Baby wearing??? Slings ??? I'm a beginner and need to learn

[MissSara]

Since i joined this forum i have never even thought about slings and all the other things you can carry your baby around in, i just always though pram was best and thats what mums are ment to do.

Now i'm wanting to know for when baby gets here EVERYTHING about it, like what different types are available, how i carry baby, can i do this from baby being newborn??? Where i buy them from???
The benefits and things.

I know i seem a thicko here, you all seem sooooo clued up on everything. Makes me wonder when i had Harrison if i walked around with my eyes closed.

Any advice or anything would be a great help, as you can tell by this post I know NOTHING about this way of carrying baby around. Thankyou xxx

 

[beanie]

there are somany benefits to babywearing - here are a few

Babies cry less. Research has shown that babies who are carried cry (on average) 43% less overall and 54% less during the evening hours (1). In cultures where babies are carried almost continuously, babies cry much less than those in non-carrying cultures (2-6).

Good for baby's mental development. Babies spend more time in a "quiet, alert state" when carried - the ideal state for learning. Their senses are stimulated while being carried (yet there is a place to retreat too). When carried, your baby sees the world from where you do, instead of the ceiling above his crib or people's knees from a stroller. And the extra stimulation benefits brain development.

Good for baby's emotional development. Babies are quickly able to develop a sense of security and trust when they are carried. They are more likely to be securely attached to their care-giver/s (7) and often become independent at an earlier age (8).

Good for baby's physical development. By being so close to your body's rhythms, your newborn "gets in rhythm" much more quickly. Your heartbeat, breathing, voice and warmth are all familiar. Research has shown how this helps newborns (especially premature babies) to adapt to life outside the womb (9).

Good for babies whose mums are depressed. Babies who are not held need more verbal interaction and eye contact, just to be reassured that you're there. Carrying your baby is a great way to connect with her (and provide stimulation too) without the "burden" of having to interact (10). Of course your baby is "right there" to enjoy whenever you feel like snuggling, kissing or talking

from here
I also found this a great article

as for types, there is a pouch sling, ring sling, wrap sling, mei tai etc etc. I found one of the best guides to the different kinds is this

there are a few babywearers on here, Melanie is an expert, Lisa&Alex, Squiglet, Zebrastripes. I have pouch slings, mei tai, wrap so can help with any of those. I love babywearing and wouldn't do anything else

 

[Squiglet]

there are somany benefits to babywearing - here are a few

Babies cry less. Research has shown that babies who are carried cry (on average) 43% less overall and 54% less during the evening hours (1). In cultures where babies are carried almost continuously, babies cry much less than those in non-carrying cultures (2-6).

Good for baby's mental development. Babies spend more time in a "quiet, alert state" when carried - the ideal state for learning. Their senses are stimulated while being carried (yet there is a place to retreat too). When carried, your baby sees the world from where you do, instead of the ceiling above his crib or people's knees from a stroller. And the extra stimulation benefits brain development.

Good for baby's emotional development. Babies are quickly able to develop a sense of security and trust when they are carried. They are more likely to be securely attached to their care-giver/s (7) and often become independent at an earlier age (8).

Good for baby's physical development. By being so close to your body's rhythms, your newborn "gets in rhythm" much more quickly. Your heartbeat, breathing, voice and warmth are all familiar. Research has shown how this helps newborns (especially premature babies) to adapt to life outside the womb (9).

Good for babies whose mums are depressed. Babies who are not held need more verbal interaction and eye contact, just to be reassured that you're there. Carrying your baby is a great way to connect with her (and provide stimulation too) without the "burden" of having to interact (10). Of course your baby is "right there" to enjoy whenever you feel like snuggling, kissing or talking

Wow that sounds a lot like lil miss

Beanie is right on the mark with all this.... From personal experience, although I've had some tough times with lil miss when she went through her colicky stage, she is also a much more tranquil and peaceful baby. Most people cannot believe how happy and content she is when she is in the sling. When she was colicky... The sling was the ONLY thing that would help her get off to sleep.

