All three of my children have been carried in slings but with each one I have learned more about it. I couldn't live without my sling now. I usually keep one in the car and one in the house.

With my oldest son, Josh, I didn't know how to use it when he was little. I bought one at a La Leche League meeting when he was a month old but unfortunately it sat in the closet. When Josh was about 4 months old he was afraid of the vacuum cleaner so I started putting him into the sling whenever I had to vacuum the carpet. When I found that it really helped support him when he rode on my hip I started bringing it with me whenever we went to the mall. I would put it in the bottom of the stroller because inevitably he would end up in my arms and I would still be trying to push the stroller!

With my second child, Aaron I used the sling the day I brought him home from the hospital. Aaron has Down syndrome and I knew that he could really benefit from all the advantages of being carried in a sling. The only way he would nap would be to lay tummy to tummy against my chest in the sling. I'm sure adjusting to a brother was difficult for Josh. The sling helped keep Aaron happy and yet I could move around and do things with Josh. He would ask where the baby was, forgetting that Aaron was tucked in the sling sleeping peacefully.

I now have an eight month old daughter. My sling is a necessity now! Whenever we are out and about the boys can ride in the double stroller if they choose and Rebekah is carried on my hip, in the sling of course. Even though she is quite an avid little crawler she is very content in the sling next to me. If she needs to nurse I can pull the sling up around her and nurse very discreetly while continuing my shopping.

It is so easy and simple to carry your baby in a sling. Like breastfeeding, it takes some practice to become comfortable, but it is well worth it. Carrying your baby helps a parent to develop that beautiful instinct of knowing just what their baby needs and then being able to respond quickly and easily.