ok i have two questions - first of all i've been looking into what kind of sling to buy but there seems to be so many different ones and i dont even really know the difference. these are the ones i think i like: http://www.theslingstation.com/maya.html http://www.sproutpouch.com/index.html is there really much of a difference between most of the ring slings? ive been told the more pouch like carriers are better for smaller babies, but they dont seem to be as flexible. what do you use? what brands are better than others? I've also been thinking about just making one... are there any good patterns you know of? secondly - I have health insurance, but it seems like every other time i go to the doctors for an apt i get a bill for like $300. and the lady who works at the desk is very rude, and always just barks amounts at me when i ask her to explain things. They send it to the insurance but they only cover a small percentage of it. I was told in the beginning there would be one co-pay for the entire time, and now i've been paying them every time i go. does this sound right? i feel like i'm getting screwed out of hundreds and hundreds of dollars. also when i was in the hospital for a few days the insurance payed for most of it, but i keep getting bills in the mail from tons of different doctors i dont even remember seeing. seriously i dont even know who these people are, and theyre sending me $500 bills for the dates i was in the hospital. I even got a bill from a completely different hospital from a different area that ive never been to for those dates. do i just have horrible insurance or is something not right? doesnt seem right to me...
there is a big difference in the different slings. I personally preferred the ones I made myself. An open tail, unpadded ring sling (like the maya wrap and countless others) will be more adjustable and more versatile, will work with a newborn as well as a toddler, and is easier to nurse in. A gathered or pleated shoulder will enable you to spread the weight across your back rather than having it hang from your neck and shoulder, and ease the strain. I have a very bad back, and this was incredibly important to me. I never did find a commercial-made sling to come close to comparing to the slings I made myself. I liked the Nojo until I tried something else, and then I understood why so many moms hate that particular sling. Padding makes it harder to adjust, nearly impossible to nurse in, and also caused my babies to overheat, even in wintertime. Somewhere around here is a thread I posted about making your own sling, it's really easy to do. call your insurance company, make sure you write down the names of everyone you talk to, and ask to speak with their supervisor if you aren't happy with what they say. It totally depends on your policy, whether you have one copay for all prenatal care (including delivery), or if you have to pay a separate % of each visit and procedure. Find out what your out of pocket maximum is, because ultimately, that is what you will end up paying.
I had a double-tailed ring sling and it didn't work all that well for me. Then I got a Mei Tai which I LOVED!!! It was so comfy to have Taylor snuggled up against my chest and it didn't give me a backache because the weight was evenly distributed instead of all on one shoulder. I was so sad when he started fighting the sling and preferring to walk or ride in the stroller. I guess he can see better that way. I recently gave my Mei Tai away to a woman who's sister is about to have a baby. I was so sad to give it away, but I'm glad it will be used. I'm sorry, I'm no help on the insurance thing, but I hope you figure it out!
Alexis hated anything that took her out of my arms when she was just born. She's 4 months old now and still gets antsy if someone else, besides daddy, carries her for too long. I tried a homemade sling, I tried a bought sling, and I tried a baby backpack. She hated them all. I liked the sling I made the most, though. It was the most comfortable. I made a thread about slings a while ago and I got the pattern from a site that one of the mamas posted, but I have no clue what it was. And, call your insurance company. They should explain everything to you.
I've been in similar positions with my insurance company. I had surgery a few years back and my general practitioner mention he was going to sit in on my surgery (he was friends with my surgeon). Well I wasn't to happy when I received a HUGE bill in the mail not only from my surgeon, but another from my general practitioner, who didn't even NEED to be there. If I would have known that would have cost me practically double then I would have told him I didn't want him there. He basically got to watch my surgeon take out my gallbladder and make a cool grand for it. It really pissed me off...unfortunatly thats the way things go with our crappy healthcare system (or lack of, I guess you could say). I don't know what else to tell you there. As far as slings, I am looking for a good one myself. I like how the sprout pouch looks better than the maya wrap, but it isn't all about looks - comfort and ease of use rank highest in my book. I wish i was crafty enough to make one myself.
I use a hotsling. My baby is very chubby and I actually like it much more now than I did when she was a newborn because I felt like it swallowed her up then. I love my sling because it is so easy to put on and it folds so small that I can always have it. It also keeps her very warm. Here she is in her sling. As for insurance, when I had my daughter, I had to pay the copay, then for the delivery they only covered 90%. So they estimated that I needed to pay $300 total for the doctor to deliver her. I had to pay them before the baby was born but i could pay just a little monthly. Then after i had her, i got a hospital bill for 600. I also received a refund of almost 300 from my drs office. I would call the insurance to see how much they are paying, are you receiving explanation of benefit forms from the insurance? They would tell you what is going on too. I would talk to the office manager at your drs office to let them know how rude the receptionist is being and make her explain what is going on. Good luck!
