Slings
A sling is a fabric baby carrier that can be used in several positions. The 2 most common are the baby laying down across mom or dads chest while being cradled by the sling and the hip carry position where the sling holds baby strattled on their parents hip. Slings free your hands, reduce some of the back pressure associated with holding little ones for long times, offer some advantages over front style baby carriers and provide great sensory input.
Why use a sling over a front pack baby carrier?
Front pack carriers are designed for use by babies with normal tone starting at 3 months when they have developed some head and neck control. A front pack supports a baby between their legs, putting pressure on the baby's spine and neck for support. A child with normal tone is equipped to carry that weight through their back and neck because the muscles have developed enough for support. Children who have lower tone may have unnecessary strain placed on their back and neck leading to improper positioning when put in the position of being supported between their legs too early. A sling can solve this issue by allowing the baby to be carried in a laying down position where support is evenly distributed under their neck, back, bottom and legs. Additionally, many of the front packs on the market are rated to 25 pounds while the slings are rated for 10-15 more pounds of weight. Delayed walking which occurs for some children with PWS may necessitate using a carrier beyond the age when a child reaches 25 pounds and outgrows the front pack.
Sensory input - An added bonus!
Strollers provide mostly front to back movement input. A sling carried baby is receiving constant input from all planes of movement. Whether you are swaying , walking, bouncing or just standing and talking, your baby is constantly getting little bits of movement information into their brains and body. Plus, they are feeling your warmth and heartbeat at the same time. The fabric of the sling provides constant proprioceptive input to the shoulders, hips, arms and knees as well.
Safety Precautions
Getting just the right positioning and fit in a sling can take a little time and it will likely feel a little awkward the first couple of days with all that fabric and such a little baby bundle. To ensure proper positioning it is best to show your doctor and therapists the sling and have them help create the optimal carrying position for your little one. Once you find the 'fit' it becomes very easy to find it again and again. Opponents of slings for developmentally delayed children say that they need lots of time on the floor to roll, crawl and explore. ABSOLUTELY! A sling is not a place for a baby to be all day, but it is a wonderful tool for those times when the baby would otherwise be in a stroller like at the mall, park or grocery store.
Types of Slings
Nojo - this is probably the most common sling you'll see
because it is carried in many big chain baby stores for a low price of around
$25.00. These can often be found is resale baby shops as well. It is an o.k.
sling in my opinion. The padded rails make it a bit bulky and there is not as
much fabric as I would like in the pouch area to really cocoon the baby once they
start to grow. It is, however, very easy to use in the hip carry position once
the baby has good neck control. If you don't shop the internet, this is
the sling you can most easily get your hands on.
Nojo sling in hip carry position.
Maya Wrap - An awesome sling for both the infant laying down carry position and the hip carry position. This sling has ample fabric to create a deep pocket for the baby. The long fabric tail makes it highly adjustable, allowing both my husband and I to fit into it. It folds fairly easily into the diaper bag and comes in great Guatemalan type print fabrics. You are going to pay $35-40 for a Maya Wrap and I have only seen them available on internet sites.
New
Native Baby Carrier
- This pocket style sling is great for the laying down position of the early
months but does not provide enough fabric for full support in the hip carry
position. This is the lightest and most portable of the slings although it is
not adjustable so it may not work for both parents if they are different
sizes. This was my favorite for Nick's first 4-6 months of life because it was
very straight forward, no adjusting to be done, and a deep pocket for security.
Once he was on the hip carry position, the fabric of this sling only holds them
under their bottom, it does not pull up along their back like the Nojo and Maya.
For a child with lower tone this was just not enough support for the hip carry
position. I loved this as my second sling but I would recommend it only as a
second sling because it is not as versatile for a child with low tone. You will
pay $35-50 for a New Native depending on if you choose organic fabric or not.
For more information on slings visit:
www.mayawrap.com
www.newnativebaby.com
www.kangarookorner.com