When you are pregnant, a lot of your time will be spent looking at and purchasing baby gear. There are countless products on the market for babies. Walk around any baby store and the choices are mind boggling. Many women find it hard to shop for the baby with so many items for sale.
My favorite piece of baby equipment is my sling. I have worn all four of my babies in a sling. They are great for taking the baby out and for using in the house. I wear my son when I am cleaning the kitchen, vacuuming and doing many other chores around the house.
The sling is great when you are shopping. I won’t use the shopping carts with the infant seats attached. One reason is that often they are not clean. The carts sit out in the rain. Countless babies have used them. I doubt they are cleaned very often, if at all.
The other reason is sheer paranoia. Often when I am shopping and the store is crowded, I leave the cart at the end of the aisle and pop down to grab an item or two. I would NEVER do this with a baby in the infant seat. I am too paranoid that someone will grab him. Sadly, this is the world we live in.
The sling is much more portable than a stroller. My Maya Wrap folds flat and fits easily in the diaper bag. When I arrive at my destination, it takes moments to put it on and get him settled inside. We are on our way in minutes.
The sling is also very convenient for breastfeeding discreetly. This is really great when you are in public and must feed the baby. When the baby is in the sling, no one knows he is eating. You have your privacy and baby has his meal. People sitting right near me have no idea I am breastfeeding. He looks like he is sleeping and the sling keeps me covered.
Another thing I love about my sling is it keeps people from touching my baby. When they are in the cart or stroller, strangers are more likely to come up and touch the baby. I’ve noticed this doesn’t happen when the baby is in the sling. I’m not sure why, but people don’t get close enough to touch the baby. I think it may have something to do with not invading the personal space. Whatever the reason, I prefer when strangers don’t touch my new baby.
My son is also much happier in the sling than he is in his car seat or a stroller. He likes to be held close. I like it too. If someone told me tomorrow that I could only keep one thing, it would be my sling. I just couldn’t do without it. What piece of baby gear can’t you live without?