Sling Support

A sling is any kind of baby carrier where the baby/child is 'worn'/carried by the grown up. This could be a long piece of fabric, known as a wrap, or a panel with straps attached, with buckles that click together, or a ring sling. I use the word 'sling' to describe all of these and any other baby carriers. You might have heard of some brands of baby carrier, such as Baby Bjorn, Ergobaby, Didymos, etc. Some of these tend to be more comfortable for the parent and child than others!

I’ve been a babywearing/carrying enthusiast since August 2015, when my eldest was born. I started with a stretchy wrap at 8 days old and was immediately hooked! I was so grateful to be able to meet her need for closeness and have baby cuddles, whilst having two hands free so I could look after myself as well as her. I enjoyed carrying my little ones beyond babyhood, often on my back, and was so grateful for tandem carrying when my second child was born - keeping two children happy at once felt like a superpower! I particularly enjoyed using both stretchy and woven wraps and Connecta buckle carriers in all three sizes (baby, toddler, preschooler).

I trained with Slingababy Training School in 2020, 2021 and 2023, completing three of their courses so I could learn how to support parents (and anyone else!) to carry their little ones using slings and feed babies in them too. I’m using ‘sling’ as a general term for any type of baby carrier, whether it’s a long piece of fabric, a structured carrier with buckles, a ring sling, or anything else suitable! The courses were:

• Feeding and Carrying Advocacy Course (November 2020)

• Carrying Peer Support Course (October 2021)

• Carrying Consultancy Course (January 2023)

The courses I have taken enable me to help you learn how to safely carry your little one (and I’m fully insured by Therapist Insurance to do so). I can support you from pregnancy onwards, so you can familiarise yourself with the sling options and safety checks and practise with a demo doll so that it's easier to learn to wear your baby once they arrive. 

Sling use and safety

• Everything you need to know to keep your little one safe and comfortable in the sling.

• What to dress yourself and your little one in whilst carrying to keep them the right temperature and keep you both comfy and safe.

• We can talk about what you want from a sling and figure out which slings might work for your family, taking into account any specific requirements relating to your body or your baby's body.

Feeding your baby in a sling

• Bottle feeding with help from a sling (any of the newborn ones below)

• Breastfeeding in vertical, cradle or rugby positions with help from a sling

• Using a scarf to support your baby whilst you feed

Carrying your baby on your front, from birth onwards (no upper limit!)

• Stretchy wrap/caboo

• Woven wrap

• Buckles carrier

• Ring sling 

• Meh dai 

Carrying your baby on your back, from when they and you are both ready (this varies)

• Woven wrap

• Buckles carrier

Carrying your toddler, pre-schooler or older child:

• Carrying a toddler and pre-schooler in both woven wraps and buckles carriers (up to age 6 years so far!), front and back.

Carrying more than one child

• Tandem carrying two different age children (e.g. newborn and toddler up to toddler and pre-schooler) using a combination of the slings above, one on the front, one on the back. 

Please get in touch to let me know what you’d like support with. If it’s not mentioned above, you can always ask and I can let you know what I can help with. As a fully trained Carrying Consultant I can also help you with carrying in special circumstances, such as carrying a premature baby, twins, carrying when the parent or child has special needs. If I do not feel confident in the area, I will seek support from other carrying consultants in order to support you as best I can. I can also signpost you to more experienced carrying consultants if needed.

I have a small selection of slings available to borrow for £10/fortnight (or pay what feels comfortable thanks to the Random Act of Kindness Fund). I will also take a refundable deposit equivalent to the RRP of the sling (usually about £50) in case of a non-return (again, the RAOK fund can help). I also have some demonstration-only slings in addition to this list. Some slings are out on loan, if you know what you're looking for, just ask if it's in stock.

• Stretchy wrap (one-way and two-way stretch)

• Close caboo

• Baby connecta (buckles)

• Meh dai

• Woven wrap size 4

• Woven wrap size 6

• Toddler connecta (buckles)

• Ring sling

• Preschool buckles carrier

• Toddler onbuhimo

If you have a sling you're happy to donate to the sling library, that would be so appreciated so I can offer more to families. 

I charge £30 per hour (bookable in 30 min chunks depending on your requirements). The Random Act of Kindness Fund can help you pay for up to half, to ensure it is accessible, so you can pay what feels comfortable for you and I will get paid the rest from the RAOK Fund if needed. 60-90 minutes is usually about right for trying one or two new slings and getting a really comfortable fit and learning the safety checks. Feeding in a sling would add about 30 minutes to this time.

Sling hire is £10/fortnight plus £50 deposit.

I am also a breastfeeding counsellor (insured to work privately by Therapist Insurance) and I can support you with feeding as well as slings if needed, in the same appointment, so long as sufficient time is booked and paid for.  Breastfeeding support is also £30 per hour, so we can mix and match during the appointment if you'd like.