sling and nursing pillow recommendations

vamom

New member
I have a friend, who after 10 years, is finally expecting a child. She has asked mefor recommendations for a sling and nursing pillow. She is very tall, has a larger frame , and is abit heavy set. Because of this she is concerned that most products will not fit. Any recommendations? Thanks
 
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didymama

New member
ahhhh, my glory lately. i am a slingin' mama to 2 soon to be 3.

recommendations:
Maya wrap-easy to come buy/buy online. easy to use, fully adjustable
any other Ring sling other than a Nojo. i prefer open tailed slings for easier adjusting and coverage. my current favorite is one that i made. very quick to put on and off. the unpadded ones don't get in the way.

pouch-is sized to wearer, some love them-not me

wrap-i LOVE them. just a long piece of fabris that you wrap and tie. i find it very comfy for everything. my 16 mo lives on my back when we go out and i am 9 months pregnant! a bit harder to learn, but well worth it.

asian baby carrier/mei tai-there are some that are good. i have made a couple that i liked. easy to use, supportive, easy to nurse in ( i think-some don't)

check out this site for more info www.thebabywearer.com -nothingbut babywearing info. i also have a ring sling from wallypop.net-inexspensive and your friend could find her own fabric and ship it to her and have her make it.

good for your friend to be looking at a sling-what ever she ends up with is good-babies were born to be held!!!

and a word on structured carrrieers other than ergo style-i hate these-i had a baby bjorn for about a day and sold it. very uncomfy. can't nurse on the run. baby's weight is suspended by the crotch (ouch!) instead of through thier legs like they are sitting, which is far more natural.
 

BABYGIRLLYNDSEY

Well-known member
Bobby pillows are great. I have one and used it a ton. I could actually recline the glider, put that around my waist, lay her on top and fall asleep while she was nursing. :D Plus when Karley outgrew it my older kids loved using it for a pillow to put their head in while watching tv. As far as slings and stuff, check out Hotslings.com. They have a size chart on their website. Karley lived in one for 6 months. All she did was cry. I wanted to pull my hair out. I ran the sweeper, got dinner around, washed dishes, went to the grocery store, etc in it. My mom thought I was crazy. Hey, I have four kids, I had to do what I could to calm her and still get everything done!!! :eek: Also, check out Attachedtobaby.com. They have a live chat help site so you can actually talk to someone. I bought a Mei Tai from them when Karley was older. I like the Mei Tai but it isn't as convenient putting it on as the sling. We still use the sling when I go somewhere without a stroller and I don't want her taking off. :D Good luck with your search.
 
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didymama

New member
i second the attachedtobaby.com site. the owners are awesome and know about everything. i also have a hotsling-actually 2, but one shrunk bad in the wash and is too small now-the other is a solarveil-good for water and sun. don't use it much, but nice for when i have to get a shower in and the kids want to come with. ATB also has a great selection and can help you find what you want and what is best for you-plus they are one of the only Didymos dealers i have found state side. i LOVE Didymos wraps!!!! i have 2. i like to see people's faces when i toss DS2 on my back and wrap him up.
 

Morganthe

New member
I'm in the same boat as your friend.... kind of tall (5'8), heavyset (ummm, not telling :p ) and a large frame.

I had a beautiful rosebud BOPPI pillow sent to me by my MiL. I never ever used it for the intended purpose. It never fit comfortably or gave enough support for breastfeeding. DD played and posed on it. I ended up using regular standard pillows that were old and solid. 2 were very comfortable when dd was a small preemie to keep my elbow supporting her and off my c-section healing belly. When she made it to about 12lbs, a single pillow was quite comfortable. Lumpy and solid were the best types. I could shape them to whatever position I needed to have supported. In public, I used folded blankets under my arm/shoulder area whenever we were out for the extra support.

As for a sling or carrier, the best one that worked out for us when dd was an infant - baby was the New Native sling + the optional pillow from http://www.newnativebaby.com/. They have it in different sizes. DH wore an XL and I had a Large. Fit well even though I'm very short waisted. During the winter, she was under my coat and we had a lot of fun with the locals when they discovered there was a baby and not a pregnant tummy underneath. :D It was comfortable to carry until dd hit about 18lbs. That's when my shoulder had enough, but I have back problems and needed a balanced way to carry her. Ergo baby carrier then became my favorite. www.ergobabycarrier.com has videos.

