Is there a sling that would help with this?

[mousemom]

DS walks most of the time, but sometimes he just wants to be held for awhile, like when I come home from work or when he gets tired of the cart during a shopping trip. I don't mind holding him (he usually prefers to sit on my hip), but my arms do get tired. Is there a sling that I could use to just take some of his weight off my arms? It would need to be something very compact to throw in a bag. This would only be for relatively short periods of time, I think, so I don't need anything really heavy duty. Would like something easy to throw in a bag and not too expensive, since I'm not sure how much use it would get/how long we could use it for. Would a hotsling work? DS is small for his age (20 months), but he is still around 25 pounds, so I don't know if that is too big for something like a hotsling to help at all. I know people rave about the Ergo and there is one on my craigslist right now, but I'm not sure if it would get enough use to justify the cost. Thanks!

[Smillow]

I use the Ergo in these situations. I put it in the cart almost every single time I go shopping & when I don't I regret it! My DS is on the bigger side (@ 17 months weighs 27+ pounds) and just needs to be held sometimes... Remember, the Ergo will have resale value when you are done with it. We have just recently started to do back carries in it & as much as I love it for front carries - the back carry is super comfortable (but you have to readjust the straps)...

[mousemom]

Is the ergo comfortable for hip carries? DS seems to prefer that position.

[swissair81]

maybe a mei tai. they are somewhat less bulky because they don't have buckles.

[mousemom]

OK, one more question: Looking around I saw a few "hip seat" carrier type things (similar to this: http://www.hippychick.com/index.cfm/children/Products.Details/product_id/15/subject/hippychick_hipseat ) Has anyone tried one of these?

[TwoBees]

The Scootababy. It's a hip carrier. I like mine, and use it for exactly that purpose--DD likes to sit on my hip, and this helps save my arms and leave my other hand mostly free.

scootababy.com

[BayGirl2]

DH and I both have pouch slings - SlingLing brand - that we keep in our diaper bags just for this situation. We got them for around $20 on sale online and have gotten our money's worth by far. DS loved them as a newborn and now they are a really easy way to do a hip carry when we need to carry him and save our arms. As he gets bigger I feel like I need to keep an arm around him, but it still takes a lot less strength than carrying. They fold up very small (get the unpadded one) so its easy to keep it handy.

I got mine when MamaBargains had them and I found DH's somewhere on clearance, can't remember which site. They are sized for the parent and sizing is very important. There's a good estimate on the SlingLing site so check that out first.

[roseyloxs]

DS walks most of the time, but sometimes he just wants to be held for awhile, like when I come home from work or when he gets tired of the cart during a shopping trip. I don't mind holding him (he usually prefers to sit on my hip), but my arms do get tired. Is there a sling that I could use to just take some of his weight off my arms? It would need to be something very compact to throw in a bag. This would only be for relatively short periods of time, I think, so I don't need anything really heavy duty. Would like something easy to throw in a bag and not too expensive, since I'm not sure how much use it would get/how long we could use it for. Would a hotsling work? DS is small for his age (20 months), but he is still around 25 pounds, so I don't know if that is too big for something like a hotsling to help at all. I know people rave about the Ergo and there is one on my craigslist right now, but I'm not sure if it would get enough use to justify the cost. Thanks!

A sling sounds perfect for that. The most important thing about slings is to figure out your size so be sure to use a measuring tape and size charts before buying one. You can also check out ring slings since they are adjustable and then you dont have to worry about size. Both will fit nicely in a small diaper bag. Hotslings get great reviews on thebabywearer.com so looks like a good brand to go with. The hotslings site seems to have some as low as $20 in their outlet online.

[Katigre]

A hotsling is just $20 at BRU - just make sure you get the right size. Since your toddler is older it is trickier to get their legs into the pouch b/c they're longer than a 6 month olds, but I can still do it with my 18 month old and it is comfy for short periods of time.

I would not use an Ergo or MT for a hip carry - they are great for back and front carries though. 90% of the time if i'm wearing DD it is on my back in a Beco (like an Ergo).

The Scootababy is a great option if you want to be only on the hip though.

[hobie]

A ring sling would be perfect...I like the lightly padded shoulder on the Maya, but there are lots of shoulder styles available. Type of fabric is also important...you want something nice and supportive (again, the Maya fabric is nice, or also linnen).

[doberbrat]

rs or pouch - checl tj maxx in your area they were having size 2-5 for something like 15

an older rs could be about $20 on tbw


I have tons of carriers and still use a rs or a pouch for your exact purpose I never leave the house w/o one

[lhafer]

The playtex hip hammock. Especialy if it's not for long periods of time. Cheaper, and folds up into a tight roll for easy transport.

[stinkyfeet]

I vote ring sling too. You can get some great reccommendations from thebabywearer.com forums--you can find some great deals on used slings there too! I think that the comfy joey brand ring slings are very easy to use for beginners. Even though it has a single layer of linen, it is very supportive. The medium sized rings keep the fabric from slipping. I find it very supportive and comfortable for my 16 month old who is 25+ lbs.

For toddlers, the forum experts also recommend P-slings (think adjustable pouch with the tail of a ring sling) and Kalea superwides (traditional ring sling with a single layer of linen that is extra wide in width to provide more support). I have several p-slings, but they can be costly unless you find a good deal on a used one.
:)

[mousemom]

Thanks so much for all the replies. The Scootababy looks great to me, but may be too pricy at the moment. You've given me lots of other ideas to look into though, as well.

[edurnemk]

I still use the hotsling with DS sometimes, he's 2.5 yo, 29 lb. I keep it rolled up in the diaper bag when we go on trips and long outings (I mostly use it when flying alone with him), and sometimes he asks to be carried in it just for the fun of it.