Sling or Stroller?

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For me, both are important! Please don’t ask me to choose as both have their advantages, depending on the situation I am in.

I only discovered the sling when I had Child #2. And I have loved it since then. It meant that I could carry the baby and hold on to the toddler’s hand when we went out. And still leave the other hand free to hold bags of shopping! 🙂

And when I had 3 children, aged 3.5 and below, going out with them alone was still manageable coz I could hold on to 2 children’s hand and sling the baby! The sling is also useful when I am travelling alone (which is a rare occasion nowadays!) as I don’t need to struggle with all the stroller un-friendly places. I can move much faster with the baby in a sling than in a stroller.

Our babies all loved to be in their slings especially when they were 6 months and younger. But I also would start putting them into the stroller whenever I could.

Usually, in the beginning, they would protest. Afterall, all babies love to be held 🙂 But I would persist and would put them in for short periods – 5, 10 minutes each time to let them get used to it. After a while, they not only got used to it but liked it. In the stroller, they could stretch out and observe things around them quietly, by themselves. It was also cooler for them and for me, on those hot and humid days.

The stroller is especially a lifesaver when we travel and when I am pregnant. When we recently went to Malacca, the toddler didn’t like sleeping in a strange bed so she decided to sleep in her stroller instead! And when she didn’t want to sit in it, the 3 yr old was more than happy to rest in there! The stroller is also helpful as the pregnancy progresses. As the belly grows, I get tired more often and faster and also my back aches more so I prefer not to carry the toddler.

As the baby grows bigger and heavier, the sling is used less and less and the stroller relied upon more. But even then, the sling has not been relegated to the back burner 🙂

The sling has been very helpful to me even now, at 8 months pregnant. I still sling the 18 mth old when I have to take the children to church by myself on Sunday mornings. I also sling her during the 30 minute worship session.

The only thing I have not mastered is nursing both sides in the sling. I usually take off the sling and nurse. I find the sling gets in the way and that it is easier to switch sides without bothering about all the cloth!

And in case you think that I have many slings since I love mine so, I don’t. 🙂 I only have 2. One in cotton (from the year 2000!) and one in silk that I was blessed with when I had Baby #5. And both are from Moms In Mind. Nowadays you find many different types of slings available direct in Singapore either through online stores or even in places like Kiddy Palace, Robinsons and Takashimaya. Or if you are really creative, you can even sew your own!

* Some moms I know swear by their Ergo carriers. I have not tried it and at this point in time, have no need for it as I understand that it is great for carrying the baby/toddler for long (4 – 6hrs) periods of time. I almost never go out for that long and even if I do, I do not sling the baby for that length of time either. She either goes to daddy or into the stroller.

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