Are slings better than baby carriers?
There are individual advantages for both slings and baby carriers. It is not possible to say in general terms which of the two options is the better one. It can be said that a baby sling is more comfortable to carry because of the padded shoulder straps and the padded hip belt.
Especially when the baby gets a little older and reaches a higher weight, the stretcher is more comfortable in the long run. However, the sling may be a bit more cuddly for the babies, as the babies are almost completely wrapped in it. A counterpoint to the sling is that attaching and changing the baby takes a certain amount of time and practice.
Normally, tying the sling takes about two to three minutes, whereas the average time for attaching the sling is only about one minute. With a sling, however, the sling adapts to the child’s body, and there is no need to use a seat reducer or the like to position the child correctly. If you assess the influence of the two variants on the child’s health, there is actually no winner to be named here.
The prerequisite is, of course, that the sling has been correctly wrapped. It is important here that the baby is in a “squat-splay” position (the legs are slightly squatted and spread at the sides, so that the legs form an “M”). The baby carrier is easier to use in this respect.
On the other hand, a sling is very easy to stow because of its flexibility and can be transported easily. In summary, it can be said that the choice between a sling or baby sling is a matter of taste. Both versions have various advantages and you should try both and form an opinion. If you feel overwhelmed by the baby sling’s changing techniques, you should perhaps reach for the stretcher, as there is usually nothing wrong with the position of the child.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of carrying on the back or stomach?
Eye contact with parents is very important for the baby, as it gives him or her mimic feedback and allows him or her to communicate with parents in some way. Especially in the new, unknown outside world, eye contact with the face has a calming effect on the child. For this reason, it is often recommended to carry the baby on its stomach, where eye contact with the child is possible.
In principle, it is also possible to say that when carrying the child on its stomach, it should not be carried with the child looking forward. One reason for this is the sensory overload to which the baby is exposed. On the other hand, this posture is said to be harmful to the child’s hip joints, as the legs at the front only hang down straight and cannot assume the desired “squat-splay” posture.
An advantage of carrying on your back is that you have more freedom of movement in front of your body, you are less restricted by the baby on your stomach. A disadvantage of carrying on your back, however, is that you do not have the baby in view. If you carry the baby on your stomach, you can see immediately if something is wrong or if the baby is not sitting properly. It can therefore be said that carrying the baby on its stomach has more advantages, especially for smaller children. For older children, however, carrying the baby on your back is advantageous, as not quite as much caution is required and the height of the child is less restrictive.
