Big Decisions for a Sling Consultant.....

Last week, I went to the beach with some friends, all with older children. Before I shut the shop up the night before, I went to choose a sling for the day out.  I often grab the most familiar thing as I rush out the door, but I had a whole FIVE minutes to choose.

Buckles or Mei Tai?  Great for tired toddler, good for holding other children’s hands and bags of buckets, picnic and rugs.

Ring Sling?  Quick on and off, great as an impromptu extra blanket for chilly winds.

Wrap? – lovely and comfy, but my daughter seldom chooses to leave the sand for a sling, so not quick enough for attaching a possibly tantrumming toddler onto me.

Scootababy

Then I saw the Hip Carrier – the Scootababy.  This is a very underrated carrier that I have not used for ages – I had one at home years ago but have never spent a lot of time using the latest version (V3) and it ticked all the boxes for my beach trip.  Quick on and off, great for hands free, great to have round my waist whilst not in use and secure on my shoulder for a hip carry whilst negotiating cliff steps with bags and other children.

So what is a hip carrier?

A hip carrier holds your child in the position that you might hold him or her on your hip without a sling. Some hip carriers are just a kind of seat that you sit them on but you have to keep your arm around them to stop them falling. The Scootababy holds your child in that position, but as well as the strap around your waist, it has a panel  

that comes up behind the baby’s/child’s back and a strap that goes diagonally across you and the opposite shoulder to hold them safe and secure in that position. This means that you can create a nice deep seat for the baby/child and they can snuggle in close to you and feel secure whilst they sit in this natural position but you still have your hands free.

How is it different to a pouch or ring sling?

A hip carrier is designed for just one position – so it is suitable from about 5 mths upwards as your  child needs to have good head control.

A hip carrier has a waist strap – this distributes the child’s weight slightly differently on the adult’s torso and some people will find it more comfortable.

 The strap is shaped to cup the shoulder and is easy to adjust. It needs to be secured firmly enough not to have any slack, just as with any other carrier, but the combination of the waist and shoulder strap makes this a really easy carrier to learn to use. In the past I have used it as a holiday sling as members of my family have felt confident in picking it up and using it with very little instruction. The Scootababy shoulder is made out of a firm but softly comfortable fleece and is adjustable at the front and back to get the perfect position for the adult’s comfort.

It is a simple idea that works really well. There are lots of slings out there doing lots of different jobs. Many other designs – buckles with crossover straps, pouches, ring slings, wraps, mei tais – all will do a hip carry and some people find it good enough for their needs. But if you have a baby or toddler who only really wants to be carried in the hip carry position, it can really be worth spending the money on a hip carrier that is designed especially for the job.

So how was the Scootababy at the beach?

Well, there was no way a nearly 3 year old was going in any sort of carrier when there were big children to take her down to the beach – so it spent the first part of the day clipped around my waist – but I didn’t have to carry it in my bags which was a plus. By the time we had reached 5.30 and had 6 hours of play and 2 meals on the beach, I knew there was no way she was going to manage the walk through the car park and up the numerous steep  steps that we had to hike up to reach the car. She didn’t see it that way, but it was non-negotiable as it was not safe for me to manage 4 children  and bags if one was an overtired slightly out of control toddler.

I clipped it on and picked her up – she was so tired she couldn’t really fight me properly – but she was annoyed by the principle of it so was in a pretty tricky mood to get in.

 Did I get a perfect seat? No. You can see in the picture that she is a bit wonky and the back did not come up her back as far as is "perfect". But even experienced sling users have non-perfect days! 

Was she safe? Yes – the waist strap and diagonal strap held her firmly onto me.

Was she comfy? Yes – despite her misgivings she snuggled in.

Was I able to climb the steps safely? Yes. I am not going to pretend I was fast, but I kept up with the other children!

And, most importantly for an indignant toddler:

Was I able to quickly put her down when we reached the grass at the top for her to walk with the big girls? Yes – this sling is great for quick up and downs.

If you get the chance, do try one of these. And if you have a baby over 4/5mths who likes this position best - come into the shop to try one and see if you think it will work for you - it may surprise you!