Help choosing a baby sling!

[denneg]

We are travelling to Disney in May when our youngest will be 4 months old. He will primarily be in the stroller for sun protection, but obviously we will have to take him out and hold him when standing in lines we can all go on. I'm trying to decide which sling would be better, based on this criteria: 1. Easy to put on & to get him into - no fancy wraps! 2. Won't make him or I hot (again why I don't want a wrap) 3. Comfortable for both of us. Essentially I want something light that I can keep in the bottom of the stroller and very quickly slip on and put him into. Right now I'm between the Babasling lite and the Maya Ring Sling, so if anyone has any experience with either in the parks - or has another one I should consider - please let me know! Thanks!

 

[houseofduck]

We used the Peanut Shell sling. It's lightweight and slips on easily. We didn't even use a stroller. For sun protection, I just used a hat and tucked the baby's arms in the sling.

 

[denneg]

Thanks, I will look into that!

I should also mention that the baby is gigantic - at 2 months, he's over 24" long and 17 pounds. So he's already the size of a 9-12 month old, and I am assuming he will be able to hold his head up fine in May, so we would primarily be using it as a hip hold. So something that works well with older/heavier babies would be ideal.

 

[houseofduck]

The Peanut Shell (and others like it) say that you can use them up to 36 pounds. I had the classic sling. The adjustable one says up to 26 pounds.

I used it with my children up to about 3 years old (especially at Disney). But, my kids are average to smaller on the growth charts!

 

[MandiC]

Honestly I would try a sling before you buy. I have a ring sling and it worked but wearing for long periods of time would not have worked. I took my 18lb one year old (at the time, that was my second daughter) in it to our city's fireworks one year, we were there about 6 hours and I HURT afterwards. That doesn't happen with our Boba, which is easy and lightweight. I know the Ergo now has an Ergo sport which is supposed to be more breathable but I've never tried it. I've never had any issues with our Boba, even with my 30lb 2 year old

 

[denneg]

The Peanut Shell (and others like it) say that you can use them up to 36 pounds. I had the classic sling. The adjustable one says up to 26 pounds.

I used it with my children up to about 3 years old (especially at Disney). But, my kids are average to smaller on the growth charts!

Oh, good, I'll look at the classic one! I don't want to get one that he'll outgrow before our September trip, assuming it survives this trip in May!

Honestly I would try a sling before you buy. I have a ring sling and it worked but wearing for long periods of time would not have worked. I took my 18lb one year old (at the time, that was my second daughter) in it to our city's fireworks one year, we were there about 6 hours and I HURT afterwards. That doesn't happen with our Boba, which is easy and lightweight. I know the Ergo now has an Ergo sport which is supposed to be more breathable but I've never tried it. I've never had any issues with our Boba, even with my 30lb 2 year old

I am going to take a trip to Babies R Us or Buy Buy Baby over the next week and try some with him, I figured having a narrower list might make the process easier on him! I will definitely be using the stroller for him and our older son, I have a bad shoulder and know I won't be able to hold him all day even with a carrier. Plus he will still nap enough that we'll just let him sleep in the stroller while we take turns taking our older son on rides, we won't disrupt him while he sleeps. My DH is more than happy to go sit in the A/C at the baby care center while the baby sleeps!

 

[msmama]

If he's really that heavy a sling will be hard, you might want to go with something more Ergo-like (which puts the support on booth your shoulders). That said, I had a homemade ring sling that I loved and used a lot.

A 4 month old, even a big one, is still not going to have the body control of a 7-8 month old which means it's going to be up to you to support all of his weight one one shoulder. I understand that you're worried about heat, but I think a sling would be very tiring.

 

[SweetMissy]

Our now 2 year old was 4 months for his 1st trip (we went in February) and I used a beco gemini. Last year we went in April and it was super hot to wear the carrier! So luckily we rented a stroller and that's what we used because I tried the carrier and left it on for like 3 minutes...too hot! This year we're going in May as well and I imagine it's going to be as hot or hotter than April. I know some carriers/slings are thinner and better to use in hot weather....just wanted to put out there that the beco is not the one, lol.

 

[Corey127]

We used an Ergo last June for our then 13 month old, she wasn't walking yet. Primarily used the stroller but used the Ergo for lines since they are mostly air conditioned. Also used it in the evenings since she would fall asleep in it and stay asleep through the bus ride back. Didn't have a problem with heat but look into the sport one.

 

[RachaelA]

Something that is some % linen will be more breathable. I have a wrap conversion ring sling (made out of a woven wrap) that I use at Disney, but its not super breathable because the wrap its made out of is heavier.

 

[tourguide81]

We take 2 carriers when we travel - a homemade ring sling that is based on the Maya wrap sling (they have instructions on their site if you are a sewer at all, super,super easy). If you go the sling route you definitely want something adjustable.

