Material wrap slings - opinions/advice

[R11]

Expecting first baby in a couple of weeks and wanting to get a material sling for baby carrying out and about from birth and beyond - the type you can tie up in about 6 different positions depending on the size and age of your baby and your preference. I've had a strong recommedation for a Didymos but now seen a lot of other brands, some of which are quite a lot cheaper: Hug-a-bub, Calin Bleu, Earth mums, etc. However they appear to be mostly only available online and not in baby shops so you can't look and touch and try before you buy (although that's a little tricky when you have a large bump and no baby yet!). Does anyone have any advice or experience they could offer or know any shops that do stock these kind of slings to have a look at. Also, if anyone has a second hand one they want to sell. I'm not looking for the structured Baby bjorn type - just a material one.

Thanks

[darlin']

I bought a "Close Baby" stretchy material wrap from John Lewis, totally on a whim one day when my baby was little and was crying in her buggy. It was brilliant and she loved being it- never cried once. Think you can use it lots of different ways, from birth to at least 1. You could certainly get a feel for it by trying it on in the shop.

[catgirl]

I believe there's a group called slingmeet or something like that which has a south london group. They meet up regularly and I think are very happy for new people to go along and have a look at the different slings people use and try a few out. Should come up if you google it.

[The Nappy Lady]

Yes, sling meet would be a good thing to do (if you Google them I'm sure you'll find a local meet), and also there is a Yahoo group where you can swap or buy slings 2nd hand (pm me if you can't find them).

I know some serious sling wearers (goes with cloth nappy territory I guess) and Didymos seemed to be one of the top options.

We have a Hug a Bub which we used masses with daughter no. 1 - hubby walked her in it every day for the first 6 months or so, it is green and purple, (you can have it for a tenner if you want it as we are done with it now).

The issue with a lot of the fabric slings is that once baby gets heavier they tend to stretch when you wear them so don't work as well. But they are fab for the early days.

Have you looked at Ergos....or I have a Beco which is almost identical but a bit less expensive and have to say I love it. They are hybrids, a sort of cross between a completely soft cloth sling and something like a Baby Bjorn. When tiny you carry baby on your front facing you, then later on your back rather like a back pack! They are fab and my 11 month old has always loved it, never been happier than when in her sling. It rolls up to look something like a bum bag when not in use, which I also love - here's some examples;

http://www.tendercargo.com/catalog/Beco-Butterfly-2-Baby-Carrier-2.0-II.html?gclid=CLDrrt_Wip0CFVtn4wodijIO2Q

Hope this helps.

Molly

[hanstands]

Hiya - there was a Slingmeet on this morning at the Horniman Museum cafe [which is the usual current venue]. To find the next track down the SE London Slingmeet here: http://www.slingmeet.co.uk/forums

When you have a wee baby the stretchy wraps are the best - any brand really as long as its a stretchy wrap - the Didymos ones are better for when you're carrying your older baby say past 4-5 months as they aren't stretchy and baby is held closer in to you so lighter load for you to bear. Recommend buying a secondhand stretchy wrap to start off with then trying other slings at Slingmeet, after your baby has grown a bit.

Hope that helps! Slinging is SOOOO nice - especially when they are very wee...ahh - how lovely.

[Moos]

Oh yes, and Baby Bjorns are rubbish once your baby gets past about 15 pounds. In fact, they're generally a bit rubbish, I wish I'd gone for a more supportive sling.

[ludoscotts]

hi I started off with a baby bjorn but then moved on to an angel pack lx. Ive got a really bad back so found the fabric wrap type to still be too much pressure on my back and shoulders but found the angel pack great as all the weight goes on your hips and you could put them your hips, back and front well worth looking at. I got mine from a website called slingjaks which have lots of good pics of all the different types.

[agathoise]

Different slings suit different people -- this is why it's great to meet up with a group of mums and try out different sorts of slings (Slingmeet and La Leche League meetings are good places for this). Over four children I've managed to build quite a sling collection (17 at last count) -- sometimes buying them for looks, sometimes because the technology improves (8 years ago there were only a handful of choices), sometimes because I want to do different things at different stages (carry baby on back, be able to get baby in and out of sling quickly, be able to carry for long periods of time). With each baby I've had different "favourite" slings.

At least one of the main UK online sling shops rents out slings by the week so that you can try before you buy -- this is useful (it's either Little Possums or Big Mama Slings -- google to find their websites). I think you may be able to use the rental cost against the purchase of a new one, but I'm not sure - again, check the website.

One hint though -- the earlier you start 'slinging' your baby the easier it will be. Even from the first couple of days, having baby nestled into a ring sling so that your hands are free is really useful. If you wait longer they may protest a bit, particularly if you aren't moving. Again, simply get walking, and baby will almost certainly settle.

Many mothers find the Huggababy ring sling an easy first sling because you adjust it once to fit, then simply slip it on (rather than adjust once it is on). It's not as versatile as many newer models, but it is a good starter sling -- there's very little to go wrong. They can also often be found second hand on eBay. Always adjust the sling so that it's like a "Miss World" sash -- i.e. close to your body, not hanging down, then slip baby in. A common mistake is to have the sling too loose, so that baby is dangling around your waist. This is unsafe for baby and bad for your back: the closer a baby is to your body, and the higher he's positioned, the less strain it puts on your back. Some slings -- e.g. Maya Wrap -- come with a "how to" dvd. I'm sure there are plenty of sling tutorials on YouTube as well.

HTH - happy slinging!

All the best

Agathoise

[R11]

Thanks everyone - that's really helpful.