The only time I really use a push chair is if we are going on a long walk where I know there will be much to carry...and it usually ends up with the baby in the sling and the push chair being used as a pack horse. She gets bored in the pushchair and I need to attach a variety of toys, but as of yet I've never had to do that with the sling.. There is too much going on in mummy's world...too much to see, too many people to talk to.

Lil miss is clingy, (but I know babies that aren't carried who are clingy), but she is not afraid of strangers. She is perfectly fine with anyone and has a smile for everyone as long as she is "on" mummy.

My choices for baby carriers are ring slings and mei tai's. That is because from birth I was able to put lil miss chest to chest which was her favourite position with both these carriers... Loads of people swear by wraps, which look lovely and snug, but putting them on looks complicated and has always scared me off. Pouches really need to be made for you, where as the ring sling is the exact same thing, but adjustable.

There are hundreds of different makes and models, but my ring sling is a thrifty freedom sling from ebay for 16 quid and is a no frills, bog standard sling, and I have made my mei tai's from patterns of the internet, if you've got a sewing machine, they are really simple to make. People have carried their babies for 1000's of years from plain old lengths of cloth, so it doesn't need to be fabulous to do the job... although I would LURVE a pure silk double sided sling

 

[lauramumof2]

I liked my corrie pouch sling from brightspark slings. It was only good for about 3 months then he got to heavy. I never got another type after that but I wished I had.

The coorie was very snuggly.

 

[Lola's Mummy]

I agree Beanie is right on the mark

I carry Lola in either a wrap which is great and the best money i've ever spent and i've recently bought a mei tai which i also love

I do prefer wraps to mei tai's though

My wrap is a kari me and the mei tai is a Babyhawk

 

[Marijana FC]

My sling (close baby carrier it's the name of it) was the best baby thing we bought! Danica absolutely loved it! She was very, very difficult and wanted to be carried all the time and I wouldn't have survived it without the sling. She was/is so content in it!

 

[-Kelly-]

I used a ring sling when Oliver was little so that he could be in the cradle position, and I could feed him in it, but now that he's a bit bigger I love the mei tai (I have a babyhawk).. I also have a wrap on the way but they do have a learning curve. There's plenty of stuff on the internet that you can read through and decide which carrier is best for you, different ones suit different people.

I'm fairly new to babywearing, we had a gap between using the ring sling and now using the mei tai, but I think it's brilliant - I love having him so close to me, he's really contented, and I can imagine it'd be twice as useful if you had an older child to care for too. You can strap baby on you and continue going about your day while still bonding and keeping little one happy

 

[Bee]

I have a wrap sling that I got from lisa&alex on here. I love it - only recently got it so have only used it a handful of times but Finlay loves it and he settles really quick

Its so easy to tie once u get the hang of it! Its Finlay's hands free kit

 

[beanie]

I can imagine it'd be twice as useful if you had an older child to care for too. You can strap baby on you and continue going about your day while still bonding and keeping little one happy

I really agree with this. I have found it a godsend when in the early days Cally wantedto be held but Seren wanted attention etc. I really believe it helped with the jealously, I hated saying to Seren "I can't" because of Cally. Also it has meant we can go to the park and I have Cally there with me and I just get on with playing with Seren (even have played football with Cally strapped to me).

Here's me showing off my multi tasking carrying Cally in a hug a bub whilst doing Seren's hair (scuse the cheesy grin but OH was making me laugh) Honestly Cally is in there

 

[Squiglet]

I wish I could put lil miss on my back... but she'd just puke in my hair all the time...

 

[Babylicious]

I wish I could put lil miss on my back... but she'd just puke in my hair all the time...

ewww

I think if I was to carry harrison in a sling my back would need reinforcing

 

[Squiglet]

I wish I could put lil miss on my back... but she'd just puke in my hair all the time...

ewww

I think if I was to carry harrison in a sling my back would need reinforcing

I did put lil miss on my back yesterday... It was lovely... much easier on my back than the front carry and lil miss is bigger than Harrison sadly she did pooky... she just mssed my hair thankfully... although warm puke running down your back isn't as fun as it sounds...