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  • All about babywearing
    • Benefits of babywearing
    • Babywearers' stories
    • Babywearing myths
  • Sling meets/Events
    • Upcoming events
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  • Sling types
    • Mei tais, half buckles and podaegis
    • Soft structured carriers and full buckles
    • Stretchy and woven wraps
    • Ring slings and pouches
    • Mass-produced carriers
  • Babywearing help
    • Carrying in a woven wrap - general tips
    • Front carry with mei tai/SSC
    • Front Wrap Cross Carry - stretchy or woven wrap
    • Back carries in a woven wrap - rucksack and double hammock
    • Back carries in a carrier
    • One-shoulder carries in a ring sling or woven wrap
  • Safe babywearing
    • Positioning
    • Consultants and peer support workers
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Safe Babywearing

A new mum carries her tiny baby in an Oscha ring sling
Babywearing is safe if done correctly.

It's important to follow the TICKS rule to ensure that the baby's breathing is not restricted:
  • Tight
  • In view at all times
  • Close enough to kiss
  • Keep chin off the chest
  • Supported back

Look at the positioning page to make sure you are supporting your child's natural leg, back and head position. 

IF YOU ARE AT ALL UNSURE OF YOUR BABY'S POSITIONING OR SAFETY, DO NOT USE THE SLING, AND ASK FOR HELP! THIS IS WHAT SLING MEETS ARE FOR!

Bag-style slings should never be used. Read why here.  

Always buy your slings from a reputable manufacturer, or if second-hand, from a trusted source.   

Watch out for non-branded and fake carriers sold on eBay, especially counterfeit ERGObaby carriers. If the price seems too good to be true, it is!  
A dad tandem carries his pre-school daughter on his back in a soft structured carrier, and his toddler son on his front in a mei tai
 
A new baby is snuggled in to his mum's front in a pink and blue woven wrap.
Get into the habit of regularly checking your sling to make sure that the fabric isn't fraying or ripped, that the stitching isn't loose, and that the buckles aren't damaged. A good quality sling should not come apart, but wear and tear does happen. If you are at all unsure, don't use it!

Notice

It is a babywearer's responsibility to ensure the safety of their baby while in a sling. Sheffield Babywearers recommends that you attend a sling meet or a sling library to get help with using any new sling, particularly with a newborn. The information on this website is for reference only and should never be used as an alternative to face-to-face advice.
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