Last Class, Must Sew

Yesterday, I finished the marking for the "doubled up" 6 week lab course I just taught (these courses are brutal, consisting of a regular 12-week semester's work, compressed into half the time). Phew!

So, last night I celebrated while the kids played Wii and sewed this "pouch sling":

No, it's not for me- it is for a friend, now living in the US, who recently had a new baby. Here's my "baby model"!

People either love or hate slings. I loved the one I had when my girls were about 8-15 months old, but before they were that age I was not comfortable using it, and, after about 18 months, they were not interested in sitting in it. Plus, at 18 months they were getting heavy to lug around, and a stroller was the more attractive option!

I think if I had this "pouch" type of sling when my daughters were small infants, I would have been more comfortable with it. Thinking back 11 years, the sling I had was probably too big for me- I'm barely 5'2". Fit is important in slings.

Of course, with Daniel, I figured he was already too old to want to sit in a sling, as he was almost 3 when he was adopted. I did use a hip carrier with him, but, again, it's hard to lug around a 27 lb toddler on your hip for very long. Or maybe I'm just a weakling ;)

So... about slings... I'd definitely recommend to anyone either giving birth or adopting to try a few out. There are all sorts of different styles to choose, and some work better with different body types... check this site to see the varieties that exist: http://www.mammasmilk.com/pages/makeyourown.php

A word of warning- until you know what style works for you, don't plunk down a lot of $$ on a sling. They can be surprisingly pricey. BUT, since they are also relatively simple pieces of cloth, it doesn't take either a lot of sewing skill or time to make one. If you have a sewing machine, try it! If you like the result, you can make another, and another...

Happy slinging!