Hotsling Success

Last Spring, Ella was getting to the point where oftentimes during our shopping trips she would want me to hold her. It's not easy to hold a toddler and try to push a shopping cart... and it's not easy to shop with a kid who is whining about being stuck in a cart! Somehow I stumbled upon the Hotsling on the internet. It's basically a baby sling that doesn't have any buckles to deal with. You just put it over your shoulder and pop the baby in. What I liked about it was that you could also use it to carry a kid on your hip hands free. Since it will hold a child up to 35 pounds, I figured it would work with Ella who was only 22 pounds and it might come in handy for our Italy Trip as well. (Plus, I was probably sucked in by the advertising -- I want to be a hot mama with a Hotsling!) So, I got one. It did make some shopping trips easier for a time until Ella grew out of that phase, and I did try to use it a bit in Italy. However, I didn't nearly get my money's worth of use out of it. I hoped that I would with Baby #2.

Last summer, I loaned it to Aimee to try out with Baby Amelia. They didn't have much success with it -- Aimee said that Amelia looked smooshed in it and was none to happy about it. I hoped that I would have greater success. But, when I tried it out the "cradle" carry with Lucie, she too looked smooshed and was none to happy about it. But frugal woman that I am, I refused to give up on it, and so I've tried it a few times since then with similar results. My friend Jill suggested that I try bouncing when I put her in it and for a few minutes afterward. So, today I tried it again. By now, Lucie is big enough for the "front" carry position so I tried that. It took two tries putting her into it, but on the second try, she actually liked it! Within five minutes, she was asleep.

Granted, I don't look like one of the hot mamas that advertise the product on their website, but hopefully this sling will work for us. With two kiddos to take care of and a house to manage, Lucie has been spending a lot of time in her swing or bouncy seat. I confess, I've been feeling a bit guilty about that. So, perhaps this will help me get some things done around the house AND get to cuddle my baby at the same time.