Among moms who use baby slings, there is such a thing as a slingomaniac. This is a mom who has many, many, many scarves, and they are all so different, they are sometimes sold, then bought again, then changed, then cut into smaller sizes (to sew a ssk or a backpack) and again sold, bought, changed ... Usually this term is used to say that the mother has a huge number of exactly scarves. So, if you use this very concept, then you can say about me that I am a non-standard baby boy. 🙂 Scarves, as such, I had very few, but I distinguished myself in something else: I tried almost all types of carry-overs to find my ideal option (making excuses: because Egor was initially sitting incorrectly in the sling due to his neurological characteristics and tone, and I selected the device in which it will sit most correctly and comfortably). As a side effect - based on my own experience, now I can tell you about what types of slings are, what is «correct» sling and how to use it correctly, which sling is better not to use and how to persuade the baby to sit in the correct carrier if he suddenly decided «go for a walk» in an unsuitable place. I talked about why it is good to wear a baby in a sling in previous article.
The content of the article
- one What carriers are
- 2 Caveats which slings are wrong - pseudo slings
- 3 Babywearing safety rules
- 4 What to do for the baby to agree to sit in a sling
- five Up to what age can / should be worn in a sling
- 6 Thematic and helpful communities
What carriers are
In general, in a word «sling» (from the English sling - support bandage) denote any rag device for carrying a baby from birth until the baby decides that «enough» and until my mother's back can stand. And this invention did not appear yesterday, this is not a fool of modern youth - the tradition of babywearing goes back millennia! From time immemorial, one way or another, mothers always wore their children in cloth transports, scarves, scarves, etc., we just somehow forgot about it with the invention of wheelchairs. Everything new, as they say, is well forgotten old. Remember the adage «In the hem brought» - this is actually in the sling 🙂
Dear slingomoms and their slingo residents / resident
I will list here only those carriers that thinking mothers and advanced doctors consider correct and not that harmless, but on the contrary, very useful. I will tell you about such horrors as Kangarushki and similar harm later. So, what types of correct attachments for carrying a small child are known to me:
- Sling scarf (US)
- Ring Sling (CCK)
- Sling pocket (SK)
- My-sling
- Fast sling
- Scarf backpack (I personally have both backpacks from Katya Karaush)
- Ergonomic backpack (ergo backpack or ergo backpack)
- Hipseat
- Sling scarf (kanga)
In a sling-scarf (US)
In a sling-scarf behind the back
Photo of a sling with rings (csk)
In a sling with rings (ssk)
In a sling pocket (SK)
Photo of may-sling
In a may-sling
In a scarf backpack from Katya Karaush
Ergonomic backpack
In an ergonomic backpack
Hipseat
In hipseat, the baby sits like on a highchair (only for sitting children!)
Foreshadowing your questions, how many slings I have in total (had), I will say right away - I decided to write about this in the next article and tell you what slingo devices I personally tried 🙂
There are also such exotic things as onbuhimo and poddegi, but I haven’t seen them live, I can’t say anything about them. At the same time, carriers within one type also differ from each other in composition, density and weaving of the fabric. In some of them, it is better to wear completely newborn babies, because they are softer for the delicate skin of the baby, while others are much more suitable for older children who already weigh a lot, so they can only be worn in very dense fabric. If some have a looser weave and are blown out, it is great to use them in the heat, while others contain, for example, wool, and they additionally warm the baby in winter. Therefore, when choosing a sling, one must take into account not only its color;) but also the pattern (the weaving of the fabric depends on it, which means its tenacity). And of course, look not only at the length and width of the canvas, but also at its composition and density (it depends on which windings you can do with it, as well as its softness and durability).
And one more very important point - you need to take special care of slngs, observe the temperature regime when washing (otherwise the scarf can shrink very much) and use special liquid products if you want to preserve the original properties of the fabric (although many deliberately violate these rules in order to make the scarf is denser, looser and embossed).
About what kind of slings are generally there, how they differ, what each of them is used for, and how to wear them in general, you can read in thematic communities (I wrote the links below). I will not repeat myself, everything is described there very cool. 🙂 I’ll just say that there is such a variety of slings that if a mother has set herself the goal of making life easier for herself and her baby with the help of this amazing device, then she will definitely be able to choose for herself exactly the type of sling in which it will be most convenient for her to carry her treasure.
Caveats which slings are wrong - pseudo slings
The most frankly terribly harmful and uncomfortable are any kind of kangaroo carrier. In general, I am amazed why these particular devices are sold in almost all children's stores! And how can you wonder which is better than a kangaroo or a sling! In addition to the fact that, due to the uncomfortable configuration and narrow shoulder straps, the mother's back asks for mercy almost immediately, as soon as the baby gets there, it is absolutely not good for the baby himself. In a kangaroo, the weight of the child is distributed completely incorrectly and the main load falls on the baby's crotch, on which he, in fact, hangs, and this is very harmful for the small, still fragile spine. Well, among psychologists and experienced mothers there is an opinion that it is not very good for a child's fragile psyche to carry a baby facing the world (back to him) when he does not have the opportunity at any time «hide away» to mom and restrict information coming from outside.
