We have been so busy already this year! Our Megakidz meet was the biggest we've ever had, with 30 parents in attendance, and then our Hallamshire House meet was rammed with babywearers as you can see in this photo!

There was lots of sling trying on, help and advice as always. 

Our demo topic this month has been demystifying sling lengths. Some of the attendees were amazed at how long a size 6 is - 4.6m - and were interested to see what you can do with it. 

We have two large regular meets every month, plus extra smaller ones, so check our our upcoming events page to find one that's good for you!

And so the snow came, and continues to fall. We've had lots of questions about carrying our babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers in these snowy conditions. So, we asked our members and they've given us plenty of tips for and photos of babywearing in the snow.

A common concern is how can you carry in snow and ice without falling on to your child. A popular tip, one that resurfaces every year, is to purchase a pair of grips for the soles of your shoes, like Yaktrax as these provide extra grip for the slippery conditions. In terms of where you carry your baby, there is no right or wrong answer: front, back, or hip, you just carry them wherever feels best for you. The key is confidence, if you feel stable on your feet you will walk with confidence and, importantly, your child will feel safe and secure.

On Thursday 13th December we got all festive at our Chrimbo sling-meet at the Hallamshire House. Everyone got into the festivities, little and big people alike.

There were Santa hats, Reindeer jumpers, cheeky elves and some crazy specs that Sir Elton would be proud of!

We wonder if this lovely mummy will enter this festive shot in our Advent Calendar competition running over on our facebook page - she could be in with a chance of winning a £20 Monkey Mei Tai voucher if she did! Or just come and have a look at what has behind the doors opened to date!

It was a lively meet with lots of chat and lots of demos - below, Katherine, aka Mrs Claus, outs her Peer Support Worker qualification to good use to demonstrate a back carry with a Mei Tai.

And, of course, there was Christmas cake: this was made by one of our members and was one of the prizes in our raffle; along with a voucher for a free loan from Sheffield Sling Library and "Off We Go", a lovely nursery rhyme CD by Jess & Richard Arrowsmith. Charlotte was lucky enough to win the cake but got a bit of a shock when she lifted the beast! We have been told temptation has been resisted and it is being saved for the family on Christmas day.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year everyone! And we look forward to seeing you in 2013, you can find us at MegaKids on Tuesday 8th January. Please check our Upcoming Events for more details and other sling meets planned for January, and beyond.

When I was pregnant I remember watching a woman at Sheffield train station put her baby on her back with a long length of fabric.  I realise now that I must have been staring.  I was impressed by her technique but just assumed that I wouldn’t ever carry my baby in this way.  I didn’t even give it a second thought, in spite of seeing what a good idea it was.

I’m a new mum to Robin who is now eleven weeks old and I never knew there was such a thing as ‘babywearing’ until after he was born.  Like most things with this journey into parenthood, I have picked up knowledge along the way.  

Whilst pregnant, I liked the idea of carrying my baby in a sling and had read that it might be useful to have one as well as a buggy or pram.  I bought a Caboo Close carrier (a hybrid stretchy carrier) from ebay for a bargain £25.  I’m not sure what made me choose this one over one of the mass produced type slings but I read some good reviews and thought I’d go with this one.  My husband and I spent hours practising with a doll but we never got around to actually using it until Robin was about two weeks old. 

Katherine on the left carries her daughter in a Lenny Lamb woven wrap, while Natasha (of Sheffield Sling Library) is using an Oscha wrap. To find out more about slings, come to one of our sling meets - the next one is this Saturday in the Showroom - or get down to Sheffield Sling Library!

Sheffield Sling Library and Sheffield Babywearers got together to hold a Macmillan Coffee morning this week, and it was a huge success! Eighteen mums and dads came down with their children to help raise £50 for Macmillan Cancer Support. And lots of those parents left the library with a baby carrier to try out for a couple of weeks.

Sheffield Sling Library owner Natasha was particularly pleased to be able to help seven new parents just starting out on their babywearing journey. The library is a fabulous resource for established babywearers, but for new ones it's invaluable as it gives parents a chance to get to grips with all the options before they spend any money. Our local Sheffield sling meets are also a great way to try out all sorts of baby slings. 

What do Sheffield Babywearers like nearly as much as baby slings? Cake, of course! We love any opportunity to combine babywearing with cake, plus a bit of sitting around and chatting.  

So we are joining forces with Sheffield Sling Library to have a Macmillan World's Biggest Coffee Morning, on Tuesday 25 September 2012. The Sling Library is very excited to be back in action, and is hosting this good-cause event in combination with a regular library session.  

Yesterday saw our first sling meet at our new Tuesday venue, Megakidz on Bernard Road, and it was a great success!

We had lots of attendees - babywearers both old and new - and the kids loved the soft play area, particularly the zipwire. The meet was in a private section at the back of the play area, allowing us to make the most of the facilities while not being stared at.

Our back carry demonstration and help session was much enjoyed, and several babywearers were very chuffed to manage their first back carries. The rucksack carry demonstration was rather overpowered by the screaming overtired demo-baby... but everyone was impressed at how she settled straight down to sleep once wrapped up. Some mums with newer arrivals watched and wondered if their babies would ever get big enough to chuck on their backs... don't worry, they will, all too soon!

Laura of Sheffield Sling Library has helped more babywearers than she can remember. She has been there for so many parents, to lend out slings and to advise on using them, and I'm sure I can speak for everyone who has ever used the library in saying we are incredibly grateful for her help.

However, life moves on, and with the birth of her new baby boy Laura is handing over the reins (and the library stock!) to Natasha, who will be the new librarian and owner of Sheffield Sling Library. Laura will now enjoy attending sling meets as a regular babywearer, but will always be willing to help others out with the benefit of her experience and Trageschule qualification.