I love my Over the Shoulder Baby Holder because my baby loves it and it keeps us close. Since he has 'chunky' thighs, it is mush easier to use with him then conventional baby holders that you have to put their legs through. This is a very durable item and can be used with toddlers as well as newborns so it is a good investment. It also comes in sizes so being tall, it was nice to find something that actually fit for me!

slenee1

Mattoon, IL

Great baby carrying tool!  More versatile than a Bjorn since it allows newborns to lay down or be upright; they can even be on your back (as toddlers)!  It takes a bit of practice to get the positioning right, but the dvd makes it easy to figure out--visual cues are great.  Since the loops and fabric are designed for durability and heavy loads, older special needs kids can also be carried in this sling.  When babysitting, I've even worn 2 babies at once (in separate slings); the padded shoulder strap makes carrying it a breeze.

michaelandniki

Cleveland, OH

This is a very unique product that is great for multiple chilrdren, or moms on the go.  You can hold the baby in several positions and have your hands free.  I was even able to breastfeed hands free!  It can be difficult to position at first and get the hang of how to adjust.  Depending on the position holding, it may be a little uncomfortable, but overall worth it!

thumpersns

Asheville, NC

This is a great product espically if you have more than one child.  Carrying your child in this sling leaves your hands free to do other things.  It is easy to put your child in and take them out- there are no buckles to undo. This helped me have less back pain.  Great for carry a toddler on your hip or nursing your baby.

mnmom

Hopkins, MN

This was my very first non buckled baby carrier. I found it to be great for a newborn because the padding created some structure. The frame the padding created made it quite easy to get a baby into a cradle carry. The padding also made a kangaroo carry comfier for baby. The padding offered some support for baby's head and neck while nursing. The padding also supported baby while in a tummy to tummy carry. However, once baby could well support herself I found the padding to be cumbersome. I also found at that point I was doing more and the shoulder pillow was restricting my arm movement a lot. The shoulder pillow is large, it comes from about halfway to your neck down your arm enough that you cannot lift your arm to use it to do things. If you are doing a hip carry the other arm is restricted by baby being there. This was not a problem when baby was tiny and sleeping on my front. But once baby was bigger and wanted to see out she started riding on my hip and this became an issue. I had to replace this sling with one that did not have restrictive padding at that point. I do know people who have used this for baby through a year old +. I just needed more freedom of movement than this carrier allowed. The other disadvantages I see are that because of the padding this carrier comes in sizes. If you bought one too large you would not be able to tighten it enough to secure baby. The closed tailed design also makes it difficult to just adjust where you need it, such as only the top or bottom of the sling.

Mom2howmany

Lexington, SC

I've been using another sling for several years but was recently given an Over the Shoulder Baby Holder Sling. I have been really happy with my old pouch sling, but thought I'd give the new one a try. My first impression was that it was incredibly bulky. Plus, with the ring adjustment it just looked like it might be more trouble than it was worth. But, but daughter likes to be carried and she was particularly crabby the day I got the new one so we tried it out for fun. I was actually surprised at how comfortable it was for me. It stayed on my shoulder right where I needed it without cutting in or slipping. The rings are a bit difficult to adjust, but once secured to the right tightness don't slip at all. My daughter also seemed to find it comfortable. We tried several positions...facing forward with legs tucked in, facing me with legs out, on my hip...all were easy to position. The padded edge, though bulky, did eliminate the worry I have when using my other sling that the fabric is cutting into the backs ofher legs. I will use this one around the house, for sure. For travel, though, I'll stick to my pouch sling. Also, it's February--I'm not sure I'll be so happy with this one when 80 degree weather comes around. It looks like it will be pretty warm for both of us then.

kacey74

Waukegan, IL

I found an Over the Shoulder Baby Holder at a yard sale when I was pregnant with our 4 th child so I thought I would try it sense I had never really even heard of one before and have purchased a couple new ones over the years since.  I wish I had found these so much sooner!  If I could only buy 1 thing for a new baby (besides the obvious safety need of a car seat), I would choose an Over the Shoulder Baby Holder sling!  It allowed me to be able to hold the baby while getting all my daily activities completed with no fussing baby waiting for you to come back to them.  It was such a need with other children who still needed to be fed, bathed, and everything else a child needs while the baby needed to be held or fed.  It does take a bit of learning and it is best if you start your baby out in it young so you can learn before they get super wiggly and they become accustomed to being in a sling and enjoy it.  Some of the positions look like the baby can't be comfortable but they really are comfortable and they sleep so well in there, they seem to feel like they are back in the uterus where they are so close you your heart beat, kept nice and warm and held snuggly!  It also made nursing in public super easy since you had all the fabric of the sling to help keep you nicely covered and private, I would use a botton up shirt and just open a  few buttons in the middle and adjust the opening to the appropriate place so that anything not covered by the sling was completely covered.  No one ever suspected the baby was eating. I like the Over the Shoulder Baby Holder over other ring slings because of the fact that they are sized.  It makes sure that it fits snuggly with out excess tails hanging or feeling too tight.  I love the soft pillow on the shoulder.  Between the pillow and fanning the fabric across your shoulder, you can carry a baby for a long time and at a much higher weight with out hurting your back, shoulders, or arms than you other wise could.   

cgfgfreee

Negaunee, MI

I am not really a fan of the Over the shoulder baby sling/carrier.  It just never worked well for me and my babies.  I tend to have bigger babies and they always seem so uncomfortable and so squished in the sling.  I much prefer either the Baby Bjorn or the Moby wrap.  I just think the sling is more designed for smaller babies.  Plus, they grow out of the sling so quickly.  And, if you try and wear it for a long period of time, it really starts to affect your back.  I am a shorter person with bigger babies so I'm very prone to backaches.  The less stress on my lower back the better...and the over the shoulder slings really offer no good back support.  I would not recommend these to anyone who actually goes out into the world to do anything.  It's just not a good product and it's uncomfortable for the baby and for the parent.  They say one size fits all, but I don't think that's true at all.

Katerwalker

Waukesha, WI

My last baby was what some people would call a "needy baby"-- needed to be held constantly, and loved snuggle time with me.  I also have many other children that needed meals, clean clothes, etc. so I bought a sling to hold him in.  I loved it!  I was worried that it would be hard on my back, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, plus I loved having him close while I could still do things around the house.  My sling saved my sanity for the first few weeks as we all adjusted to having a new baby in the house.

KbeeinOH

Cardington, OH

I literally could not have survived without my over the shoulder baby holder. I never used a stroller because this sling was perfect for everything. And I loved carrying my babies. I used it from birth through age 3. My children are now 18 and 21 and I still have mine. I am saving it to give to my daughter when she has her first child! It is durable, easily washed and dryed and Dads use them too. Be sure to pick out a color Dad will wear!

hoffmanlaw

Germantown, TN