The Ins and Outs of Baby Slings
A lot of parents say that a baby sling has proven to be a great way for them to have and carry their baby around with their two hands free to do a lot of other things, especially chores at home. However, there are also some disadvantages in using baby slings to carry your baby around, both for you and the baby. But first, let’s take a closer look at the advantages of using baby slings.
Advantages
As mentioned earlier, baby slings provide an excellent way for the parent to get around to doing chores and other errands as their hands are free and still carry the baby around wherever they are. This allows the parent to constantly monitor their baby as they go about other tasks. Compared to other baby equipment currently available in the market, baby slings are a whole lot cheaper in addition to the fact that it is very simple and easy to use. All you would have to do is to slip the baby sling over your shoulder and place your baby carefully inside the pouch.
Baby slings also offer breastfeeding moms a big advantage as they can easily breastfeed their baby and do it discreetly. The baby sling itself can be used as a cover for the breastfeeding mom, while the baby is inside the pouch happily feeding. A lot of baby slings are adjustable and can be made to fit the parent’s height, and some come with extra padding to keep your baby snug inside the pouch. The fabrics used in making baby slings are available in a wide variety of colors and patterns you can choose from, or even choose to match with your outfit.
Now that the most common advantages of baby slings have been covered, let’s take a look at the disadvantages of baby slings.
Disadvantages
The most obvious disadvantage of using baby slings is the fact that you will be supporting the entire weight of your baby with only one arm. Sure, your baby might not weigh as much right now, but the longer you are supporting that weight on one shoulder will eventually cause shoulder and back pains, not to mention affect your posture. Having said so, it would actually be much better to use a baby backpack wherein the weight of your baby is evenly distributed in both shoulders, although this would be a good idea only for babies who can already hold their head up by themselves.
Another disadvantage of using a baby sling for younger babies is the fact that you have to be really careful and check every now and then that your baby is in a comfortable position where it is easy for them to breathe. You will need to check every now and then if your baby’s chin is not pressed against their chest, as well as take extra caution when moving and avoid sudden, abrupt movements at the same time.
The Verdict
If the baby sling will be used only inside the house and with a slightly older baby and only for short periods during the day, then it would generally be OK to do so. Even though a baby sling would allow you to do something else, doing other tasks will become even harder because you also have to be conscious of your baby and the position he or she is in. You will not be able to concentrate 100% on whatever it is you are doing, not to mention the fact that your baby’s weight is constantly pressing against one shoulder of yours.