://www.freedomslings.co.uk/

The other sling I use is a Wilkinet, which has more padding and is a 2 shoulder sling. A bit more comfortable, but not as easy to get on as the freedom sling. And as for fitting into my handbag, no chance!!

Becky - posted on 02/01/2009

I love my Ergo. Better than any ringsling, mei tei, or pouch I've used. Deffinatly more comfortable. My DS is 1 and just about 25lbs and I can carry him around for hours front or back without any issues

Terrah - posted on 01/27/2009

I still carry my 24 pound 11 month old and my 30 pound 2 year old in the Ergobaby sling... it is sort of like a mei tai but with buckles. It is so comfortable that I recently wore my son while we hiked through the mountains to cut down our christmas tree. He slept the whole time :) I think it is so important to keep your children close to you whenever possible-- dont get me wrong- I use my double stroller a lot too- but I love, love the times when I get to carry my babies close to my heart :) The Ergo carrier says it goes up to 38 pounds

Emily - posted on 01/27/2009

That would be a pouch that you had... and personally, I don't like them.

Adjustable ring slings are much easier. I also like wraps and mei tais. Mei tais are great for older babies and toddlers and especially for back carries. If you have back problems, I would definitely go for a two shouldered carrier.

Also, I still put my 28 lb 3 1/2 year old and my 25 lb 2 1/2 year old in slings... and my 18 lb 13 month old. They all love them. Though for longer carrying periods, I prefer the two-shouldered carriers for the bigger kids.

Layla - posted on 01/26/2009

I love slings... but have found my that one of my favorite carries is called a Scootababy, www.scootababy.com. It's for wearing on the hip only but is so more comfortable than a sling and can be used until your little one is at least 35 or 40 lbs. It's also very easy to use and understand.

Tricia - posted on 01/26/2009

I have a home-made ring sling which works like a charm.  I'm a new mom, and I had no trouble getting it to work for me.  www.thebabywearer.com has reviews of baby carriers, and unpadded ring slings generally get high marks, regardless of the brand, so I would say, whatever is easiest for you to get ahold of would be a fine bet. 

The only caveat is that wearing a baby that heavy for long periods might be uncomfortable, especially because a sling puts all of the weight on one shoulder.  A wrap is more versitile and spreads the weight out more, but it might be harder to learn to use as you have to tie it.  If you decide to go that route, www.gypsymama.com has great instructions for tying wraps.

Best of luck!

Amanda - posted on 01/26/2009

You could try. I carried my children in one until they were 4. When they were older, they sat on my hip or on my back. I had a Dr. Sears (now called Nojo) sling. My sling had a ring and came with directions (with pics). It was $40.00. I started "wearing" my kids 12 yrs. ago, so there wasn't much choice in slings. I've heard from other moms that the Nojo sling is a little bulky to them. I had nothing to compare it to, at the time, but maybe, since it had lots of material and support, it allowed me to wear them longer. Good luck!