If I were to do the baby thing all over again, I would forgo the fancy nursing pillows to find a couple of comfortable small ones.
I would also just use the sling until child was big enough for the Ergo. There's a internal sling option for the Ergo, but I think it could be more of a hassle than it's worth with the waist belt and accoutrements for a tiny infant.

Oh, btw, if she's full breasted, don't waste money on nursing shirts with slots on the side. It's much easier just lifting the bottom of the shirt, sweater, top and tucking it around the baby's face. No skin is ever shown and it's quicker to do it that way than rumagging around in the shirt. It's something I found out after some effort was spent. The larger breasted one is, the harder it is to use those blasted slots. I've located that advice several places online after I discovered this. The best nursing bra I found was the Medela seamless. It's available at JC Penney online. Gave support without all those itchy seams. Looked less obtrusive than other styles too.

hth and wish her all the best for me. :)
 
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thepeach80

Senior Community Member
I love my pouch sling! SO easy when they're little, takes little time to put on. I'm only 5'3" so maybe that's why I don't like ring slings? I don't know, I just never felt right, but loved my pouch when I got it! I have a mai tei too (asian baby carrier) that I feel more comfortable w/ when they're older, but it's great for little babies too, just takes more time to put on etc.

I never used my Boppy either for bfing, normal pillows worked well since it seemed I needed a lot more than just that one little nursing pillow. The best nursing pillow I've ever seen though is this one http://www.bosombaby.com/default.htm The big one, not the little one (the little one looks just like a Boppy). The big one is great, it's L shaped so it doesn't have to wrap around a mom, just go next to and in front of. My friend has one and it's great. The place that used to sell them here though only sells the little ones now. Grrr!
 
Congratulations to your friend! One of my best friends has a similar story to tell, and I'm happy to say she now has the most adorable 6 month old son to show for it! :D

Nursing pillows are nice if you get one for a gift, or something. Most of us learn how to make do without them somehow... I always used a couple of throw pillows from my bed (cotton slipcovers), or when I was on the couch, the couch's pillows. A boppy would have been nice in a few circumstances I can think of, but I never did get one with any of my babies.

Good for her for wanting to wear the baby and keep it close to her! I'm sure she will find after the little one arrives, that babywearing is a lifestyle, not just a method of carrying the baby around. ;) You already have some great suggestions and websites to point her in the right direction.

I'm not sure I have a personal favorite; I've used mainly ring slings (with 4 of them), and adventured out into new territory with my last two babes. I tried mei-tais (loved it for older baby w/ head/torso control, not-so-much for newborns), sarongs tied on in native islander fashion, rebozo tied on in native Mexican fashion, and a few other tie-on/wrap around. Once I got a look at some other moms using Didymos wraps (also Ellaroo wraps, I believe, are very similar), I was jealous that my babywearing days were already nearly at an end! They look so comfy! A little more complicated to tie on, but so versatile. Every woman I've seen wearing one, I've approached and asked about it. Every one of them loves it above all others. So there's some more info to overwhelm her with! :p
 

didymama

New member
Every one of them loves it above all others.

that would be me-hence the name. i have 2 and wouldn't mind getting more. it's an addiction!
 
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abacus2

Well-known member
I can't handle bunches of fabric, or complicated carriers, or carrying much weight. I love my Maya Wrap pouch. My daughter lived in the pouch for the first 4 weeks of her life; less since then. It was wonderful for a newborn; I can't believe I almost didn't buy it because money was tight. She would fall asleep and ride happily for hours without my being uncomfortable at all. I was able to eat and care for my older daughter so much more easily than I would have otherwise. The pouch is easily adjustable(5 settings) for mom and baby's sizes. I'm 5'4" and 190lbs with narrow shoulders and so far the size Medium has worked well for me using the middle and next to largest settings. It easily folds to fit in the diaper bag. I have room for my groceries in my cart when I sling her for shopping and I've made due without a double stroller by using the sling when my older daughter needs to ride. I don't baby-wear as a parenting practice, but my Maya Wrap pouch is the most practical baby item I own.
 

skaterbabs

Well-known member
I *heart* my Maya Wrap. It's extremely versatile (I've used it for a spare blanket, ground cover for a picnic, leash at the zoo,ect...) and it's small enough I can stash it in even the tiniest diaper bag.
I don't use it as often now that she's nearly 37 lbs :rolleyes:, but it definately gets used a few times a month, usually when she falls alseep in the car and I need to go into a store or something.
 

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