help me love my ring sling!

[LionessMom]

i have a ring sling. i cant afford to get anything else. i loved it with DD1 after she was able to sit up. but i cant figure out how to wear my NB DD. i read the instructions. but she always seems to have her chin tucked into her chest.

advice please!?!

[carmel23]

when I discovered this method with a newborn, I fell in love with my ring sling:

Take a receiving blanket and fold it up, so it makes a nice little stiff-ish pillow about the same width/length as your baby.

Lay the baby on this "pillow" and then place in the sling however the baby feels most comfortable--my guys always liked to be kind of up in the froggy position-- so I would tuck them in the pouch part of the sling, and then tighten it on their back so they were nice and snug, kind of tucked in right where my arm attaches to my breast, so I could use my arm to support/ cradle baby, too.

They never liked to lay flat in the sling... HTH

[Kiara.I]

Are you trying to wear her in cradle position, or upright in tummy to tummy?
Is your ring sling heavily padded on the rails, and is the tail sewn shut or is it open?

If it's an open tail, and unpadded, you should be able to adjust it to support her no problem.

For tummy to tummy, just pop her in and adjust either the bottom, or the top, or the middle independently. Her head will likely be facing sort of looking up at you sideways, and you should be able to tighten the middle to pull her back in toward you so that she's straight, not curled up. Once she's in, if you hug her and she moves closer to you, your sling is too loose. She should be as tight as a hug in there.

For cradle carry, start in tummy-to-tummy, and then move her feet/bum down and to one side. She will wind up lying diagonally across the fabric, and you should be able to tighten the middle of the fabric, again, to support her back and bring her neck into a straight line.

[LionessMom]

it is a homemade sling. made by the lady that runs a local baby store. it is unpadded, tail is open. i just cant seem to make her comfortable. i am trying the cradle carry. she is only 2 weeks old. can i put her in an upright carry? i tried the receiving blanket behind her back and was happy once. but i couldnt get it to do it like that again. guess i just need more practice. also, how do people nurse while wearing them? do they need to pull their top down? b/c lifting it up from the bottom is irritating. kwim? how do you do it?

thanks for your help. i appreciate it.

[Kiara.I]

Absolutely you can do upright. Just make sure she is held nice and snug to you. Since you got it locally from someone who makes them (and hopefully uses them!) can you go back to the store and ask for some help from the lady who made it? She might be able to help you tweak it so it works well for you.

Nursing while wearing...well, clothes are just a problem while nursing. I usually just wear t-shirts and ruck them up under the sling. Not the most discreet, unless you've got a second layer. Nursing tanks, which open from the top, can be helpful, or a nursing shirt where the opening is more or less at breast level can make it a bit easier.