New to the ring sling and in need of help

[swag]

I recently bought a Wildbird linen ring sling and I really want to like it because I know once I get the hang of it that it will be quick and easy to get my LO in and out of. Right now, though, I’m having such a hard time with it I’ve read through a bunch of old posts on here about them but still had a few questions:

1. Is it supposed to be super tight on my shoulder, or is that an indication that I’m wearing it incorrectly? I’m not sure how functional the arm the rings are on is supposed to be.
2. How tight should the top of it be across my LO? He is 1 month old so he’s pretty floppy. I have done the trick where you twist the tail and roll it under the top of the sling as additional neck support, but it either feels too loose or too tight, making it so he struggles to turn his head if he wants to. Not quite sure where the sweet spot is.
3. What is the best age for the ring sling? Could part of my struggle with it be that it would work better once my son has better control of his neck and is able to sit up on his own?
4. I’ve watched the Wildbird tutorial videos, but are there any others you’d recommend watching to learn more?

Thank you in advance!

 

[kates]

@swag Second sarahmahri.babywearing on insta! Her videos helped me a lot. I’m by no means an expert at the ring sling but I did have a much easier time with it as my baby got a little older - 5 months seemed to be the sweet spot where it suddenly got easier for me to get him in it.

 

[swag]

@kates I’ll check her out! Thank you!

 

[mark7871]

@swag I was wearing my second baby in a ring sling from 4 months old until current (16mo and 35 lbs lol), but have worn smaller and younger babies since then.

You will lose a lot of mobility in the shoulder with the rings. I like to pull the fabric down over my shoulder like a cap sleeve, so I can’t lift my arm much once I’m all cinched in. But the fabric should be tensioned evenly around your back and shouldn’t feel like it’s pulling specifically on your shoulder.

The fabric at the top of baby’s back should be snug. They shouldn’t be able to push away from you much.

 

[swag]

@mark7871 I think I let the back get bunched up so it’s not spreading the weight evenly.

Thanks for your input! I’m determined to make this work lol I think I really need to practice way more.

 

[mark7871]

@swag Definitely practice! I found the ring sling particularly great for babies that like to contact nap, because I could sneak the ring sling on around a baby that was already asleep on my chest. Not a great job at it, but a one armed carry assist with the ring sling was better than feeling nap trapped and useless on the couch! Also great for airplane travel for the same reason.

Don’t be afraid to post fit checks or ask for more help as you practice more to help fine tune your tensioning.

 

[swag]

@mark7871 Ooo I love that it works well for contact naps. My little guy loves to nap on me.

I will definitely post a fit check the next time I practice wearing it. Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[tempfunny]

@swag I used a ring sling from a few weeks' age! I always centered the baby on one boob instead of on my sternum, it helped a lot with getting her into the right shape for good tightening and weight distribution - the boob acted like a bolster for the C-shape, and her head rested on my collarbone area more naturally. (I have big boobs so ymmv)

Wearing a newborn in the ring sling is definitely a different experience from wearing an older baby or toddler, but that's the case with everything.

If you're unsure, post a fit check

 

[swag]

@tempfunny I’ll try centering him on my boob and see how that works!

 

[chriatopher]

@swag I’m sorry I can’t help with more of your questions - I know many folks wear their newborns in ring slings but for me it was much easier once he was a bit older and we could hip carry. For videos I love Sarah Mahri on Instagram.

 

[swag]

@chriatopher I think it’ll be easier when he is older and can sit up on his own. I’m going to keep trying now, though. Maybe it’ll click with more practice

Edit: I’ll check out her insta; thank you !

 

[jbearit84]

@swag Disclaimer, I'm not a professional, but I have been loving ring slinging my baby and getting better with practice.

1. I wear my sling on my left shoulder and my left arm doesn't have a ton of mobility. Definitely don't make it so tight it's uncomfortable, but I think it's pretty normal to not be able to lift your arm a ton. Having it capped on your shoulder really helps it not creep up on your neck.
2. I think "tight" isn't the goal, but secure is. Does baby feel secure? He will let you know if he's uncomfortable. I was really nervous about getting proper support behind my baby's head at first, but with them facing you, their head isn't going to just randomly fly off backwards, they will rest it on your chest. I tend to err on the side of a little looser on the top rail if he's wanting to look around, but when he falls asleep sometimes I snug it up more (and love the rolling the tail trick) to help keep his head more upright.
3. Lots of people sling newborns really successfully! We started from like 6 weeks, but many people do it from birth.
4. Wrapping Rachel has a blog post on troubleshooting ring slings that I found really helpful. Hope&plum also has fantastic content on Instagram and Tiktok.

 

[jbearit84]

And definitely just keep practicing! It helped me a lot to practice just around the house where it's really low stakes before doing it more in public with more confidence.

Making sure to spread the fabric out nice and wide across his back, with more fabric by the knees was a revelation. So was when I realized how to find the slack "hiding" in different areas and pull it to the rings, tightening a third at a time. Those things together really helped me get a deep seat and snug fit after a lot of less-good tries.

 

[swag]

@jbearit84 Thanks for all of your input! I’ll check out the Wrapping Rachel blog post.

Can I ask what material you like best for your sling wraps? The linen one I have is a bit stiff (I think that’s how I would describe it, at least). I’ve read that this texture can be preferable to something like modal since it is less likely to slip while wearing. It definitely doesn’t slip but it kinda digs into my son’s knee pits and makes them red

 

[jbearit84]

@swag So if it's a new sling, the linen will break in over time. Not sure if you wear linen clothing ever, but it's much the same. You can beat it up by putting it through the washer and dryer and just using it a lot. It will get softer and softer as you use it. I'm a fan of getting used slings so they are already broken in! I also just got a hope&plum sling in their hemp/cotton blend and am digging it a lot. Doesn't slip and seems softer off the bat.