We also have an ergo that we love and take everywhere - newborn through a 5 year old can use it. It is pretty easy to pop on for in and out of line.

 

[denneg]

We take 2 carriers when we travel - a homemade ring sling that is based on the Maya wrap sling (they have instructions on their site if you are a sewer at all, super,super easy). If you go the sling route you definitely want something adjustable.

We also have an ergo that we love and take everywhere - newborn through a 5 year old can use it. It is pretty easy to pop on for in and out of line.

Oh, I am a sewer! The instructions are on the Maya site? I'll have to try that, it's been driving me crazy that they charge so much for essentially a piece of fabric!

Thanks for all the help! When I make the trek to the baby store I feel like I know what to look for now!

 

[angelmom27]

I just went with my DD she was 3 months at the time. I used my marley ring sling. Its a wrap conversion. It was great. I totally understand your criteria. I made the mistake of leaving my RS in the stroller and ended up holding in a line that was about 30 mins long. No fun. I was by myself with my 8yr old DD so i didnt get to pass her off to anyone else.

 

[Lilliputian]

I have heavy babies and love the Ergo-style carriers for them. I think that a few brands offer quality products, but what you're looking for is something that goes over BOTH shoulders and is padded in the shoulders. Ring slings and other carriers that go over one shoulder can be good for small, light babies, but for long periods of time with a larger baby, you will want to use both shoulders. Getting the baby into a ring sling is somewhat faster, but once you get the hang of it, it doesn't take long.

 

[denneg]

I have heavy babies and love the Ergo-style carriers for them. I think that a few brands offer quality products, but what you're looking for is something that goes over BOTH shoulders and is padded in the shoulders. Ring slings and other carriers that go over one shoulder can be good for small, light babies, but for long periods of time with a larger baby, you will want to use both shoulders. Getting the baby into a ring sling is somewhat faster, but once you get the hang of it, it doesn't take long.

My worry with a carrier or 2 shoulder wrap is that I have one very bad shoulder (3 surgeries later its as bad as when I started). I can't hold him with that arm at all, and I'm afraid any pressure from a carrier or wrap would make my pain worse. My good arm/shoulder is strong and able to hold him for long periods of time, so I hope a sling will allow me to hold him longer and more comfortably. I am thinking that if I put the strap on my good shoulder and hold tummy to tummy while he's still so little, I will feel safe and can even hold him with my good arm. Down the road when he is bigger I can do the hip carry so he is sitting on my left hip and his weight is on my good shoulder. Or perhaps my doctor will finally discover how to fix it completely and I won't have to worry!

 

[RachaelA]

Oh, I am a sewer! The instructions are on the Maya site? I'll have to try that, it's been driving me crazy that they charge so much for essentially a piece of fabric!

Thanks for all the help! When I make the trek to the baby store I feel like I know what to look for now!

Make sure you buy rings that are tested for babywearing like http://www.slingrings.com/

 

[star72232]

A ring sling is better than a pouch sling, in that it is adjustable and you don't need an exact size. Pouches are nice for hip carries, but need to be sized exactly right to fit well.

I love Sleeping Baby Productions ring slings. She also has sewing instructions on her page if you want to make your own. I find pleats far more comfortable than a gathered shoulder, but that is personal preference. If you have a local Babywearing group, they always have lots of carriers to try and see what you like. And they can help make sure you are using your carrier in the most comfortable, safest way.

 

[PocahontasLookALike]

I prefer soft structure carriers. Check out the boba air, Ergo sport or the lillebaby with the mesh. All really nice and light!

 

[BadgerGirl84]

I went with a baby the same age and had the same criteria for a baby carrier. We were very happy with the Boba 3G. My husband and I wore it interchangeably and it was comfortable and secure.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[kohlby]

I've used an unpadded Maya for all three of mine and loved it. I also used a similar ring sling that someone made for me. It's simple to make if you have a sewing machine. They used a lightweight fabric and that was so helpful when we went at the end of May. My babies tend to be very big and I'm tiny. But since I was used to the sling, it was no big deal. The only time it was an issue was when my 2.5 year old refused to walk or use the stroller so I ended up with him in the sling all day, after a year of him not using it. On previous trips, I've had babies at the ages of 2 months, 7 months, and 11 months in the sling the entire day - with the 3 year old of the moment getting the stroller. It really wasn't a big deal and was easy to do all day. Again, I was used to carrying them. That wasn't the case when I had to try to carry the 2.5 year old all day.

We've used the sling for other things in Disney too. It can be a lightweight blanket. It can be used over the stroller to block out sights if baby needs to settle down. (Or a different child in our case!) We've even used it as a seat belt in a restaurant chair since it can hold the child in tightly and gently.