Getting Started With Baby Slings

Perhaps you heard about baby slings from a friend in your Le Leche group or read about it in a child-rearing book. You knew as soon as you heard about it that baby slings were perfect for you. So you went online and ordered one and impatiently waited for it to arrive. This was going to really bond you with your newborn in ways you never thought possible!

Finally, it arrives. You remove your sling from the box and start to put it on. Where do these rings go? Is your baby really going to be safe in this piece of material? This doesn't look at all like what you pictured. Suddenly, baby slings go from being your pathway to zen-like bonding with your baby to a piece of cloth with rings that you can't figure out how to put on.

For starters, you're not alone. Many parents that start of with baby slings find them very intimidating at first. Remember, babywearing is an art that takes some time to perfect. You'll need to practice a little bit before you feel confident in your new babywearing skills.

Here are some tips to help you get started with baby slings:

Work To Get A Good Fit

It's very important that your sling fits well. A good fitting sling will reduce fatigue and allow you to carry your child for longer periods of time. If you are using a ring sling, then you can put a heavy doll or baby sized sack of potatoes in the sling and then adjusts the top rails. The top rail is the side of fabric away from your body. You should be able to pull this rail through the ring to tighten up the sling. If you have a padded sling and the padding gets in the way as you try to adjust, then your sling is too big, you need a smaller size.

Positioning The Pouch

You should also adjust your sling so that your baby is above your waist. The higher the better. This reduces strain on your back and shoulder by carrying the baby high. If you can't get the baby to at least your waist, then the sling is too big.

Use a Substitute

By using a heavy doll or small sack of potatoes, you'll have the opportunity to safely adjust your sling without endangering your baby. Also, infants do have a lot of patience for adjusting and jiggling around, so using this substitute will alleviate that problem. Once you are satisfied with the position of your sling and your "baby," you can replace it with your real child and see how everything fits then.

Points To Remember

Your baby can often feel your lack of confidence when you first start using baby slings. Your baby may even act like she hates the sling when she really loves it if worn by an experienced user. The key here is to practice until you are confident in your babywearing skills.

Baby slings are an excellent way for you to bond with your new baby. Just keep practicing until you are comfortable and you'll find it will make all the difference in the world to you and your baby.