My fave newborn sling is a pouch, any pouch really, and then a ring sling for when they get bigger. About the doctor's office: Don't let that woman treat you like crap. She's rude and inconsiderate, tell her so. Ask to speak to her superior. Call your insurance company and ask them what's up too. The number should be on the back of your card.
Careful, the wrong sling could cancel your insurance. Just kidding. Skye never did well in a sling. He didn't have one when he was new born, and by the time I made one for him, he didn't like it. I am thinking that when Axi is born, we will start her out right away. I made the one for Skye, and it was easy. I ended up giving it away to someone.
I have the Moby wrap sling. Its cotton, and available in a ton of colours (mine is brown, as I wear mostly earth tones) Mandred loves it, and it made Christmas shopping so much easier! He sleeps in it, and I just tuck his head into a fold of fabric which holds his head against my chest. My sling was the best $35 I've ever spent on my child. I've heard that a lot of women have a hard time learning how to wrap the fabric. Moby sent out a booklet with the sling that taught me how to wrap the fabric, with a variety of ways to wrap it to allow for me to wear Mandred in different positions. The booklet said to allow for 5-8 times wearing before you are completely comfortable wrapping without the booklet, but it really wasn't that difficult. The first time I wrapped it I wore Manny withouth worry... we vaccuumed the living room and did a bunch of laundry before walking down to visit my mom at work. It is/was a god send. As for insurance, I am no help... don't live in the States.
I think everyone that I've talked with has different preferences on slings. I would recommend looking online for a babywearing educator in your area. They usually have on hand many different types of carriers for you to try and see how you feel with them. Here's a few websites to check for classes and individual instructors: www.mamatoto.org www.thebabywearer.org www.rebozoway.org Another thing you could try is look for a Natural Family Boutique Rep. I tried that out for a bit, it wasn't for me, but as a rep I had a few different carriers from the company that I shared with clients. Usually they are combo moms too, meaning they are doulas, babywearing educators, smart, helpful, natural minded women. That website is: www.naturalfamilyboutique.com Whatever you decide on, make sure to use it often so you and your little one can find what works best for you. Remember, it's going to probably be a little awkward at first, but if you keep working on it and trying different holds/postitions/carriers, you'll more than likely find one that works for you and your babe. The earlier you start, the easier time you'll have getting baby used to a carrier. Wearing your baby has many benefits and I wish you luck in finding a carrier that works for you. My personal favorite is the ABC. I had my daughter in one since she could hold her own head up and it freed my hands on a daily basis. These are great because you can use them into toddlerhood and beyond. They can be worn as a backpack, or on the front with baby facing inward. They are ergonomically correct for baby's developing joints and they distribute weight evenly for the wearer. They're also incredibly easy to make. There are some instructions on this at the Baby Wearer website under "Make Your Own" or "Sew Your Own". I also had a Maya Wrap in the early months and beyond that I absolutely LOVED. I would recommend the long tailed style. I always used the tail to cover up in public when nursing, on sunny walks, and as extra warmth on cold days. You can use this carrier in a variety of positions (including to nurse) which makes it a little more versatile than the ABC (Mei Tai) carriers. Their fabrics are one of a kind and beautifully colorful. Ring Slings are not all created equal. I wouldn't recommend getting a padded sling. I've heard a lot of complaints about them being hard to fit, adjust, you can only tighten them down so much to the point of the padding. Ring slings are simple to make, instructions on TBW website, but rings can sometimes be hard to find. My other favorite carrier that is the most versatile of carriers is the wrap. There are many different wrap makers. Maya makes one, Moby, and SAHM's. These are the hardest carriers to learn how to use. They have many different options for positioning and they are a lot of fabric to work with. If you can master using one of these they are the most comfortable in my opinion. They are a very easy nursing carrier, and you can use them from birth until your child becomes too big to carry. They can be worn on the hip, back, front, and nursing with each having a variety of ways to tie depending on which is the most comfortable for you. Wraps are really really easy to make. You can actually make a no-sew wrap with the right fabric and a pair of scissors for a very small price. Instructions for that are also on TBW website. Good luck with everything. Hope you get the medical insurance thing figured out. I know that's always a source of stress for me, so your not alone. Wish I had some better advice for yah there. Hey Robyn~* I just found out I will be vending this year at NWSS!! YAY!!!!!
Oh yeah, I make ABC's, so if you want to see them, check my gallery (or you can see them on my blog: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&friendID=21374131 I typically charge $40-$75 depending on detail/applique/patchwork. I'm only taking custom orders right now, but should have some posted for sale within the next month or two. Thanks for babywearing!
Mobys are AWESOME for newborns, but be warned! BEcause they are stretchy, as your babe gets bigger, they don't feel very secure. I personally like my babes up high and held in really tight, so I traded my stretchy wrap for a woven one when my babes got bigger. http://www.storchenwiege.com/index.htm I just got one of these - SO awesome! I really really really want a babyhawk Mei Tai, but I have to wait until we get our taxes back!
