My beautiful hope&plum ring sling I have spent so much money on and SO much time trying to figure out. I’ve watched the tutorials, I did the consult with Mallory, I paid for a consult with a local babywearing expert, I practice putting my baby in like 4-5 times a day. I would say three times or so I’ve gotten her in and felt good. She gets so crooked. She’s so squirmy. Her arms bulge out in weird ways and no matter how long I spend threading the fabric it’s really hard to tighten in sections properly. Then she spits all over me and the sling right when I’m getting frustrated. Help will it get better as my baby gets older (she’s 4 months)? I am torn between giving up and moving on but I’ve invested so much into this lol…the hope&plum folks make it seem SO EASY, their docile little babies just pop into the slings in their videos. I want this for me! I also just don’t find the SSCs as cozy for wearing baby around the house. Did anybody else have a lightbulb moment where it clicked? Is the h&p hemp blend not as forgiving as people make it out to be?
Edit: THANK YOU everybody, I officially feel way better and less alone in my ring sling struggles! Gonna hang it up and try again in a few months
@pashapotte Same here. I got it to work one day and the next she slid right out the bottom. I threw it into the other room in frustration and used my husband's carrier
@blessedj316 I liked my ring sling when my little was a week old potato at the 4th of July parade who just ate and slept and sat super high on my chest. Once she woke up and got squirmy, It didn't feel secure anymore. I might try it again once she gets a little more comfortable on my hip. She's a bit small for a hip carry at 3.5months, but has the head and torso control.
@blessedj316 Yes, this!! I barely used it when they were small but it's THE BEST for quick up and downs once you can do a hip carry. I have a 6 mo and a toddler and just this morning the toddler was just rambunctious enough that I didn't want to leave them alone together, so I put the baby in a sling to make tea, get the toddler his clothes, do all the little things at home.
@blessedj316 Honestly, I got a (cheaper) version of a ring sling and really wanted to love it. It’s beautiful, the fabric is soft and light linen, perfect for summer, fast to put on…
It got better. I was able to wear it far more comfortably, baby was far more comfortable. But was it ever “okay”, or “good enough”? No. The way the weight was distributed just never felt good for me. Fabric tended to dig into baby’s legs. As he got squirmier, it felt even worse.
I’m sure others have had better or different experiences, but I personally found it better to just move on.
@blessedj316 Honestly if you’re this frustrated I’d stash the sling for awhile and switch to something easier/with buckles. Try the sling again when your kiddo is bigger (they’re great for hip carrying a toddler, it’s not as crucial to get the support perfect on a kid who can stand/walk). It’s not helpful but it really does just take practice to get it down. It sounds like you’re not happy with the way a sling works and that’s fine too— baby carriers are like shoes (they are not ‘one size fits all,’ your favorite pair may be terrible for someone else).
I have a couple of ring slings, one of which is a Hope and Plum hemp blend, and they’re the last thing I reach for because they are slower to put on and you can’t really use your arms. A ring sling feels much less secure than a SSC with a seat and straps. I do think that fabric is nice and adjustable, so I don’t personally think that’s your issue.
@pitcharan Yeah, I think this is a good idea. We used an Ergo stretchy wrap her first twoish months (at which point she already started feeling too big for it to not droop) and I loved the coziness/lack of bulk, which is why I really wanted a sling to work. I know there are some other cloth/wrap options like meh dais, which I may try at some point too.
For a SSC, I had gotten a Wildbird Aerial but just sold it because I found it to not be as great as the reviews made it seem and the aforementioned babywearing expert said it was a huge pain for switching from front to back carries. I just ordered a Tula FTG which I haven’t gotten yet but I’m looking forward to trying that. My husband uses an Ergo OmniBreeze and I use it from time to time, I just find it kind of bulky and don’t love how it looks to be honest.
I wish I had known how many options were out there before doing our registry, I would have just waited or done things differently but alas. I just really love babywearing but I think the sling may just have to wait. Thank you for your help!
@blessedj316 If you did the stretchy wrap, a Front Wrap Cross Carry with a woven wrap is a very similar tie. My little got too heavy for the stretch wrap to be comfortable at about 2 months, but the woven feels super secure. I got a cheap-o woven on Amazon (like 20-30$ USD) to see if I could handle it before investing in a nice, more expensive one.
@blessedj316 What helped me learn the ring sling was a striped sling! That way I could very easily see where I needed to tighten it! I have the Winter Dance Dark ring sling from Weaverbirds, but any ring sling with stripes or a gradient would work equally good.
@davidsheart77 Mine is patterned with flowers and other things that almost function as stripes. I just find the cloth gets bunched up in the rings even when I fan it out each time
@blessedj316 I loved the ring sling once my guy was walking. He could be forward facing but not on my back, and he was strong enough and big enough that getting everything just right wasn't crucial. Perfect for popping into a store for 10 minutes when i just wanted him contained but didn't want to carry him. If he was in arms he'd want to get down but the ring sling kind of made him feel trapped and he'd stay there longer. So I vote put it away until baby is a few months older and then see if you like it better!
@blessedj316 My lightbulb moment was this video. I know it's for newborns but my 2.5 year old wanted a ride this weekend and I put him in using the exact same technique. I don't ever do anything now but make a hammock for their buts and pull up the fabric.
@blessedj316 If it helps, I hated nine for ages (another squirmy baby) but now he's older it's a godsend for quick up and downs and cuddles while I'm making dinner. He's now 14 months but we've been using it for a while, it's my just in case sling and always in the car. We use the integra as well, love it and very secure.
will it get better as my baby gets older (she’s 4 months)? I am torn between giving up and moving on but I’ve invested so much into this lol…the hope&plum folks make it seem SO EASY, their docile little babies just pop into the slings in their videos. I want this for me! I also just don’t find the SSCs as cozy for wearing baby around the house. Did anybody else have a lightbulb moment where it clicked? Is the h&p hemp blend not as forgiving as people make it out to be?
