a blog in which the SlingLady answers your questions about baby carriers
& babywearing, and keeps you posted on events at Carry Me Away and in the
Babywearing World.
Click the "Ask the SlingLady" page over to the left, and
ask away.
January 30th, 2009
Dear Sling Lady,
My newborn who is about 7 weeks old, does not like to be put down. So I pretty much have to sit on the couch all day just holding him so he can nap. Do you have any good suggestions on what type of sling I can get in order to do some chores around the house and keep him happy? Please help! – Shellie
Dear Shellie,
This is a common concern of parents of infants. Most babies prefer to be close to their caregivers most of the time, and some are more, shall we say, vocal in letting their preferences be known!
For carrying your baby very securely so that you can get chores done, my top recommendations are a mei tai (like the Kozy or Ball Baby mei tais) or a stretchy wrap (like the Moby or Bali Baby Stretch wraps). Both of these carriers hold baby very securely, so that you can bend over without concern of the baby slipping out. They are also both two-shouldered carriers, which means they are very comfortable even for holding your baby for hours on end. I find the stretchy wraps to be the most comfortable and cuddly with an infant, so they are my top choice. For people who are intimidated by the length of material in a wrap, or who want a carrier that they can also use easily with a toddler, a mei tai is a good bet.
Best of luck with your choice, and let me know how it goes!
Warmly,
The Sling Lady
Posted in Newborn, Wrap, long carries, two-shouldered carriers | No Comments »
January 26th, 2009
Dear Sling Lady,
I love my Hotslings pouch, but I’ve noticed as my son gets older (and chunkier, lol) that he gets red marks under his knees when he’s in a hip carry. What am I doing wrong? - Alicia
Dear Alicia,
A certain amount of redness under your child’s knees from the hip carry is normal. If it doesn’t seem to bother him, you may not need to do anything about it!
That being said, there are a few tips that can help to reduce the incidence of this happening. The red marks come from pressure being put on the underside of your son’s knees by the rail (or edge) of your pouch. In order to minimize this pressure, first be sure that your child is sitting IN the pouch and that his knees are higher than his bum. This will take help to distribute his weight into the rest of the pouch and away from the rail under his knees.
Second, take any extra fabric and pull it up behind his back. It seems more natural to bunch the fabric up under the knees, but this can actually cause pressure points which in turn lead to the red marks you are concerned about.
I hope this helps, and let me know how it goes!
Warmly,
The Sling Lady
P.S. These tips work for ring slings, like the Maya Wrap, too!
Posted in Pouch, Ring Sling, Troubleshooting | No Comments »
