Why I love our slings...

Leah did a great job explaining slings and all the options! It figures that she was the one who introduced me to slings and gave me my first. :) It was a handmade Leah original pouch sling that I used OFTEN for Will. I also had (or still have) a ring sling, baby bjorn, ergo and an Infantino sling. Here's why I liked or didn't like them:

1. Leah-made pouch sling - LOVE LOVE LOVE the pouch. It worked perfect for us in many different positions at many different ages, although I don't use it anymore. The pouch was the simplest to use, easy to carry with you and easiest to get on of all the carriers I used. Still have this, will use it for #2.

2. Ring sling - I'm just partial to pouches I think. Overall, this was great but I didn't get it until Will was maybe 6 months old? It was also bulkier and I like simple, easy to carry with you things. Sold this, want more pouch slings. :)

3. Baby Bjorn - NOT in love with this product. It made my back hurt when my baby was only like 10 pounds! It was a pain to put on. In my opinion, there are better carrier options out there for the money! Sold this!

4. Ergo - LOVE LOVE LOVE this carrier! I got this when Will was about 10 months old and we have used it so much! My husband will even use it and it is so wonderful. It NEVER hurts my back, not even when filled with 19lbs of kid! Still have this, can't wait to try it with a newborn.

5. Infantino sling - This sling was difficult to position and I never really liked it. I used it a few times when Will was little, but much prefered my pouch.


Here's a little story about when I was really sold on the benefits of certain baby carriers and wearing your baby. My son was born 7 weeks early and weighed only 3lbs, 3oz (yes, this is too small, he should have been closer to 4.5 pounds at that point). Because of his prematurity, size and continued struggles with weight gain, his progress is followed by a group of specialists. This includes a physical therapist to evaluate his physical development.

The first time we saw them, we had TONS of questions about which products were ok for our little preemie. :) The exersaucer? The johnny jumper? The bumbo? Like any good physical therapist she cautioned us against the use of exersaucers, walkers, jumpers, etc. (She liked the bumbo!) Essentially, the concern is that they do not encourage a healthy position to promote physical development and may delay other milestones if used TOO much. The Baby Bjorn falls into this category too because of the way the baby's legs are spread apart and how they are sitting upright. This is especially important for preemies because they missed out on time in the womb that looks something like this:



She actually mentioned the kangaroo carry (see Leah's post for pics of this) as a way to help his hips develop properly in order to promote walking later on! It keeps his legs in a position similar to what he missed out on in the womb. I'll update you later on the progress with walking...we're rounding 16 months and still army crawling. Although, he's trying.