Back Position Demo
This position is advanced sling wearing and is basically an extension of the Hip/Carry Position. It’s good for and older infant, who is sitting up, or a toddler. It is helpful when learning to use your sling to try out the different positions in front of a mirror.
Positioning
- Sling On
- Thread your sling by pulling the tail through both rings and then back through one, as you would when threading a belt.
- Sling on the shoulder of your dominant hand (but can be worn on either shoulder).
- Place rings behind shoulder and down your back a few inches. The rings are placed differently at the start of this position to allow for greater movement when shifting baby to your back.
- Fabric straight and untwisted across your back.
- Fabric straight through the rings, tail untwisted.
- Fabric fanned out over your shoulde.r
- Baby Into the Sling
- Hold your baby on your hip.
- In from the top – pull fabric up and over her feet to get her in.
- Out from the bottom - up and over her head to get her out.
- Make sure there is a lot of fabric under baby’s bottom. The fabric should make a little pouch under her bottom.
- The top rail of the sling fabric should be high up on baby’s back. The fabric should come up right under the arm pits or you can tuck her arms completely into the sling. In this case, the fabric should be up around her shoulders.
- Get It Tight to Get It Right
- Use your hands to tighten and bring all the excess fabric around to the front of the sling. Gather the fabric around from your back and bring it past the baby to the front near the rings.
- Hold the excess fabric snugly with your hand. Basically, you are holding your baby in position with the tension in the fabric.
- With one hand holding the excess fabric near the rings and the other hand on your baby’s bottom, shift the entire sling around to the back. Use your hand on your baby’s bottom to guide him around to the back.
- Lean forward to help you keep baby safe while tightening the sling.
- Once baby is on your back and held snugly by the fabric, release your hand from his bottom and switch the excess fabric near the rings to this hand.
- Use your other hand to pull the fabric through the rings to tighten and hold the position.
- Make sure your baby is tucked in and secure in the back. The sling fabric should be right up under his arm pits or across his shoulders.
- Evaluate where the fabric needs to be tighter
Continue to move any loose fabric around from the back to the front near the rings and tighten the top, middle or bottom of the tail accordingly to get the perfect fit.
* Do not take your hands off of your baby until you are sure that the sling is securely positioned to hold your baby hands-free.
To nurse in this position, you’ll have to shift your baby around to your hip again. With a larger baby/child on your hip in the sling, you will most likely have to loosen the sling to allow your child’s back to round out a bit for them to reach your breast. Once they are at the right level, shift the sling back and forth across your body to reach one breast or the other.