Loving My Babies Slings

Place the rings in your right hand and put your left arm through the sling.  Put it over your head with the rings high on your right shoulder with the tail hanging in front. You can use the sling on either side so the opposite goes for the rings on your left shoulder.  As you tighten the tail the rings move down so if you don’t have the rings high enough for the position you are doing you will run out of fabric to pull and will need to reposition the rings and start over.  Make sure the fabric is flat when first placing the sling on before you put the baby in because it is harder for you to adjust the fabric once the baby’s weight is in the sling .

Rethreading the sling
Hold the rings in one hand and the end of the tail in the other hand.  Gather the fabric like a fan and pull about 1/3 of the fabric through the rings making sure the edges are spread out so you can easily adjust the rails while wearing it.  You should see a majority of the solid fabric in the middle and a small amount of the printed fabric on each side of the tail.  

Cradle hold (newborn sleeping, and older head out)
Lay the baby in the sling bottom first with their head toward the rings and completely envelop the baby in the fabric.  Make sure there is fabric between you and the baby.  Pull the tail slowly to make sure the baby has enough space between them and the rings.  The bottom of the sling should be at your belly button and the fabric should be on your shoulder or half off your shoulder to be correct.  It takes some practice to know how high to have the rings when you start so they end up where you are comfortable.  You can also breastfeed in this position

Breastfeeding (birth-?)
Place baby’s head on opposite side of the rings.  If you want to breastfeed on the left put the rings on the right and to breastfeed on the right the rings go on the left.  Make sure there is fabric between you and the baby and their bottom is cover and secured with the fabric.  The baby’s legs can be in or out of the sling depending on the age of the baby.   (Also see hip carry breastfeeding below)

Tummy to tummy (newborn-?)
Face the baby toward you and place sling over the baby with their feet and arms out and pull tail until snug. If you are trying this hold with a newborn you can tuck their legs in the sling.   Adjust sling high on baby’s back and under their bottom.  This position is great for your sleeping baby and to feed upright (especially useful if your infant has acid reflux problems.)

Kangaroo carry (once they have neck control- 6 mos)
Put the baby in a high forward facing position on your chest and cross their legs with their bottom lower than the legs.  Lower them bottom first into the sling with enough fabric between you and the baby. Pull the tail to adjust the tightness of each rail in front and back of the baby until you feel they are snug and secure.  You can have their arms in or out of the sling depending on what your baby prefers.

Back carry (one year old-?)
Do the hip carry position them raise your arm and push the baby and sling around your waist until they are just behind your arm.  The final position of the rings will take a few tries but will be worth it.  You can get them out of the sling by pulling them up and out or letting them climb down onto the floor or a chair depending on how old they are and how comfortable you are .

Hip carry (5 mos-?)
Place baby on your hip and put the sling over their bottom and back.  Legs are out but arms are optional.  You can also breastfeed in this position with a little support from your hand.

Hints and tips Once baby is in the desired hold spread the fabric out over your back until it feels comfortable. The sling should be worn flat on the back (as well as on the shoulder, and against the baby's body). If the sling  is worn twisted it will cause discomfort on the your back because the wad of fabric will not distribute the weight of the baby as well as a flat fabric with a larger surface area.  The correct positioning of sling on your shoulder should be positioning the sling diagonally, almost in an off-the-shoulder position. This puts the pressure from the baby’s weight on your shoulder not the muscle. This means that the fabric should feel taut exactly on the shoulder joint, and not pulling down on your neck.  These adjustments help distribute the weight of the baby.   If you ever feel uncomfortable check your ring position and make sure the baby is at your belly button level.   Always hold the baby to bend over.  You are responsible for the safety of your baby.   To help your baby love the sling bounce, rock, or walk, as babies usually like these motions.  Don’t be surprised if your baby feels so comfortable in their sling that they fall asleep in any of the positions.  After a few times you will have your sling down and maneuver it with ease.  The sling is the easiest babywearing item to use and I hope you love yours as much as I do.

Extra uses
The sling can also be used as a cover for breastfeeding, as a changing pad and a blanket

For more Pictures please visit our Photo Gallery.

“Loving My Babies” releases all liability for their slings.  You are responsible for the safety of your child while using “Loving My Babies” slings and these instructions are provided to ensure the correct use of “Loving My Babies” slings.  Please inspect sling before each use to ensure safe babywearing.