If I was told I could only have one piece of baby equipment, without faltering, I would choose a baby sling. I did not own a sling for my first three of my seven children. I had no knowledge of them outside of maybe seeing pictures of women in third world countries using them to strap their babies to them. Something significant happened during the seven years between the births of my third and fourth daughter: the rise in popularity of the internet. With the internet came the easy exchange of ideas.

Other hands free ways to hold your baby are Baby Front Carriers and baby backpacks. Greco and Baby Bjorn are two of the more favourite brands of front carriers. With these, two padded shoulder straps go over your shoulders and criss-cross your back. The straps adjust to accommodate different sizes and shapes. The baby is then slipped into a supportive pocket with leg holes that leave the feet dangling. As the baby grows and gets stronger, many carriers allow the baby to face outward. Personally speaking, the baby front carrier seemed challenging to me. If the baby fell asleep while in the carrier, it was hard to gently remove her to lay her down in the crib. Also, having the baby in front was both physically and visually impairing, making the accomplishments of such tasks as sewing, meal preparation, cleaning, caring for older children, et cetera more difficult.

Baby backpacks have metal or plastic tube frames to stand the frame up in order to insert the child. Then the frame is elevated and slipped onto the back of the adult. I discovered that the baby got heavy rapidly with this method. Also, I didn't like the fact that I had no visual contact with the baby while she was on my back. I also couldn't just sit down and take a rest without having to first remove the backpack. I personally didn't like the functionality of the backpack for times when the baby fell asleep. Additionally, it was rather big and took up quite a bit of space when it was not in use.

Nine years ago, after the birth of my fourth daughter, I was finally introduced to … cue up the Halleluah chorus … A BABY SLING!!! There are several kinds; my preferred sling style was a long piece of fabric that fed through two metal fastening rings, leaving a "tail" of fabric. The absolute favourite was the Maya Wrap with a pocket sewn into the tail, which I used to carry a couple extra diapers and wipes, and often my car keys and wallet! With the baby sling, I could carry the baby high or low, on the front, side, or back, facing forward or facing me, and lying down or sitting up. I was also able to breast feed in a tactful, usually hands free manner, covering any accidental exposure with the tailpiece of the sling, which easily went over my shoulder. As the baby grew, the sling easily adjusted to accommodate her changing comfort preferences. Up until my youngsters were about four or five years old, I was able to continuously use my sling for hands free carrying. As a child care center owner, there were many times where I was able to put two children comfortably in one sling allowing me to still use my hands for other things. I frequently used the sling to hold and bottle-feed infant twins.

As you can see, I am a bit slanted toward slings, but the other hands free baby carriers might be absolutely perfect for your needs. Look at all options and try a few out. Whichever you choose, you will be a happier, more productive new parent as you learn to incorporate the joy of nurturing your newborn with the other long list of tasks that you have.

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