How kangaroos differ from correct slingo-backpacks (they are also called ergo-backpacks) can be read here (http://slingomamy.livejournal.com/4922255.html) and here (http://www.ellevill.org/auxpage_kenguroo/)
In my opinion, everything is clear here and without words 🙂
And then there are devices that are less recognizable as incorrect, but still harmful and even dangerous. They are all united by such features as the inability to normally regulate the tension of the fabric on the back, often a shoulder strap with an adjustable fastener length (but there are also rings), a hard (although sometimes soft) bottom, and the sides are either with elastic bands, or simply tightened with a string. But all these carriers are more like bags in which the baby drowns. And in these devices, the baby takes such a position that his chin is pressed too tightly against his chest, and this is very dangerous, because in such a position it is very difficult for the baby to breathe, and there were even terrible cases when the children were suffocating there, because they were just in such an incorrect C-shaped position. Here are the main incorrect slings with pictures, it's a pity that there are no kangaroos there either: here - http://www.babysling.ru/Slingi-kotorye-NELZJA-nosit-CHernyj-spisok-proizvoditelej-a-55.html and here -
http://vk.com/album-45659427_176505993
Well, and here I would also like to add that not everything that is called the correct name is also correct. For example, the so often used ring sling (abbreviated - SSK), which in theory is a very convenient device. And it is so! But! And here, too, you can make a mistake and buy the wrong sling with rings, and then be perplexed, and why everyone praises it, it is so inconvenient to wear in it. And the thing is that this carrier must be properly sewn, from the correct sling fabric, with large (7-8 cm in diameter) rings. And most importantly - no pads under the shoulder, no padded sides, otherwise you will not be able to properly adjust this sling, and it will be very uncomfortable and difficult to wear in it. Here is a girl who described one of these wrong SSK very well - http://slingomamy.livejournal.com/6812914.html
Well, and another oversight may be the choice of a slingorack or a may-sling not for the size of the baby (too early in age or in terms of parameters), if these devices turn out to be too large, then, firstly, the baby will not be properly fixed, his brand , and the back, too, will dangle - which is not good, especially at a very early age, and secondly, the legs will be too far apart, and the correct fit of the baby in the sling will not be observed, which is also not good.
Well, and if you are completely meticulous, then when choosing a sling scarf, you need to be careful and choose only from a special sling fabric, which most of all stretches not along or across, but in a diagonal. This is especially important for beginners, because with such a fabric it is much easier to master the wisdom of correct winding, because when pulling up the sling panels, they stretch correctly and it is much easier to adjust the winding this way..
Babywearing safety rules
No matter how correct the sling is, when using it, you always always need to follow the rules of safe wearing, so that both you and your baby will have it for joy and health. Below, in a thesis form, I told the main points that you must pay attention to..
- when winding, you need to support the baby well, especially the head in newborns
- the position of the baby in the sling should be correct, it should be good, tightly tied along the entire length of the back and priests, the weight should be distributed correctly
- the back of the baby should be slightly rounded, and the ass should sag and be below the knees - this is the M-position
- the baby cannot be in the C-shaped position (the chin should not be pressed against the chest), otherwise it will be very difficult for the baby to breathe;
- you need to monitor so that there is enough oxygen, you should always see the baby's face, do not cover it with anything
- with strong physical activity and mobility, just in case, hold the baby with your hand
- check if the handles are sticking out when you are going to fit into a narrow doorway or somewhere else - you can accidentally touch a jamb or a wall with a handle
- track what color the legs are, check that they do not flow (suddenly you wound them incorrectly), knead them periodically
- periodically still take out the baby to warm up, learn to hold his head, move to the toy, crawl to sit, etc..
- before you put the baby in a sling, keep in mind that he is always warm from you, and maybe even hot, dress him lighter so that he does not overheat
- if possible, it is better to use sling clothes for the baby (with longer legs so that they do not bulge up too much when landing and do not expose their legs), you can use baby gaiters
Put on-reel in a sling-scarf (US)
Even in the right sling, the baby can sit incorrectly.
If you are in any doubt about something or are not sure about something, invite a good sling counselor or at least an experienced slingomama home. In a couple of hours she will tell you, show and teach you how to use the sling. This will significantly reduce your time than learning from video tutorials and for a long time feeling like a crooked hand (that's exactly what I was at the very beginning).
Here is a list of sling consultants from that community that I personally trust very much: http://slingomamy.livejournal.com/4971019.html either shenda - Maria Lazarevskaya, or mashenke - Maria Molina, or lucky_ludmila - Lyudmila Korzina. They inspire confidence in me, because I have read many times that they responded in the comments to novice mothers who asked in the communities for advice on how to carry a baby in a sling..
Sling-lesson from an experienced sling-mom
And if you do not want to contact sling consultants or there is no such opportunity, then you can simply take a picture of yourself in a sling with a baby and post in the http://slingomamy.livejournal.com community a post with your photo and your question, or just ask to check on photo, are you doing everything right, is the baby sitting as it should, is the sling tight enough, etc. There are very friendly, helpful mothers, they will give you a lot of useful advice. And sling consultants can also write in the comments there..
