Baby Sling for a newborn

[melissabel]

I'm a new mom to a 3 week old baby girl and desperately want to find a sling/pouch that will allow me to keep her close to me while around the house and will allow me to discreetly nurse her out in public.

I purchased the Maya Wrap ring sling before she was born and my husband and I have had a horrible time trying to figure out how to use it. The DVD has been less than helpful, threading the wrap took us quite a while to figure out and when we put DD in the wrap, she seemed to be swallowed up in it, didn't seem comfortable and cried the whole time she was in it. I think I have given up on the maya wrap despite all the good things I have heard about it. I need to purchase a different sling and wanted suggestions. Anyone have experience with the OTSBH? I am wondering if a padded sling might work better with a small newborn or maybe a pouch like the new native would be better? Please help a new mom new to babywearing!!

Thanks!

[nfowife]

Have you checked out hotslings? http://www.hotslings.com . I just got one for my baby (due in April) after getting a ton of recommendations from here and other boards I frequent. The owner (Kristen) is great about getting you the right size, don't hesitate to email her! I haven't tried it with my baby yet but it is super easy to put on and position without the baby in it so far, and I tried it with a friend's baby and it was so easy! It isn't padded, but has a lightly padded leg rail for when baby is old enough to hip carry and it is a little stretchy too. I wanted a fleece pouch but with summer coming I figured I might wait until fall to get one of those.
Best of luck!

[egoldber]

I think the best thing you can do is try to find someone near you who can use a sling and have them show you how. All ring slings operate pretty much the way. The padded slings actually tend to have MORE fabric than unpadded slings, so that may not solve your problem. If you can find a LLL meeting or an AP group, they often have some expert sling wearers.

What you might want to do is wait until your DD is asleep and then watch the Maya DVD and practice with a doll or stuffed animal. Its easier to get the hang of things when they baby isn't wiggling.

And all sling to envelope newborns. There are ways to adjust the fabric so that doesn't happen, but it takes practice.

HTH,

[npace19147]

Some moms just aren't into ring slings for whatever reason - they never appealed to me. I second the hotsling recommendation, or my other favorite for a newborn is the moby wrap. More of a learning curve than a pouch but both you and DH could wear it and it's super comfy.

[sashaa]

Same thing here.. I just bought a hotsling and Kristen helped me to get the right size. I am due early April and the reason I chose hotsling is because of its ease of use. I might get another one in Fall, a KKAFP, since it is made out of fleece and it is also adjustable.

[lenad]

I had a pouch (New Native, like a Hotsling) when my DD was little (6wks? don't remember exactly) but she didn't like the cradle position, or anything that constrained her legs or arms. So I got a Moby and she stopped complaining. I have since returned the New Native, and gotten a Hotsling, but I use it for hip carry now (DD is almost 5 months). Moby was wonderful--very comfy, easy in and out, she used to fall asleep in it all the time.

I second the suggestion of trying a sling with your baby. Some babies seem happy with most slings, and some are picky (like my daughter). If you go to the http://www.thebabywearer.com you can check out whether there is a workshop near you and try the many different slings plus have help doing it.

Best,

LD

[babynell]

Another thought, with most types of slings & pouches, it can feel like small babies are just lost in all that fabric. One thing that can help is to fold up a receiving blanket or small towel and use it as a sort of pillow so keep baby a little higher up in the sling.

HTH
Marilyn

[melissabel]

I have to thank everyone for their help. I ordered a hotsling, waiting for it to arrive and I'm looking for a secondhand KKAFP for use for the remainder of the winter season.

However I still would like a ring sling as well and I think a padded one would be easier for a novice like me.

Has anyone had experience with the Kangaroo Korner padded sling? I like that its padded and has a tail. Any other recommendations on padded slings?
Also if anyone knows of a babywearing group or babywearing workshop in the NYC area, please let me know. I couldn't find anything on babywearer.com

Thanks again!

Melissa

[npace19147]

Don't know anything about the KK sling but it gets good reviews at Babywearer - check out their reviews section. Also, you can post on their forum boards looking for a workshop in the NYC area, I think I've seen it mentioned before.

[jmct]

I second the hotsling rec. However, dd didn't care much for it as a newborn (although despite her dislike of it, it did put her to sleep after a minute or two of fussing). But now that she's in the hip carry, she loves it. So don't give up on the slings right away if your dc doesn't seem to like it right away.

Jen