Waiting to buy bouncers and slings?

[Anonymous]

Several people have suggested we wait to buy a bouncer and a sling/wrap until after baby comes, so we can give them a test drive with the baby. I have a few questions about how to shop for these items with baby.

-- how long should we wait to go shopping? I'm thinking there's a need to balance baby's age with actual need for the items

-- will the box stores let you test drive the bouncers with the baby? Of course I'd put down my own blanket to protect against germs

-- where can I go to try out slings and get some help configuring them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Several people have suggested we wait to buy a bouncer and a sling/wrap until after baby comes, so we can give them a test drive with the baby. I have a few questions about how to shop for these items with baby.

-- how long should we wait to go shopping? I'm thinking there's a need to balance baby's age with actual need for the items

-- will the box stores let you test drive the bouncers with the baby? Of course I'd put down my own blanket to protect against germs

-- where can I go to try out slings and get some help configuring them?

Buy Buy Baby and Babies R Us both have floor displays that you can look at and touch. I have rally never seen anyone actually testing these items with a baby (other than the strollers) but I suppose you could take them for a test drive. Not sure how clean they are with all the traffic that goes through these stores and touches the stuff.

If you want to wait and try them out go for it!

[Anonymous]

I think a bouncy seat is a bouncy seat to a baby, so am not sure why you would want to wait on that item. The Breastfeeding Center has a class on babywearing where they will demonstrate a number of slings and you can try them out with your baby.

[Anonymous]

We had a very basic bouncer from day one and both of our kids liked it. I'm not sure that testing bouncers with an actual baby would have made a big difference for us. If anything, I'd say the bouncer should have a "look" that the parents like--because 10% of our baby photos were taken while the baby was in the bouncer! Not all babies will like the vibration option on a bouncer, I suppose, but you can can always just leave that off.

Swings I've been told are more variable--perhaps not so much the particular details of a swing but whether or not the baby likes the motion. We went ahead and bought a very basic swing (used, actually), so that if the baby didn't like it, it wouldn't be a loss. (We could sell to someone else for basically the same price we paid.)

For slings, I think the key is to try many with a person who is knowledgeable about them--hopefully other posters will have suggestions. I think that trying them with the baby is most helpful. We had a friend loan us a new native sling when our baby was newborn, and the personal lesson in how to use (arranging the actual baby in the actual sling) was crucial. Another sling we had bought ahead of time was much less useful. I wish we had tried a bunch of larger slings once our baby outgrew the new native.

[Anonymous]

Slings and other carriers are hard to buy before the baby bc even if you use someone else's baby, its hard to get a feel for whats comfortable for you while you are pregnant. The Breastfeeding Center on K St has a number of slings/wraps for sale and they even have a class about them. You can wait until the baby is a week or so and then go check them out.

[Anonymous]

OP here... thanks for the suggestions. With regard to the bouncer, I'm less thinking about the particulars of them and more wondering if my baby would even like being in one at all. I've heard that some babies hate them.

And definitely thinks for the info on the baby wearing class - I'll check that out!

[Anonymous]

I think alot of babies hate the swing, I haven't met anyone yet who had a newborn who hated the bouncey seat but I bet there are tons out there!

[Anonymous]

13:02. I've also never met a baby who didn't like a bouncer.

[Anonymous]

I got my bouncer and swing used from Craiglist and a friend who no longer needed it. Most babies love them, but then you haven't invested much if they don't. And they grow out of them so quickly...

[Anonymous]

Has anyone used the bouncy seat with the vibrating option turned on? Do babies really like that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone used the bouncy seat with the vibrating option turned on? Do babies really like that?

13:02 here. Ours loved it! It creeped me out a little bit--not exactly the most natural motion--but it made them happy. The vibration sometimes induced big diaper messes, though, so watch out.

[Anonymous]

I really wouldn't wait on buying a bouncer - like others, I say a bouncer is a bouncer.

One piece of advice - if you live in a place that has more than one floor, you might want to consider buying two. We took that advice and I was really glad I had more than one so that whichever floor you're on, you're good to go (Craigslist is a great source for bouncers, too).

On slings, I HIGHLY recommend getting one SOON after the baby is born. I really wish I hadn't waited so long. I almost gave up nursing but then the Breastfeeding Center inspired me to try a sling - women in the new moms group swore that being able to nurse hands free was revolutionizing.

So - I chose a slingling (www.slinglings.com I think). It made a HUGE DIFFERENCE. I could do anything while nursing! Go to the bathroom, get myself a snack - heck, I even went shopping and on lunch dates and no one ever knew I was nursing! I'd put her in the sling, let her nurse and drape a blanket over my shoulder. Good to go - people just thought she was asleep.

So I say do it and be confident about trying to do the hands free nursing thing! You won't regret it.

[Anonymous]

I would try to borrow other people's slings/carriers to test them out before buying one.

Slings never worked for my baby, for a number of reasons. And I got the Bjorn as a hand-me-down and hated it. Finally I found the Ergo carrier, which I LOVE.