The Sling Lady

I love this photo, both for how “on-the-go” Courtney looks, and because her son Jake’s stripes are just so darn cute!  Courtney is carrying her 17 month old in an ERGO baby carrier (in a recently discontinued color) , and she’s doing it just right.  Jack is held snugly and securely against Courtney’s torso.  His bum falls right about at her belly button.

Way to go, Courtney!

Dear SlingLady,

I’d like to buy a baby carrier for my friend’s daughter, who is due next month. We didn’t have all these options when my kids were small, and I’m a little confused about what to get her. I don’t really know her very well. Can you help?

- Marja, Washington DC

Dear Marja,

A baby carrier makes a wonderful (and often unique) shower gift! It’s certainly harder to buy for someone else, especially if you are not certain of their tastes and preferences (sometimes you may not even know their size!)

My sure-fire recommendation for a great baby carrier for a first-time caregiver of an infant is either the Kangaroo Korner Adjustable Pouch or the Pikkolo baby carrier. Both are easy to use, not too intimidating and have a look that appeals to a broad range of people.

The Kangaroo Korner Adjustable Pouch is my first choice since babies can cuddle in it from day one. It is sleek, simple in construction and its adjustability makes it easier to size than other pouches. A place to start: most women take a Medium (unless they are tall, larger or very thin/petite) and most men take a Large (unless they are under 5′11 and thin). I find the fleece to be the perfect material for a sling (fleece has just the right amount of stretch but is still supportive) but for warmer climates, the all-season material is a good alternative. Living in Napa, CA, I use the fleece for three seasons out of the year.

The Pikkolo is another great option for your situation. It is pricier but very appealing to those who are used to the mainstream appeal of other front packs with buckles. The Pikkolo can also be used from birth but, unlike other widely available front packs, it can also be used on the back and with older children. And it’s more ergonomically correct, both for the baby and the wearer. Plus, it comes in cute fabrics! The Pikkolo is my first choice if the mom you are giving this to has any back and shoulder problems.

And don’t forget, Carry Me Away (and most other retailers) offers a return/exchange policy good for 30 days after the birth of the baby. So the mom-to-be can always exchange her carrier for something more suitable.

Originally published 7/24/08

Carry Me Away is featured this week on Mama Manifesto (one of our favorite mommy blogs) for their Friday Giveaway.  This is your chance to win a free Baby Sling Starter kit, including a pouch or ring sling of your choice, plus a free Skype tutorial with the SlingLady! 

It’s easy and free to enter.  Check out giveaway details at Mama Manifesto. 

While you’re there, check out some of their great content!

The movie Hangover is getting tons of buzz, and rightly so, since it’s hilarious!  Now you can show your love for the movie and babywearing at the same time.  Available at NerdyShirts (at press time, this was backordered by about two weeks, so it seems others are loving it, too!

Last week I posted about the Serena and Lily sling worn by Jennifer Meyer McGuire being a “bag sling.”  Since in the baby carrier community “bag sling” is virtually the same as a four letter word, I wanted to post a little more information about bag slings, to back myself up (since I typically support use of all baby carriers) and to get the word out there.

Bag slings are a broad term for carriers that act more like a bag for baby than a carrier that holds the baby snugly against the wearer’s body.  Whereas pouches and ring slings are shallow – or can be made shallow – bag slings have deep pouches with little or no adjustability.  They have no way to wear baby in the proper position for their safety and yours.  I should note that while the S&L sling is not technically a bag sling since it doesn’t have a flat bottom or elasticized sides.  However, it functions much like one in that it has a large, deep pouch with improper support for baby.

Here’s an illustration of a generic bag sling.  This type of bag sling is the most dangerous for your child.  But any carrier which does not allow for proper positioning of your child increases the risks.

The article below is  written by M’lis Stelzer, former RN, now a babywearing educator and mom to 2, about her research into bag slings.

Potential Dangers of Bag Slings

With the majority of fabric carriers it takes only a few minor adjustments to get baby safely and comfortably positioned (see the article “Correct Positioning”) however, it appears that ‘bag slings’ have several significant design flaws that could place an infant at risk of respiratory distress or oxygen deprivation.

First, bag slings are roughly triangle shaped; flat bottom and two sides that slant upwards toward the elastic top. This “triangle” means that the pouch fabric is always angled very close to the sides of baby’s face. If baby rotates even slightly he ends up with his nose within a ¼” of the side, or even pressed against the side of the pouch. Once baby has his head pressed against the side of the carrier and/or against the parent’s body there is a risk of him becoming oxygen deprived or even suffocating.

Second, it is difficult for the parent to closely monitor their infant unless the top of the sling is pulled open. Bag slings are generally deep, plus they sag when baby is placed in it, further increasing the depth of the carrier.  The gathered top, and the fact that the sling hangs so low, obstructs the parent’s view of baby. If a newborn were to have difficulty breathing, and/or rotate until his nose and mouth was pressed against the side of the carrier, the parent may not be aware of the baby’s respiratory distress for some time. Compounding this problem is the difficulty of feeling the baby’s distress through the thick fabric of the sling.

