(crappy cell phone picture reveals the little pea in her pod)
Penny's new sling arrived mid-June. It has changed our lives. I was given a very nice one before Penny was born, and it was fine while Penny was tiny and undernourished. But when she started chunking up, I needed something adjustable. I had been on the lookout for a good adjustable sling, and one morning I saw a woman wearing a very cool one. I asked her where she got it, and she told me about Posh Papoose. A warning: They are pricey! I'm sure this is not the only source for great slings, but the design and colorful materials won me over. Plus, this one can be worn in a variety of ways, and the shoulder padding is very comfortable. Oh yeah, and it's made really well and it looks cool to boot.
Visiting the website introduced me to the idea of "baby wearing," which is done in many parts of the world and ostensibly leads to happier babies. Of course, one of the Killjoy BOOKS warns that too much time in the sling can hamper motor development. BOO! You can stuff your warnings in a sack, mister.
Personally, I enjoy having my hands free, although I do sometimes worry about the heat, especially now, in the middle of summer. But early and late meals on various patios have been fabulous. Penny (usually) sleeps in the sling while I eat. She seems to like it, except for this time:
Here we are, on the verge of a meltdown. To be fair, she was getting hungry, and not even the soothing, womb-like feel of the sling could help. For the most part, it has been great. Just tonight I had her in the sling while I set the table and prepped for dinner.
In other developments, we saw some real smiles (and dimples!) last month:
.jpg)
This is the best thing ever.
7 comments:
What do you think about padded vs non-padded slings? I have a friend who has used a non-padded one for a long time, and she really likes it....any thoughts?
Hmm, having tried both, I like having the extra padding (although it may just be extra material at the shoulder). I think it's more comfortable than the non-adjustable, non-padded one I had first. But others may have their own preference!
We have a Hotsling. I absolutely LOVE it!!! So does Jack. We've had the same one from 6 weeks to 15 months, and its still working. I think I could go down a size, but whatever. Since we're not stroller people, we use it constantly. It was a lifesaver early on when Jackson couldn't be set down without wailing. Now its a lifesaver since he's a clingy toddler who wants to be carried around the house. He'll go and get it and bring it to me to put on. Sometimes he wears it himself. I'm beginning to think that the object he'll pick up as a "lovey" will be this sling--and why not, its a good surrogate mother since it so often connects the two of us.
As for your killjoy book, motor skills are Jackson's strong suit. His current fascinations are buckles and small boxes that he has to orient the lids to close, and he's working on screw tops.
I would definitely watch for overheating. Jackson used to get heat rashes last summer, exacerbated by the sling.
The Hotsling is a 1 piece, unpadded design. But the shoulder is wide, so it doesn't dig into the shoulder (it's worn from collar to upper arm). You can pull the top over to bring it in tighter--great for toddlers. It folds up nice, so its easy to stash in a bag. My only complaint is that I could never figure out how to feed with the sling on. It's theoretically possible, but I don't see how.
ps. Love those dimples!
That's really cool. I didn't know you could adjust the Hotsling. I was scrutinizing one and I wasn't sure. They are a really good deal compared to some of the other ones out there.
It's really not adjustable, but repositioning the straps pulls it in a couple of inches.
Non adjustable is what I was going for, really. The straps on our front carrier would loosen, and after an hour, poor baby would be hanging very low. I didn't want to deal with that. Plus, with the adjustable ones, there's often a long tail of fabric. I wouldn't know what to do with the excess.
Besides, we had to buy it since Jackson pooped in it at the store. Turned out to be a gift of fate since it brought us both the sling and an education in cloth diapering.
Post a Comment