ring sling with overlapping pleat shoulder

Today's message: I will be closing the store starting on the morning of Wednesday, Nov. 25, since I won't be sewing or shipping over the US Thanksgiving weekend (25th-29th) as we will be visiting with family. Please plan accordingly and order earlier, or be prepared to wait a few days to order, if you will need a sling around those times. (Closing the store basically means I will be marking all the fabrics as "out of stock" -- they won't actually be out of stock, but I don't wish to take orders duing that time because I hate having a backlog. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.)

If you're looking at a product and can't see any swatches, click on the color selector for that product, pull down until you see the color you're interested in, and then let go of the mouse button. The photo at left will change to reflect the chosen color. If this doesn't work on your browser, please send me an email and let me know.

Contents: Precautions and warnings Threading the sling Putting the sling on Positions: Cradle hold and Nursing in the cradle hold "Football" hold for nursing Tummy-to-tummy hold and Nursing in the t2t hold Kangaroo/front-facing Back carry Hip carry Other usage suggestions Troubleshooting Folding your sling for storage/travel

Hip carry:

This is terrific for older babies (those with good head/neck control) all the way up through toddlerhood. Depending on the size of your baby, you will probably be able to start hip carrying him between 6 and 9 months of age. Sophia is almost three in these pictures, and still loves to be carried in the sling.

Tighten up the bottom of the sling so that it makes a pouch for her to sit in. Then start by holding the child on the shoulder opposite the rings, as though you were going to burp her.

Keeping one hand on her bottom at all times, slide her legs into the sling (a little trickier for toddlers; you'll need to bend their legs and tuck them in).
Your baby's legs should straddle your hip, just as though you were carrying her without a sling. Ideally, her bottom will be a little lower than her knees, and the sling fabric should be snugged up just behind her knees. This way, her weight is held by her bottom, not her legs; that's more comfortable for both of you.
Spread the fabric out over your child's back. If you are slinging an older baby or need to keep your toddler's hands contained, it should go over his shoulders. For toddlers who can have their hands free, around the armpits will suffice. You can start in this position for a toddler back carry as well, or shift him around more towards your front for nursing.
Of course, this isn't just for babies (or even toddlers)! I don't do it on a regular basis, but Stephen (now 6) still occasionally requests a sling ride himself when he's really tired.

Next: Other ideas