Third, although there are bag slings designed with large mesh panels placed near the infant’s head, others are not. There is a possibility that, with only a very small opening at the top of a non-mesh sling, an infant may not receive an adequate amount of fresh air. There is the concern that carbon dioxide levels could rise the longer the infant remains in the sling.

For more information on the dangers of re-breathing see this article:

“About Carbon Dioxide Poisoning and SIDS”

Fourth, the design of a bag sling causes baby to curl chin to chest, larger babies more so because their heads are positioned further up in the carrier.  This position kinks baby’s airway causing the baby to work harder to breathe.

Additional chin to chest photos on these manufacturer websites:

Infantino

Munchkin

JJ Cole

For more information on the importance of maintaining an infant’s head and neck in an aligned position see the articles:

“Baby car seat ‘cot death’ concerns”

“Simple Car Seat Insert to Prevent Upper Airway Narrowing”

PEDIATRICS Vol. 112  No. 4 October 2003, pp. 907-913

Compare bag slings with a shallow fabric pouch (below left)  or adjustable open-tailed sling (below right) or mei tai or wrap. In these types of carriers an infant is easily monitored. Also, a newborn’s head is effectively sandwiched between the sides of these carriers, preventing the infant from easily rotating his head into the sides of the carrier.

For more information, including the specific results of M’lis’s research, see her blog post here.

For the record, M’lis says she has made repeated attempts to contact manufacturers of these carriers, as well as the CPSC, with few results.  You can read about her efforts here (must be a member of thebabywearer.com -well worth the few minutes it takes to register for free).

I love this picture because the mama looks so serene.  And polished.  And so obviously European.  This photo was taken in the Neatherlands.  Babywearing on a bicycle would so never fly here in the US!   And yes, this would be much safer if both of them were wearing helmets, but it sure wouldn’t be as pretty!

I’m pretty sure that’s an ERGO baby carrier in Camel that she’s got there.   ERGO really gets around!

Whoops – even the Sling Lady makes mistakes!   In my recent post about Jennifer Meyer Maguire’s baby sling, I had some incorrect information about her carrier.   While this carrier looks like a ring sling worn backward, it is in fact meant to be a pouch carrier.   Made by Serena & Lily, the pattern on this carrier is lovely but unfortunately, the Sling Lady cannot recommend this baby carrier.  If you recall, I had encouraged Jennifer to tighten the carrier up so that baby would be held tightly against her chest.  Turns out, this isn’t possible, since this pouch is not adjustable!  This “pouch” carrier is what as known in the babywearing circles as a “bag sling,”  a carrier which essentially acts as a bag to put your baby in, rather than holding baby snugly against your body.  Bag carriers have been shown to be unsafe for infants, because they do not provide correct positioning to ensure proper airflow for your baby to breathe while in the sling.

While the SlingLady is in favor of any carrier that encourages caregivers to wear their children, I cannot in good conscience recommend a type of carrier that she knows is unsafe.  If you check out the website for this carrier,  you’ll notice that even the model isn’t achieving the correct position for carrying an infant.

Please see my previous post on proper positioning of your newborn in a baby carrier.

Thanks to Jane from Quirky Baby for pointing this out to me!

This just in: the Kozy Carrier website is holding a contest that you want to know about!  Think up an original quote (from the perspective of your baby) and submit it to KozyWare by July 31, 2009.  The winner gets  a free Kozy carrier with your quote on it!  Details here.

Kozy carrier mei tais are a great addition to your carrier stash.  Comfortable and big enough to hold a toddler (or even an older child), they offer flexibility and versatility.  The SlingLady carried Madeline in our Kozy from birth until 3 years old!

Just in case you don’t win your free Kozy, shop Kozy Carriers here.   And for a limited time, get a free babywearing mirror with purchase of any Kozy mei tai baby carrier!  Code: MIRROR.

Kristi over at Gypsy Mama has created a lovely new wrap, which I’m excited to now have in stock!  I love brown, so was especially enthusiastic about this new Bali Stretch wrap, which manages to be neutral, yet make a statement.  With copper gingko leaves on a rich brown background, Sebastian is gorgeous!  Come and get him!

Dear SlingLady,

I’m wondering what baby carrier would give me the best lower back support? I am having problems carrying my 22 pound baby and need to find something that will take the weight off of my lower back and hips.

- Jennifer

Dear Jennifer,

Typically, I recommend the ERGO Baby Carrier for people looking for great lower back support. It has a padded waist belt that transfers the weight to your hips instead of dragging on your shoulders and neck (which can also cause lower back pain).

Since you mention wanting to have the weight off your hips as well, I also recommend baby wraps (like the Bali Baby line by Wrapsody) and Mei Tais (like the Kozy or Ball Baby Overall) are also very supportive in that they distribute the weight well over your body.   Wraps and mei tai carriers can be tied high up on your waist so that there is no rubbing on your hips at all.  Since your child is 22 months, I’d recommend a woven wrap or one of the mei tais, if you’d rather not go with the ERGO.