I have a similar issue a little with the shoulders slipping off but it's still more comfortable on my back than the baby bjorn. But what made me change was reading about how bad it is for their hips as their legs dangle down whereas with the ergo or manduca their knees are up and they sit more like a frog. Of course the great thing about the baby bjorn is they can be carried facing out once they can hold their head up

I had a Lascal carrier which has a lumbar support for your back. It was great, I can really recommend it. But when I bought it there were not many about as BabyBjorn was the trendy one to have. Not sure where you would buy it.

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, I have a feeling that I'll be wanting to put them in ICE water in a few months.

I don't know if somebody mentioned this before, I used a sling and found that very practical. Later I had a thing called Glückskäfer Tragesack which is very narrow at the shoulders.

http://www.kindspech.de/product_info...ck-marine.html

The website is in German

Thanks to everyone for the warnings about the Babybjorn. Just two days ago, I was in a Migros MMM and was looking at one and almost bought it. I'm so glad I didn't!

It's so difficult because it's not like I can really try out these carriers before the baby is born. And "god knows" that the stores here don't allow for long return periods. Often only within one week!

Yeah, I was wondering how easily these slings will go over my winter coats... especially considering the fact that I'm not a tiny lil' thaaang. I'm a size 42/44.

(And sadly, I think that's considered morbidly obese by Swiss standards).

Oh, I used to wear them under my coat.

And by "them" I mean the sling and the baby LOL

Oh great, that means I'm going to have to buy a size 56 coat in order fit the baby in there along with the "milk machines"! And I was really hoping to avoid ever having to shop in the "special section."

Someone please PLEASE tell me that they lost most of their pregnancy weight not long after the baby was born. I'm so anxious to get my body back and *really* hoping I'll be able to fit into my pre-pregnancy clothes right afterward. (So tired of only being able to wear maternity clothes now!)

Curiously, does your belly go down back to its original size right away? And were you able to fit back into your old clothes comfortably, or were they usually too tight in the waste due to post-partum "belly flab"?

*sigh*

P.S. Sorry if ^that^ question seems superficial, it's just that clothes are sooo expensive here! And especially after having a C-section, I doubt I'm going to be able to exercise much for a while.

I guess nobody actually fit in their pre-preg clothes right away. And it is a very individual thing. If you breastfeed it takes longer. I lost my appetite after my c-secs and couldn't eat, so it went fast. But I didn't breastfeed. After now three pregnancies I seem to be stuck with a belly, strangely enough that was the baby I didn't carry to full term.

Ugh... and I had heard/read that breast-feeding actually makes most women lost weight more quickly.

To be honest, I probably wouldn't care so much, but apart from the thought of having to buy more new clothes, I have found it difficult to not be thin here in Switzerland -- not only because the clothes often only go up to a size 42, but also because there just seems to be so much "social pressure" to be thin here. Like if you're not really fit and in shape, then the Swiss think that something is seriously wrong with you.

In fact, long before I actually did become pregnant, I was asked twice if I was pregnant! I answered with "No, I'm just American."

I didn't have much of a pregnancy belly to start with but straight after the birth I had a kind of wobbly jelly belly that used to be hard and filled with baby and baby-related fluid and placenta. Kind of deflated balloon thing.

Breast feeding is a pretty good calorie burner plus the running around you have to do once you are a mum.

Having a C-section I think involves a bit more internal bruising and manhandling which causes a bit of swelling which is why c-section women still look pretty big after the birth but that goes down after a time.

You can still wear your maternity clothes after the birth a) because they are more comfy (especially if you have a c-section) and b) because you will still have a bit of a belly.

The summer sales still have some offerings so see if you can pick up a couple of cheap pairs of jeans a size larger than you normally wear to tide you over until you get your old figure back.

For most people I know (insert everyone but me) they lost weight and more - I am sadly a freak of nature and 9 months after giving birth i am now not far off my term pregnancy weight (miserable doesn't begin to describe!) breast feeding hasn't worked for me

To be honest most people also wear their maternity clothes for a long while after - up to 6months, you'll want elastic if you have a c section - your tummy is swollen for a while

p.s I am with you on the clothes and skinny swiss

I wore the carrier and the put the coat over but not fastened up - just make sure baby is wrapped up warm, very few I'd imagine could fasten a coat up over the baby in the sling/carrier

Again, thank you all SO much for your wonderful advice!

And to the OP ~ thank you for having started this thread.

Think I'm going to go online shopping for some comfy pants now... and maybe some comfy shoes while I'm at it. Even my FEET are getting fat!

Personally I really like the Babybjorn! I find it comfortable (both for baby and me), and the most important, easy to use!

I had the chicco one for my son, and it was very difficult to strap and even more to install the baby in it. I also had a big scarf, but never understood how to tie it while holding my baby at the same time. I mean, you need at least four hands to use such a thing!

You'll still look about 6 months pregnant for a few days/weeks after the birth. After that, it all depends on your metabolism and your luck.

I stayed fat and couldn't seem to lose any weight for my son as long as I breastfed him, and then lost everything in a matter of weeks when I weaned him. For my girl, I was back in my pre-pregnancy clothes after two months, although I can't get rid of my wobbly tummy...

Oh another memory comes to mind.. no on-line ordering via internet in my old time though to solve the issue.

Support Nursing bras

For the mamas who happen to already be DD to F with a relatively slim to normal under bust circumference (32 to 38) it will be difficult to find good nursing bras when your bust jumps from DD to G.

The solution for me was the Sears and JC Penney catalogues in the US. It's so much easier today with on-line shopping.

Definitely second the ergo carrier. I never got on with the wrap type, but got the ergo when lo was about a month old and he lived in it! He was one of those who never wanted to be put down. I can still carry him in it (short distances) on my front and for an hour or two on my back. He's 21 months and 16kg now.

As he was born in November, I ended up getting a coat designed for mums carrying their babies. It has a zip on the back so he's covered on a back carry and an extra panel that goes in the front zips to make the coat bigger. It has a removable fleece lining and is waterproof with a hood for lo on the front panel and also on the back panel. There are several types of these coats around now. I won't tell you the one I got as I can't remember the make and I wouldn't recommend it - it's a brilliant idea but shockingly made! I ordered it from tragemaus.de. The ergo I got here in Switzerland.

nursing bras: hotmilklingerie.com but don't buy nursing bras til about a week after your milk's come in to give time for your supply to settle down.

I *definitely* agree! I tried on an XL nursing bra here and it might as well have been a corset. And thankfully, yes, JC Penney and Sears (and now Macy's, too!) do offer international shipping.

But WOW. Do they really get THAT much bigger while breast-feeding? My god, I'm going to be falling over forward! I'll have to wear the baby on my back just to even my balance out.