My husband "wearing" our daughter Sarah in our homemade ring sling.If you asked me what the single most important baby accessory we owned was I would tell you our ring sling. If you asked me what baby accessory has started the most conversations with random strangers, I would have to again tell you our ring sling. When I registered for my baby shower I had high hopes for an expensive name brand baby carrier; while I got it, it didn't live up to my expectations. I read rather obsessively about the benefits of baby wearing when I realized that I had a high-need infant on my hands. Not being in the position to spend $60+ on a store-bought variety I did research on making my own. I headed to the fabric store and browsed the red-tag section. I purchased two and a half yards of fabric and some heavy duty thread. It was my first sewing project in years and the one that got me interested in sewing for a hobby. Here are the links that I used to create my ring sling. Obviously safety is a very important consideration and you need to use common sense and make sure you have created a well-constructed sling and that you know how to use it properly. I highly recommend going to a La Leche League meeting or a local birth center baby-wearing class to get hands on help. I personally used on-line videos to learn how to use the sling and practiced with a doll and then with Sarah while leaning over a bed.
We started using our sling when Sarah was 4 months old and I wish I had made it earlier. She is now 21 months old and we still use it. I recently made a Mai Tai wrap based on a fabulous blog tutorial that I will write about later, but Sarah still prefers her ring sling. It has gotten me through cross-country traveling, cooking dinner, running errands, and as a bonus she has slept through a wedding reception in it (while I danced!), and has promoted so much bonding and happy memories for both my husband and I. I can't say enough good things about wearing Sarah. The tightness of the fabric is said to replicate the feeling of the womb and being close to our heartbeat is very calming for her.
Materials:
Rings! Do not use macrame rings or any other rings not specifically designed for the purpose of baby wearing, breakage and serious injury or death could occur. http://SlingRings.com has a great selection of rings engineered for the purpose of baby-wearing and tested for safety. I like the sleek look of the aluminum rings for everyday wearing but if I were to be in a position again where I was again a frequent flyer I would make one with nylon rings as well because the aluminum did set off the security machines at the airport.
Instructions:
I fell in love with the Maya wrap company for sharing instructions on sewing your own sling. They obviously promote baby-wearing above and beyond their own profit. This page includes their instructions: www.mayawrap.com/n_sewsling.php
If you do not wish to sew your own they have affordable options and super affordable options in their clearance section.
Alternate Shoulder Styles:
Because not one size/style fits all I've included a directory of styles that I found helpful. As a beginner on my sewing machine I selected to do the "hot dog shoulder style."
http://crafts.sleepingbaby.net/shoulders.html
Happy Sewing! Make your baby one of the lucky ones that get to be worn :-)
