Getting the Best Seat in a Ring Sling
This post is part of our International Babywearing Week 2016 series. Today we focus on the best seat in ring slings.
Start with the rings near your shoulder They will likely sink as you tighten. You want the rings to be in the “corsage position” when you finish adjusting the sling. This prevents the weight from pulling down on the shoulder and causing strain. Create a hammock-like seat Pull a small lip of fabric between you and baby. Make sure the fabric is supporting baby knee to knee. The top rail should come up to the top of the shoulders for a newborn or just below the armpits for an older baby. Baby should be in an M position with knees higher than the bottom. Feed the slack toward the rings Feeding the slack towards the rings as you tighten helps keeps the rings in the correct position. Pull fabric through the rings using the hand nearest the rings. Use the opposite arm to support baby’s back as you tighten and feed slack toward the rings with this hand. Tighten strand by strand Adjusting one section of fabric at a time makes it easier to slide fabric through the rings. Start with a section a few inches wide and work your way across the width of the sling. This is the same method used for tightening a woven wrap. Focus on tightening the rails If you imagine a heat map of where to tighten the most on a ring sling, it would show a focus on tightening the rails. While you do need to tighten across the width of the sling enough to support baby’s back, over tighten the area that passes under baby’s bottom can actually push them out of the seated position. Keep the top rail away from your neck If the top rail is pressing into your neck it may cause strain. Capping your shoulder with the fabric may help avoid this issue. You may also find you prefer a different shoulder style -- pleated, gathered, or a hybrid style.
