I’ve tried two different carriers before the hotslings one. The first one I had was one from wal-mart that you have seen me wear on snapchat and some of my posts on instagram. It was good but very bulky looking. It definitely wasn’t my favourite accessory when I wore it during our trips to Mexico and Italy. But carriers are different from slings. A sling looks like a hammock. When your baby is a newborn up until they are ready to sit, their spines are best supported in slings. This is because their weight is distributed along the length of the spine. Most carriers that hold the baby in an upright position with their legs hanging down, can stress the spine because they put all the baby’s weight at the base of the spine. I wish I had the hotslings when we were travelling. It would be perfect for that! Especially if you pick out one with a pattern that would go with most of your wardrobe, you’re pretty much set! Not bulky,easy to fold to put into your handbag and super light!

Baby carriers usually have all of those ribbons hanging down and you have to snap it on in more than one place. It can be really discouraging and annoying. On the hotslings, the adjusting ribbons are all hidden but easy to find. Here’s a video of exactly how you would use hotslings:

So how do you know if you really need one or if this will become one of those never used items? You can start off by answering these questions:

• Does your baby like being held?
• Does he/she enjoy watching you cook/clean?
• Does he/she sleep better close to your chest (skin to skin)?
• Do you hate being bothered with taking out a stroller every time you go shopping or for walks?

If you answered YES to almost all of those questions then honey, you need one! Have you tried the fabric sling that has no adjustments and it’s basically just fabric? Well I also had one of those too and I had zero patience in putting it together to use. I tried it once and it was cool and comfortable but one day when I was in a rush, going in and out of the car at an outdoors mall/plaza, I was so annoyed that I didn’t have something easier to throw on to put baby D in. Instead I just kept him in the car seat and held that! And you know how heavy those car seats can be. True story. But thanks to my new hotslings, that will never happen again! Yay!

Side note: Here’s a good read on some of the many benefits of holding your baby more often that you can check out, by James Prescott, Ph.D.

One of the most helpful times to use the hotslings in my opinion is at home when you’re trying to get chores done. Especially when folding clothes! He loves watching me put clothes away and a little part of me hopes he retains what I’m doing.

What baby carrier/sling are you using now? Do you prefer one over the other? Leave a comment below.