Slings????

[hardworkinmama]

I have a 2 year old and am expecting #2 in June. I have been considering using a sling this time around so that I will have my hands free to still do things around the house. I was wondering what others thought about them. From those that have used them:
Did you like them?
What were the pros?
What were the cons?

From those that have used them and had other children:
Did you find them to be a big help?
Or were they more of an inconvienence?

From those who decided against using them:
What were your reasons?
Did you try them and decide you didn't like them? Why?

I am just trying to get some inside perspective from those who have been there. Thanks for all the advice in advance!

[Angelsrose12]

I used a Baby Bjorn with my DD. She was a first, but it really helped when she wanted to be held and I needed both hands to do something. I also thought it was very comfortable as did my husband. DH actually has back problems and found that this was the easiest way of carrying her about. She was (is) a larger baby since we are tall as well as big boned, so she got too big for it fast. I think we used it until she was about 6 months. I intend to use it again with my second due in April. DD is 18 mo right now, so I am guessing the 2 of them will be more than a handful! I also think it will be a nice way to bond with baby while still playing with DD.

As for the cons, I have heard from some of my shorter friends (I am 5'10" and DH is 6'3") that it was less comfortable for them on the back. Also, it was a pain in the butt in winter or cooler months. I would wear it under my coat and strap her in when I got to the place.

[tmonfet01]

I'm having #2 in June, but when my dd was an infant I was taking care of a toddler... so here we go, lol.

I used a Peanut shell... I LOVED IT!! Plan on using it when the new baby comes as well!!
Pros: both hands are free to do anything. You obviously shouldn't be cooking with the baby in the sling, but other small jobs around the house are amazing. I used mine while grocery shopping, on the computer, washing dishes, doing laundry, cleaning the house, and taking care of my friends child.
I also loved my peanut shell because it was made from a strong breathable cotton. Coming from someone who has a sweating problem in the summer, it never cause me any problems. The peanut shell is actually very comforting because it keeps baby snug to your body, and keeps the baby warm without having to add blankets because you're body keeps the wrap warm.
Unlike a reg. carrier the sling can be thrown in the washer and dryer (on a low setting) to get clean as much as you want. I know they sell matching baby snuggles and nursing covers which are really nice as well. Another pro is that this sling in comparison to a carrier or moby sling keeps the baby lower towards your waist so you don't feel confined. I found with my carrier that as my dd got bigger, it was much harder to do things with her in it that I could breeze through doing with my peanut sling.

Con: it will take you about a wk and a half to get used to the "usage" of it. Putting the baby in, making him/or her snuggled and comfortable, and taking the baby out. Once you have that down though, it's a breeze.

One thing I would advise, is taking a trip to a baby store and trying them out to find the right fit so you're not stuck with buying one online and need it in a different size.

[Elizabeth's_mommy]

I love slings. I only have one child (7 months old now) and use slings everyday. I have three different ones because it took us a while to find our stride with them.

1) Moby Wrap.
Pro- This is the best of mine for my back and it is very comfortable to walk around in for a long period of time. We often walk to the library or our downtown in this carrier
Con- It is a pain to put on- you wrap it around yourself in a set way to get it in place. When I take the baby out to change her diaper I usually have stretched it out enough to have to re-tie it around myself. Another con is that she is not as stable in it as I would like. I usually keep one hand on her to make sure she doesn't throw herself forward or backward. My daughter wouldn't lay down in any of them and likes to be vertical.
2) Baby Bjorn. This is the one we use everyday.
Pro- It is much easier to put on than the moby and I the baby feels really secure in it. This is the only one of mine that I can really have both hands free. My daughter loves it and so does my husband.
Con- Like the moby, you can't be holding the baby when you put the carrier on. It is not as good for the back. I can only go about 2-3 hours before my back hurts and I need a break (but I can still use it multiple times a day).
3) Baby Balboa- This is one that goes over the shoulder and the baby is cradled in it when really little and then sits in it on your hip when older.
Pro- you can put it on when the baby is already in your arms. It is really easy to get on and off
Con- it doesn't take too long to hurt your shoulder and back.

If I could only keep one it would be the Baby Bjorn. The only other problem with it as your only sling is that your baby has to be over 8 lbs to use it. I had a preemie and it took us a while to get there.

