Hello Moms, I am wondering if any of you can recommend a sling that worked well for breastfeeding. I have heard many moms say that they are able to nurse while baby is in the sling, but I could never get the hang of it! I breastfed my daughter who is now almost 2, and am planning on breastfeeding baby #2 when she arrives shortly. I used a sling (forget what brand) and the baby bjorn, but was never able to align everything the right way to make it work! Any advice is much appreciated. Thanks!
Thank you so much for all of your great advice! I am looking into a couple of different ones that you recommended, and we'll see how it goes! A couple of you mentioned that you had difficulty with BFing in a sling also, perhaps because you are small chested :) I think this was part of my problem as well... I also had trouble getting the hang of breastfeeding in bed for this same reason! :) Oh well, can't change that part of the problem!! Thanks again for all your help and advice.
Hi,
I have two boys, ages 8 1/2 and 5 years old. I've breastfeed both until they were 2 1/2 years old. I used the maya wrap to breastfeed both in public. The maya wrap has a lot of excess materials. The hand that i hold the baby's head with I placed in side the wrap and adjust the rest of the fabric to cover the baby.
Good luck and if you have any question don't hesitate to write back.
best of luck,
bc
If you are located near west springfield.. I have one for sale on craigslist that would be perfect..
clean, machine washable, smoke free home. .
It's a Sling Ezee.. I believe.
the over the shoulder baby holder is in my mind the easiest to nurse in. I also have a kangaroo korner pouch sling that is pretty easy to nurse in once you get the hang of it, but I think it is best for older babies.
Read the instructions over and over again. I thought I had enough but realized later that I had not been doing it right. It is also good if you can find a mom that uses a sling to show you (try la leche league leaders).
The ergo carrier is the only one I've ever been able to breastfeed in - I've also tried moby wraps and ring slings. The ergo is pricey, but I really love the great back support, and it's so nice to be able to nurse hands-free.
Good luck!
I breastfed both my babies and used (and use) slings constantly (I sell them at www.eieiobabygear.com -- pouchstyle slings at great prices). I know many people have used my slings while breastfeeding and have had great success, but I never had luck. My first son needed me to hold his head for him even at 1 year old, and my second, although a much better nurser, I could only nurse in the sling if I was sitting down. I think my problem might have been (as another mom indicated was an issue for her) that I am very small chested. I am so envious of friends who could walk next to me down a street and nurse their babies in the very same type of sling! That just never worked for me, but I hope to find a way to do it with the third. (I also unfortunately never got the hang of nursing in bed while lying down in a comfortable position.)
In any case, my advice about slings would be to make sure you get one that fits you properly, particularly if you are small chested. If the baby is too low, it won't work (even though I never successfully nursed while wearing a sling and standing up, I can see that the size of the sling is important). So whether you get a ring sling that can adjust or a pouch sling that is just the right fit, it will be the same. Just make sure you get the right fit.
I was a breastfeeding and babyslinging mom and never got the hang of feeding in the sling. I think that alot of that had to do with the fact that I was really small (and so were my boobs!) and perhaps had slings that were too big.Anyway I was able to feed successfully in the bjorn if I lowered the straps so that she was hanging lower on my body than normal. If I put a blanket over my shoulder that draped over her it was so discreet. Even fed while at a conference having discussions with my stuffy colleagues! Hope this helps.
Far & away the best breastfeeding friendly carrier I've found is the Maya Wrap. It's a 'ring sling' (as opposed to a 'pocket sling'), so it's very adjustable--but without the sometimes cumbersome padding of some other ring slings. The maya wrap also has a long, broad tail -- perfect for throwing over my LO (for modesty or to decrease distractions). Both my sons have/do nurse in the maya wrap all the time. DS2 likes to ride in the sling on my hip or in front in an upright carry. When it's time to nurse, I loosen the sling slightly, tip him to the side & we're good to go. I've nursed him in the sling while standing watching my DS1 play on the playground, while boarding an airplane, while walking to an appointment, etc. Now that he's getting older & likes to squirm while he nurses, I find myself using the sling as a 'containment' device. Some hints for getting started:
* Wait until your newborn has figured out a good latch & your breastfeeding feels solid.
