General Safety
The Basics
- Do not take your hands off of your baby until you are sure that the sling is securely positioned to hold baby hands-free.
- The sling should never take the place of a car seat or other safety restraint device.
- Be aware of an infant’s breathing when bundled inside of sling.
- Check circulation in child’s legs and arms, periodically, when in the sling.
Safety
The sling is meant to help you keep your baby close while living a full, active life. Your sling can be used safely in most situations with just a little thought and common sense. Our slings are not meant to be used as a car seat or other safety restraint device but I do wear my sling on the bus or train when a car seat is unavailable.
Please consider the great risk of injury to your baby when using the sling in highly active situations such as riding a bike or playing sports.
To safely wear your baby in the sling, please keep the following in mind:
Sling Condition- Make sure that the fabric of the sling is not ripping or coming undone. This will compromise the strength of the sling.
- Our slings are constructed to be long lasting and durable. However, if your sling needs repairs, contact us so that we can help.
Gravity
When you put your baby in the sling, use gravity to help hold your baby against your body while positioning:
- When putting the baby on your front - lean back.
- When putting the baby on your hip - lean to the side.
- When putting the baby on your back - lean forward.
Hands-Free
- Make sure your baby is secure enough for you to be hands free before completely letting go.
Respiration
- Make sure that your baby has enough breathing room and is in a position that will allow proper lung function. Don’t be alarmed. This is usually not even a concern unless your baby is curled up sleeping deep inside the sling. Just be aware and make occasional checks to their breathing.
Circulation
- Make sure that your child’s limbs are getting enough circulation if folded under your baby’s bottom, against his body or dangling out of the sling.
- If the limbs feel unusually cool to the touch or they hold a white mark when you press on them with a finger, they could be having trouble with circulation and need adjustment.
- Sometimes babies settle into the sling in a weird way and you just need to make a small adjustment in the position to get the circulation going again.
- Other times, especially with the legs dangling out of the sling, the fabric can be too tight across baby’s legs. This could happen in the Hip Carry or Tummy to Tummy positions. In these positions, make sure that the tightness in the sling fabric is more across and under your baby’s bottom and not across his legs. The fabric should form a little pouch for your baby’s bottom to rest in. This pouch should be snug and cause your baby’s hip joint to be at a right angle.
Prevent Toppling
- Make sure that your baby is well enough inside the sling and/or that the fabric is high enough on your baby’s back to not topple out if you should bend over or if the baby should lean back.
- Always place a hand on your baby when bending over for extra protection.
Protecting the Head
- Watch out for your baby’s head, especially in the hip carry position. Just be extra aware of their heads when bending over, going through a tight doorway or swinging/turning your body to avoid bumping.
- Place a hand on the back of the head for extra support in these situations. You may have to think about this a little at first but soon this hand motion will become automatic.
Our goal is for you to be hands-free in the sling but not care-free. Be thoughtful about your situation and environment and aware of your baby when using your sling. We wish you safe, happy sling wearing!