Before I start my intended post, I thought I should introduce myself. My name is Monica and I live in Phoenix, AZ. In June my husband, Tim, and I will be celebrating our 5 year anniversary. We have two great boys, Matthew - 4 in July, and James - 13 months. I am lucky enough to be able to stay at home with them, and I LOVE my job. I am not an expert on mothering, I just really like what I do.
I thought that I would do a product review for our post today. First, let me warn you, I have never written a product review, let alone any review. I may or may not know what I am doing. So read at your own risk.
Something that I have sworn by as a mother is the HotSling. I received mine as a gift after my second son was born. Let me get the worst part out of the way, these bad boys run about 30 to 60 bucks, most range in the area of $48 to $60. Now take a deep breath and stay with me. I promise it gets better. You can find them used or new at ebay.com at starting bids of $2.25 and new at amazon.com for $38.99. But trust me, whether you spend $60 or $2.25, they are worth the investment.
One of the greatest things about this particular brand is that it offers many sizes, nine to be more precise. I don't know about you, but I tend to get a little busty during and after pregnancy. So to have the choice of 9 different sizes is great. Too many things are one size fits all, so it's refreshing to have several options. And who is this tiny person that they model sizes after anyway? I can guarantee that she is not the average size. I do suggest that you try on the HotSling with your baby before purchasing it. This way you are ensured a comfy fit. How much room your little one takes up matters more than how much room you take up.
Photo courtesy of hotslings.com
This is the exact sling I have, in case you were dying with curiosity. Mine just might be a size or two bigger.
I was a little intimidated at first by how difficult the process of putting-on and putting-in-baby could be. The HotSling comes with an instructional booklet and DVD. Whoo! And once you read the instructions, it is seriously the easiest process. But not everyone is like me, so you might be able to figure it out on your own in like, 2.5 seconds.
The slings come in a great variation of patterns, so you have lots to choose from. They also come in 4 different styles; designer, everyday, reversible, and for the earth friendly mom, organic. I'm considering the organic for my next bundle of joy. And no, that was not an announcement.
I started using my HotSling as soon as I got it. James was about 12 weeks old. If I had had it sooner, I would have used it from his birth. Before I had the sling, James would get upset in any store, and I would always end up leaving well before I had intended. He hated to sit in his car seat, and would let me and everyone else in the vicinity know it. Also, because the car seat took up the seat in the cart, Matthew was left to roam freely. This is something that no 3 year old should be allowed to do, especially in Target. I can barely handle that on my own. So I was pushing a cart, carrying a baby, and chasing a wild child around. Needless to say, my shopping trips became more and more stressful and less enjoyable. Then I received my sling. Cue the hallelujah music. When I went shopping I put the sling on, plopped James into it, Matthew got the seat in the cart, and we were good to go, sanity and all. When we went out to dinner, rather than having to hold James on my lap, I'd sling him. He happily sat there, and I could actually eat. In my church I was in charge of putting on monthly dinners and classes for the women. When James had to tag-a-long, the sling came out. I was able to get everything done that I needed to. I literally used the HotSling for everything; shopping, entertaining, cleaning, cooking, family outings, airports, and so on. It was a sad, sad day when James outgrew it. I squeezed every ounce of use out of it, and it's still just as good as new.
Although I love the HotSling, it might not be for you. Pick what you are comfortable with. Nobody knows you better than... you. There are tons of "baby-wearing" (thanks for the term, Casey) products out there for you to choose from. Make the right choice for you. All I know is that I will for sure be using the HotSling with the rest of my kids. It makes my life easier, and so much less stressful. Any product that does that deserves a hug.
If you have a product review you would like posted or a topic you would like to have discussed please email me at momblogclub@gmail.com. I will be updating the blog every Monday, Wednesday and Fridays with new topics. Please email me so we can start talking about things that are important to you!!!
9 comments:
I totally agree. Slinging or wearing your baby is awsome!! I didn't have to do it as much with my first because he was pretty content everywhere and I had plenty of free hands. With my new baby I wear him all the time. I have few ring slings and an ergo (which I highly recomend BTW). I haven't tried a pouch like the Hotsling, mostly cause I was intimidated by the sizing thing, but I love my ring slings. They are adjustable and super comfy. I even got one for swimming with the new babe. I think I saw a knocked down version of the hotsling at target for cheaper the other day. Worth checking into. Oh and while you can find Bjorn's everywhere, most people agree they are pretty uncomfortable. Look online for other options, there are tons! I could go on and on about babywearing, so I'll stop now. Sorry for the super long comment.
I also had a Hotsling and I loved it. I got mine when Delaney was only 2 weeks old. She's not a cuddly baby by any means but she was always content in the sling. It's especially nice if you have to go somewhere and you're in a hurry. I found I got pestered a lot less when I had Delaney in the sling. I wore it to church, football games, grocery store, and even to work (I get to bring her with me). Love it, love it, love it!!!
I was too uncoordinated for a sling. It felt too unstable to me. But I did love the Bjorn. With my second that is..when I had my first I just wanted to hold him but with second that just wasn't possible.
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I have the hotsling and can't figure the thing out. My baby seems really squished in it! I got it as a gift and I am glad to know that it comes in various sizes, because I think i probably have the wrong size...
I wonder if I could exchange mine for a bigger one?!?!
You can. That's what I had to do. Mine was too small, too. I just went to a store that carried them and tried them on with my baby and found the perfect fit.
So maybe I should add to my Bjorn comment that I have VERY heavy babies and so did others who had trouble with the bjorns. I know then have a back supported one now, which is more comfy. If your baby is lighter/smaller, I bet they are fine. I was just trying to point out that a bjorn is not the only option. I don't want to offend any of those out there who love their bjorns! :)
Oh No offense taken, you are right I had a five pound baby but you cant use them until they are 8 I think. But she has always been a little peanut she is 17 monthes old and barely weighs 20 pounds. My son on the other hand weighed 20 pounds when he was 6 monthes old so no way could I have carried him around in a Bjorn
I love baby wearing!! I have a sling that my sister made that IS GREAT! I wore my baby when she was newborn and still wear her now in the same sling! It doesnt hurt my neck and since I'm pregnant it helps a lot! If anyone is interrested let me know because I am going to get fabric and make a pattern for it. My friend is borrowing it because her son used to cry a lot but now he loves to be in it!! I have 4 different ones and I love the one my sis made!
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