What to do for the baby to agree to sit in a sling
I will list what I did and what helped me to keep Yegorush in the sling while I was winding it up. Especially in the beginning it took me a lot of time, I started to get bored and tried «go out for a walk» while I flapped the sling like wings.
So, what I did: well, first of all, I gave him a breast 🙂 But if it didn’t help, I made all kinds of faces for him and blew lightly on him. They also say that it helps to immediately start walking and singing quickly. I didn’t do that because I had nowhere to go in our apartment. «walk», so I just stood and imitated running in place, and more often I even just squatted, springing. Later, such a wonderful invention as sling beads began to save me - these are juniper beads tied with colored threads by craftswomen, which little children love to gnaw.
Delicious sling buses
Delicious sling buses
Up to what age can / should be worn in a sling
In general, this question, of course, is individual, and for each child-parent it is solved in its own way. But still, it seems to me that up to a year (or rather, until the baby begins to walk confidently) it is better to carry the baby more in a sling, and not in a stroller, so that he is as close to his mother as possible. In general, it can be said that it is more likely the child decides when he no longer needs to be carried on handles all the time, when he is ready «get off mom» and sit in «carousel» (stroller) or go with your own legs. If during all this time the baby has received a sufficient amount of warmth and parental love, he realized that his mother is always there and will always help, if he feels protected and calm because of this, then he is ready to break away from her and «go into the distance», as one of my wonderful slingomam friend says about her mega independent daughter.
And if we consider the purely technical side of the issue, then the manufacturers of various carriers usually indicate the age somewhere up to 2.5 - 3 years, then, apparently, it will be very difficult to carry (although I know that especially durable scarves, for example, can withstand and adults), and some five-seven-year-olds sometimes ask for a sling if they start to be jealous of younger brothers / sisters, but this is not for long 🙂
Thematic and helpful communities
This is where slingomas generally live, where you can ask your questions. Just read the rules of the communities carefully, they really don't like violators 🙂
Sling communities
Here you can always ask for advice on the correct winding of the scarf and, in general, about the nuances of the correct wearing of the baby: http://slingomamy.livejournal.com
In the same community, in the very top post, there is an excellent slingo encyclopedia, I strongly advise all beginners (and not only) mothers! 🙂
And here they discuss what kind of scarves are generally, how they differ, share their impressions of the fabric, colors, characteristics, new products. They can advise a specific sling for a specific weight of the baby or for specific weather and temperature conditions:
http://slingi-v-wkafu.livejournal.com/
http://choosingwrap.livejournal.com/
And on these forums they discuss everything at once, and the features of the windings, and the ways of wearing children, and the scarves / backpacks / fast / mai, etc., but the structure is lame there, it is much more difficult to find the necessary information:
http://www.slingoliga.ru/
http://www.slingokonsultant.ru/
http://www.babyblog.ru/community/lenta/sling
http://www.baby.ru/community/11407725/forum/
And here you can buy and sell all these second-hand jewelry, including scarves, backpacks, and even a slingo-train, slingo-shoes and various accessories to them:
http://for-slings.livejournal.com/
http://buy-sling.livejournal.com/
http://www.babyblog.ru/community/lenta/slingsforsale
http://slingoliga.ru/forum/viewforum.php?f=2&sid=669ef65d652fe24515b84607f919e2a7
http://forum.slingokonsultant.ru/viewforum.php?f=2&sid=6a99c0aa20a5946a2f31d9d6fc78d276
Useful articles for a beginner baby sling mom
Here is a cool collection of all photo and video instructions on how to put on, wear and use various slings (although there are similar collections in other communities above): http://slingomamy.livejournal.com/5238167.html
From myself, I can add that I like the video instructions from Slingopark most of all, very competently, clearly and sensibly done.
Well, a very useful article, just a real mastrid, about how to properly carry a baby in a sling: http://www.slingoliga.ru/articles/sling/howto.php
A very competent article in two parts about how correctly a newborn should sit in a sling, and about the fact that his rounded back and this position of the legs are physiological, useful and good (suitable for giving to especially worried grandmothers to read): http : //mama.tomsk.ru/babywearing/carriers/carry_newborn.html
I really missed this article at one time - The position of the child in a sling, depending on his age and type of sling: http://www.babyblog.ru/community/post/sling/1701391
By the way, in the same community there are cool articles about the benefits of babywearing, written by different doctors - this can also be useful for recruiting doubting grandmothers into their baby sling rows..
And here they tell you great about which sling is best for a newborn and how it is easiest to choose: http://slingomamy.livejournal.com/6723429.html
An article about common mistakes in using a sling: http://www.babyblog.ru/user/MyLADY/68401
An article for those who want to understand all the tricky acronyms and acronyms in sling communities: http://milkmomstory.livejournal.com/20377.html
Briefly about the difference (and they differ!) 100% cotton slings of different brands: link is out of date
Who wants to poke around and understand the differences between weaving fabrics in sling: http://www.slingoliga.ru/articles/sling/interweaving.php
