Cuddle Up!

Slings and Baby Carriers

By Jennifer Rosenberg, CD (DONA)

The best sling is the sling that fits your budget, lifestyle and needs. There are many slings and carriers available, plus it is easy to make your own. Do you need padding? Is it more important that the sling be compact and something you can wear without a baby in it, or is it more important that you have lots of padding and structure? Do you have back problems? Are you breastfeeding? Do you want something you can fold up and put in your diaper bag easily? How much can you afford to spend? Are you willing to pay extra for organic fabric? Can you sew?

For me, the best sling was actually one I made myself out of T-shirt fabric. It was simple to make, easy to wear and pretty enough that I didn't mind having it on without a baby in it. It was designed like the Maya and New Native "tube" slings or pouches. For another mom, the best sling for her was simply a twin-sized flat sheet, cut in half and hemmed. She would simply knot it at the shoulder and wear it rebozo-style. Cheap (sheets cost next to nothing at Goodwill) and completely adjustable, but many moms would rather buy something new and/or ready-made. Perfectly understandable! There are a couple of different "categories" of slings that I've looked at: tube slings, constructed slings, fabric slings and front pack/carriers.

If you want something simple, comfortable and compact, the tube sling is a great way to go. You trade adjustability for ease of use, but other than that, you can use it for almost anything you can use a "constructed" sling for. Make sure you buy it relatively small. Even when my daughter was 28 pounds the XL size of the New Native was way too big. If it seems to hang down around your belly button or bangs your thighs, it's probably too long. If you can get it on and just fit your baby in comfortably, it's just right.

Want to see more?

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• Clip This! Car Seat Safety
• Back to Basics: Taking Care of Baby