| There's a debate going on, almost as intense as digital | | | | which doubles their padding and prevents the sides |
| vs. analog, satellite tv vs. cable. It's padded vs. | | | | from falling down toward the parent's elbows or |
| unpadded. No, it isn't referring to women's underwear. | | | | pressing into his/her neck, thus keeping the whole sling |
| It's the baby sling debate. | | | | in better proportion for the wearer. One criticism of the |
| For those of you who haven't been up on the | | | | padded baby sling is that the extra batting causes it to |
| Hollywood news of how stars like Julia Roberts, | | | | get warmer than its unpadded counterpart, especially in |
| Brooke Shields, and even Brad Pitt carry their children, | | | | the summer months, although cotton batting and fabric |
| baby slings are worn over the head and shoulder and | | | | will stay cooler than polyester. |
| often have a ring sewn into the end for adjustability. | | | | - Ease of Use Advocates of the unpadded sling |
| They are used to carry newborns through tots | | | | prefer being able to slip the non-bulky sling into a purse. |
| 4-years old. The slings have been proven to simulate a | | | | It is also more adjustable than the padded version |
| more womb-like environment for the young child, | | | | since padding cannot fit through the ring. |
| promoting a happier baby and one more closely | | | | - Support The batting of the padded baby sling serves |
| bonded to its parent. | | | | to support the child's head and legs, simulating how a |
| But even with such a basic design, there are many | | | | parent would hold a child. This is important for an infant, |
| variations. One of the biggest differences is whether | | | | and also allows for hands-free nursing. The padded |
| the sling contains batting sewn into its layers (padded) | | | | side rails are an extra safeguard against the baby |
| or is simply fabric without batting (unpadded). | | | | falling out. |
| There are pluses and minus to each, it really comes | | | | Whether you choose a padded or unpadded sling |
| down to these three issues: comfort, ease of use, and | | | | depends entirely on your situation. If you have a |
| support. | | | | newborn or infant, padded would be better because of |
| - Comfort Padded baby slings typically have padding | | | | the extra support it gives your baby. For older children |
| where the sling hangs on the parent's shoulder. This | | | | who won't be carried for extended periods of time, an |
| makes carrying the child more comfortable, which is | | | | unpadded sling might do the trick. Either type is a great |
| especially important for extended periods. One brand | | | | way to bond with your child while giving your arms a |
| has side rails sewn together over the shoulder pillow; | | | | break. |