Slings are hip now, no longer hippie. I own, uh, eight of them. But
that doesn't make me hip, just obsessed maybe. Anyway,
babywearing has a long history. Used for centuries in many countries and
cultures, in recent years in Western cultures it was mostly in the purview of
those annoying attachment-parenting-practicing parents (Yes! I am one! sort of!) and championed by Drs. William
and Martha Sears as a cure-all to practically anything that could possibly ail a baby.
So
I get that wearing your baby, carrying it around all day, helps them
feel comfortable and nurtured, and gives you time to get stuff
done. I get that. The problem is, until fairly recently,
babywearing gear was butt-ugly. When my older son was born, being
the Good Mommy that I was trying to be, I asked The Ex to bring home a
baby carrier. I had in mind something sleek and simple, like a
Baby Bjorn. But no. I got a powder-blue Ugly Snugli.
Which I could not bear to be seen wearing in private let alone in
public, so that child ended up in the stroller. Which he adored.
The
next baby got the Baby Bjorn. I knew what I wanted. Before
that, I got all teary from reading too many issues of Mothering and
bought a New Native Baby Carrier, which was much
better-looking, in my mind, than those ginormous padded ring slings
(which many mamas swear by! which is wonderful! I just
couldn't get past the thing
screaming HELLO LOOK AT ME I AM WEARING A BABY AND A LOT OF PADDING at
me, plus when I borrowed one and tried vacuuming for 30 minutes with my
daughter in it
I wished later for a chiropractor, so let's just say it didn't work for
me), and I loved how it folded up so small! so handy! so
packable! And I used it a lot at the grocery store. But
then she got the Bjorn and really found her niche. (I found out
later that sling proponents say that the Bjorn-style carriers mess up a
baby's hip development, and I have to say I'm a little bothered by the
sight of very young infants in one, with their poor little dangly legs
and wobbly heads.)
The
next and final baby had the advantage of having all the kinks worked
out on his siblings. This baby was going to have the best!
Plus he was small so the sling thing worked for a long time. Our
favorite, from its portability and adjustableness (that is too a
word! if I say it is!), was the Maya Wrap Pouch.
Similar to
the New Native, yet adjustable in length so it fit my son in a variety
of situations (coats on, coats off, various wearers, etc.), this one
got a lot of use. Another great sling was the Didymos,
basically
a long length of fabric tied around you and the baby in various
configurations to create different wraps for different babies'
needs. This one is very comfortable when you're wearing it and
holds
the baby securely, but there's a huge learning curve in the various
ties and wraps and it can be a bit daunting. Plus the Didy is a
bit pricey, though there are lots of alternatives. A wonderful
and easier-to-learn alternative is the Asian-style carrier, very
beautiful and also comfortable, worn front or back. I got a
custom Mei Tai from Free Hand Baby that I adored (I told you I was a bit obsessed), and found it easy to tie and comfortable, and my son really liked it.
Daunted by all the choices? The site that helped me the most was Peppermint.com, which has this great guide to choosing the best sling for you. Still don't see anything you like? How about this totally freaking expensive cashmere sling from Oopa Baby?