* Wear a nursing shirt (or no shirt)...pulling your shirt up from under the sling can slow you down & get in the way.
* Practice at home, when your LO isn't hungry, just to get the positioning.
* If you wear your sling over the right shoulder, nursing on the left side is much easier (away from the rings)... try that side first. Tip her to the left side with the sling loose, supporting her with your left arm outside the sling. When your position is good, use your right hand to tighten the sling to support her. While she's working on her head support, you will probably need to keep your left arm under her & perhaps hold your breast with your right hand. Even so, you may find that the sling offers enough support to stand in for a boppy.
* When you're ready to try the right side, I've found the best method is to loosen the sling ALOT, keeping the inside rail of the sling very loose, while tightening the outside rail a bit. I also tend to slide the rings high up onto my shoulder to make room for DS2's head. Otherwise, follow the same instructions above.
Whew! I hope this was helpful! I've found that being able to nurse in the sling makes it much more comfortable for me to nurse anytime & anywhere. Good luck!
The ultimate baby wrap makes it super easy to breastfead in. It can be used as a sling & a front, back, hip carrier. It's a lot of material, but it works great for breastfeading. You can actually nurse the baby in the sling & pull the material up & over, so it's very discreat.
Hi Liza,
I used a Mayawrap, size large or extra large, which just means it is longer. (My husband carried the babies around in a sling as well.) It's the most simple design out there. I got used to popping it over my head and pulling one side or another to get it to adjust. The baby could breathe through the fabric as well, so after nursing we often went straight to nap and I would either hold her or set her down in her crib. www.mayawrap.com. Didn't use it as much with the twins, but I still carried it around in the car to be able to nurse discreetly in public, one kid at a time.
Best of luck with the sling and with breastfeeding this time around.
C.
I used a slingling and it worked better then my previous one because they are made to fit your body not a range of different sizes so everything lined up better then the sling that I had origionally purchased at babies r us.
Try www.bostonbabywearers.com
You can try them on, 'rent' one for a month for a refundable deposit, try a few ring slings, then the babe will come, try it out, return it the next month at a meeting or via mail, try other ones out... love them!
When choosing a sling you need to try them out to see what is best for you and your baby. Since you're in Mansfield you could go to Isis Maternity in Newton. The people who work there are very good at explaining and demonstrating the benefits of your choices. What is good for one mom & baby may not work for another.
Good Luck!
Any "ring Sling" works best in my opinion. They are fully adjustable and fit any position. I used the Over the Shoulder Baby Holder exclusively for the first six or so months. It is padded and very cozy for a newborn. Now I use the Babyland sling, which I LOVE (also a ring sling). It has that extra fabric to drape over the babe when you are nursing in public (I nurse everywhere in this sling, nobody can tell I'm nursing!). I recommend both slings (I still use both). I have gotten to the point that I can do just about anything with my nine-month-old in the sling AND nurse whenever she needs to, anywhere...It is truly a life saver. Good Luck with #2!!
Yuck...don't try to nurse in a Bjorn (I think a sadist designed the Bjorn, i couldn't wear one for more than 10 minutes without my back hurting so bad I could cry).
I think for nursing a newborn a ringsling is your absolute best bet because it's so versatile. The Maya wrap is lovely!
the Maya wrap (style with the ring) comes with a DVD showing you how to nurse with your baby in the sling. I never had the chance to try it because my baby hated all slings/carriers so I don't have any firsthand advice other than to say that the DVD was user-friendly.
I had a hard time finding a great sling as well, and being the frugal mom that I am, I decided to make my own. The Maya wrap is a great sling, and the one that I made is very similar. The added bonus to making your own is that you get to pick the fabric yourself and size it to what you need. It was really easy to make, even if you don't sew. I went and bought a couple of yards of fabric at a fabric store, and got a ring that looks like a "no" symbol at a marine supply store of all places! You could also use two larger metal rings, both work well for adjusting the sling. (Think about making an extra-long table runner.) I used it all the time- I could carry my daughter comfortably, and discretely nurse as well. Good luck!
try the ergo carrier - i had no problem breastfeeding with it, and i can still use the carrier with my 21 month old daughter. the ergo is much better for the mommy's back, and so comfortable for the baby. so much better than the bjorn or the hotsling i used.
good luck!
