Nursing Your Kids

One of the things that made life with a newborn much easier for me was the purchase of a ring sling. When I was pregnant I registered for a Baby Bjorn, since I’d seen them everywhere. But Sam was too small to use it for weeks so I returned it and found myself desperately in need of a carrier. I’d read about Hotslings and Peanut Shell slings, so when Sam was about two weeks old I loaded him in the car and went on a mission to buy a carrier. We tried a Hotsling first. I plopped him in the pouch and bounced a bit to get him comfortable. He cried and fussed, but I decided to buy it anyway just in case he needed time to get used it.

We headed to the next place, The Breastfeeding Resource Center, to try out some other carrier options. Sam screamed the entire way there. When we got into the store I put on a Peanut Shell and stuck him in. He screamed even louder, seemingly outraged by the suggestion that he might actually enjoy being carried in it. Next I tried on an Over the Shoulder Baby Holder, the biggest, bulkiest, ugliest ring sling ever. I slipped him in and he immediately quieted. I asked if there was a place where I could sit down and feed him. One of the women offered me her office. I lifted my shirt and found with the sling I could nurse him discreetly and still have a free hand. He nursed for close to an hour and fell soundly asleep.

Clearly the choice of carriers had been made for me. I hated the Over the Shoulder Baby Holder. It was comfortable for a while, but I felt completely overwhelmed by the bulky padding. Even so, I wasn’t taking any chances with other carriers. I returned the Hotsling (which was too big anyway) and I stuck with the OTSBH which we used daily for the first year of Sam’s life. Using the sling I was able to nurse him without drawing attention to myself in a variety of places. We nursed at Sam’s Club, on the Yeungling Brewery Tour, Target, the beach, restaurants, and the dinner table. Sam nursed while I vacuumed, took long walks, did yoga and used the bathroom.

Buying a sling was one of the best moves I made. There are a ton of other slings and carriers available. I’ve already purchased a new, non-padded ring sling made by Sleeping Baby Productions and a Gypsy Mama water wrap for the new baby. When the baby is a little bigger I will probably buy some sort of Mei Tai or carrier with straps for back carries. You can buy some of the more popular brands online at Amazon or Target and there are countless smaller online and brick and mortar stores to buy and try as well. The Baby Wearer is an excellent place to read reviews of different types of carriers and get advice from seasoned baby wearing moms and dads.