Slings

Of all the gadgets, gewgaws and clothing items I associate with parenting, none has been more fundamental to me than my sling. This is one I made, but there are so many wonderful ones available out there that I almost think of them as "clothing". Humans have been tying babies on since knots were invented (before then we were hairier, and the kids could just hang on themselves!) and there are as many different ways to tie a baby on as there are ways to make a baby laugh.

There are many, many different kinds of slings, ranging from a simple strip of fabric tied at the hip or shoulder to highly constructed formed baby carriers, frontpacks and back packs. Everyone seems to have their own favorite... I love them all.

Slings and Baby Carriers

The original article

This is the story of how I got started with slings. Includes basic instructions (but no pictures) of how to make several simple slings.

Sling Reviews

This is several years old, and does not include some of the newer carriers. For more recent reviews, browse the archives at the Yahoo Babywearing group!

The MamaBaby Sling

My newest "sling baby". This sling is a stretchy cotton interlock, but not too stretchy. A simple, unpadded ring sling, it can be as basic or as complex as you need it to be, and has some fascinating new holds and carriers. Take a look at the Yahoo Babywearing group photo album, in the MamaBaby folder for pictures, and in the files section of the Yahoo group for PDF instructions.

www.thebabywearer.com

This is may well be the best babywearing site I've ever seen. Active forum community, great articles and a section for consumer reviews. Outstanding! Definitely the place to start.

Yahoo Babywearing Group

This a great online sling community. Many manufacturers are actively involved in the group, which means you can get on-the-spot help from the people who designed your sling in many cases. Many of the people on the group are "sling junkies" who own or have used many, many baby carriers.

NINO (Nine In, Nine Out)

Want to find local help? Want to start a local group? Looking for a group that does for babywearing and want-to-be-babywearing mamas what La Leche League does for breastfeeding mamas? NINO is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping promote babywearing at the grassroots level.

www.peppermint.com

A source for many unique carriers, I list this site here because of the great quality of the instructions for using various slings and carriers.

www.kangarookorner.com

Kangaroo Korner has some unique slings and excellent instructions.

(Note: I list these two companies in particular because of the quality of their websites, their guides to purchasing, reveiws and instructions. They are far more than simple "shopping carts", these sites will help you regardless of which carrier you have or decide to buy.)

 
Copyright ©  2000-2005   Jennifer Rosenberg