[hardworkinmama]

Thank you so much for the information ladies! It is all great and will be a big help in making my decision. Keep it coming! :D

[ltille20]

i am a huge an of slings, and i used 2. my son is the type of baby that has to be held all the time,so they have come in handy. the first was a hotsling, and it worked great while he was little, it was comfy for me, and he loved it too. when he was about 4-5 months old, he weighed over 20 poiunds, and it started hurting my shoulder so i bought an ergo baby carrier, and this is by for the best one, i still use it, and it distributes the weight to your lower back so it doesnt feel heavy.

[rh2rich]

Hi Hardworkinmomma,

I so love your user name.

Anyway, My sons are very close in age, and I considered using a sling so I could keep one connected while I played/ worked/took care of the other one.

Oddly, I ran into another mother who had two kids about the same number of months apart but much older then my own and she told me that her kids were experiencing jealousy issues, and warned me about giving the "appearance" that I was showing more love to one child one more then the other. I thought it was silly because, my boys were so little, but took the comments in - I needed to just think about what she had said.

Eventually, I went back to her and asked her for some additional advice/ information (as most of my friends only had one kid and the issue she spoke of was a non issue) and what she told me has helped a lot. She said that I could use the sling, if I chose to, but to find more moments where I could cuddle my other young son so his feelings felt protected. She told me to let him hold his brother in the sling to see how it feels (just not too much or it might go the other way). She told me to speak to my son (regardless of his age) about his baby brother, as if he fully understood me, using my soft voice and to be cautious about the fact that he was small, and unable to say when things were hurting his feelings. But above all, she told me that her oldest thought she loved his brother more and to this day, he still feels that way and that she wishes someone would have informed her about such issues. She said that she grew up learning that a mom just needed to say, its a baby he/ she needs this, but that kids see it differently. And she is working to make her older son know that she loves him like fire loves heat (my way of saying "like crazy").

I used a sling of sorts, with my first daughter and it was great, but she was an only child at the time and so those issues were never brought to my attention. But, I chose not to use it with my last son, because my middle son did not remember being in it and I never wanted him to feel hurt or left out. Now, because I started cuddling them both (it was harder, I would say), they cuddle me both at the same time. There is no lap fighting and I don't get that, "it's my mommy" statement that so often comes with a push.

Yes, that friend was right and jealousy is a very big problem with kids this close together and I think that not using it helped to curb some of that. My daughter was older when I used to sling my oldest son, so she saw it quite differently and would lie over me when I held him. My son was just over one year, when I had my last child and I think I did the right thing. I see sometimes that my daughter looks over and seems like she may not feel apart and so I just push over and say, "Wanna lay with me" and she does.

I wish you the best in whatever you choose and I hope that what I relayed was helpful.

Blessing,
rh2rich...

[Mommy_Of_Mia]

I too use the baby bijon. LOVE IT. You have to have the straps adjusted properly otherwise for me, it KILLS my back. As long as you do have the straps adjusted right though it's great. I use it:

1: Cleaning.
2: Working out
3: Grocery shopping
4: Walking. ( I will usually take the stroller, but sometimes my little girl gets fussy and wants me to hold her and she will settle for the bijon. So I'm walking along with an empty stroller and a baby hanging off me 1/2 the time!)

My baby feels safe and secure in it, Oh and I can breastfeed her while she is in it too!

[Saphira]

I used a sling with Roo.

I hate hate HATE when people carry their babies around in the car seats. It's a HUGE pet peeve. I mean, I understand... to an extent... But at the same time... There are so many other ways to carry your child. I can't do it, not for me - but to each his own! So I got a sling so that I would be able to leave the seat behind. It helped a LOT.

First of all, it keeps the infant very bundled up so they feel like it's familiar territory like the womb. It'd be like wrapping your baby up in a blanket, forgot what that's called right now.

Secondly, your hands are free and you're able to do just about anything. Dishes, laundry, sweep/mop, vacuum even. I especially liked to wear it to the grocery store. Really helped out a lot.

Also, you can breastfeed easily. If you wear a shirt designed for it, situate the sling just so, then you can breastfeed in public without anyone knowing. Or you can do so at home while tending to other chores.

OH! And it worked GREAT for when she was really fussy and refused to sleep. Being in the sling and just waling her around, she was instantaneously gone. Though it was kinda hard to move her from the sling to the bassinet. But her sleeping was her not crying which was me happy!

I don't really have anything bad to say about the sling... It worked really great for me. However I don't have multiple children to take care of. :]

[*Babylon*]

Saphira, it's swaddling :) I still do it to put my almost 4 months old to sleep.
Hardworkinmama, I got the baby bjorn, nothing bad to say, except that you can't use it immediately with a newborn.