"It was a godsend in the airport, just being able to walk and do everything I needed to do. My hands are completely available," Leblanc said and gestured wildly to prove her point as her second daughter, 7-month-old Amelie, calmly observed from a pouch sling at her waist. "The biggest blessing has been since Amelie was born because I can do everything I need to do with Audrey (who is now 2 years old) and still have Amelie with me," Leblanc added.
Baby slings' practicality and comfort are key ingredients in their growing popularity, but aficionados also point to benefits such as increased bonding with the child because of the physical closeness they promote. As for the fashion statement they make, that's just a bonus, moms agree. "It's like an extra piece of jewelry for me," said Quillen Johnson, who has two children and more than 30 different slings.
Slings are actually an ancient way to carry babies. At their simplest, they are a piece of fabric with strategically tied knots that mothers from Asia to Latin America have used for centuries. It is only recently, however, that sling use, or babywearing, has experienced a resurgence in the United States.
When Johnson started researching slings during her first pregnancy three years ago, for example, she found only about 20 companies in the market and they seemed to mainly make slings from checkered material. At this point, there are dozens upon dozens of companies making ring slings, pouch slings, wraparound slings, mei tais, rebozos and many other styles in fabrics to suit any outfit or occasion. Black or fuchsia, polka dots or paisley, fleece or dupioni silk.
"It's really come about within the past two years," said Cassandra Jones, who owns 9 Months to Grow on South Campbell Avenue. "Before that, they weren't so commercially available. But it's very popular now.
" Jones uses the pouch-style sling that she sells in her store to carry her 3-year-old son. It allows her to carry him for 20 minutes when "in my arms, I can carry him for about 30 seconds," she said. Using the sling "is still exertion but it doesn't pinch my back and wear out my arms.
" The fact that stars such as Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, Gwen Stefani and Madonna, Liv Tyler and Sarah Jessica Parker regularly sport slings hasn't hurt interest either. Johnson started out with a ring sling (a large piece of fabric made into a sling with the help of a metal ring) after her daughter, Palmyra, was born. "She really had a need to be held, and if she got worked up, it was hard to get her calmed down again," Johnson said.
Meanwhile, Johnson had a need to be able to do the things she loved, such as photography. "I love being able to still be who I am," Johnson said. As the options on the market took off, so did Johnson's collection.
Johnson's interest in baby slings didn't end with her collection. Not only is she now a co-leader of the Greater Ozarks NINO chapter, a nonprofit focused on babywearing, she also hosts a forum about babywearing for BabyCenter.com, a Web site dedicated to parents and pregnant women.
For Crystal Eastburn, who works full-time as a communication specialist for Safe Schools, Healthy Students and is also a co-leader of Greater Ozarks NINO, baby slings give her the chance to bond with her 2-year-old son after being away at work for eight hours a day. "Babywearing has been a good way for me to reconnect with Nicholas when I get home and still do what needs to get done," she said.
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