Sweet Things Baby Slings Pouch Sling Instruction

Pouch Slings: Babywearing with Kangaroo Carry & Tummy-to-Tummy Hold

Babies growing out of the newborn stage need much more entertainment than before and still as much cuddling as when they were new. They're curious about the world, squirmy, and they're bigger......they've outgrown "bucket seats," are heavy enough to wear out your arms, and have an intense need to be actively engaged in the world around them. Babywearing is an excellent way to meet these new challenges. A sling makes a baby's weight feel much less significant. Babies faced inwards, tummy-to-tummy, take long naps while the babywearer has hands free to do other things. When awake, the same baby can nurse or explore the babywearer's face and garments. Babies faced outwards have a novel view of the world to keep them entertained. Crawling-aged babies in a sling can't go anywhere you don't want them to. Meanwhile, because the sling holds the baby close to a warm body, the baby feels securely held and connected to the babywearer's physical rhythms.

1. Put your sling on, shoulder fabric cupping your shoulder, middle of pocket lined up between your navel and hip. Pick up your child.
2. Get a good grip on your child's legs and back, supporting the neck of very young babies, and hold the child against your shoulder above the sling's pocket. With larger babies, you will be tipping the child over your shoulder, great fun for easily amused toddlers.
3. Place your baby's body in the sling, pull the pocket over the baby's bottom and thread the baby's legs through the sling; with smaller babies, you may keep their legs tucked in the sling, squat position. Active, curious babies can be faced outwards(kangaroo-style.) Sleepy, upset, or nursing babies are placed tummy-to-tummy.
4. Hold the sling and baby with one arm and scoot the baby and sling over your navel. The baby's bottom must be firmly seated in the sling and there should be enough fabric on the baby's back to hold the child in place if he or she tips away from your body a bit. If a pouch sling feels too loose, try giving the shoulder fabric a twist. If this doesn't tighten it up sufficiently, then the sling is too large and not safe.

*Tummy-to-tummy is an excellent position to nurse from. If you are using a ring sling, use the sling's tail as a cover-up.
*Upset babies too large for a cradle hold are often soothed if you tuck both their feet and arms into a sling, tummy-to-tummy. Very cozy. Not so different from swaddling a baby, but much more convenient.
*The kangaroo carry is a favourite of parents of babies at the peak of squirminess (think 9-mo-old crawlers) because a baby facing outwards is a baby enthralled with the world. For super squirmy babies, always keep a hand on the baby in the sling whenever you can. It's highly unlikely the child will dive out if the sling is properly worn and under tension, however, you might as well be prepared.
*If your older baby is not familiar with a sling, the process of being placed in a sling can be upsetting because it is outside their realm of experience. Practice first without the baby and let the baby watch. If the babywearer is confident and encouraging, baby's are more accepting. If your baby has never experienced motion restriction, the child may be furious to feel "confined" in the sling. I only mention this because, in all honesty, sometimes it's best just to put your sling away for a bit until the baby is ready for the less-constricting hip carry. The flip side of the coin, of course, is the truely snuggly baby or more high-needs baby who takes to the sling with gusto, snoozing away shopping trips tucked against your chest and taking long walks with you, peeking alertly out of the sling like a kangaroo's joey.

Leah's thoughts on this postion: