Cuddlebaby Slings

Natural, Safe, Back and Baby Friendly

The Ultimate Baby Carrier
from Newborn through to Toddler

From Tiny!
Baby held close to you for warmth,
heartbeat and comfort
Safe against your body
SO EASY for nursing

To Toddler!
Sitting on your hip
Up where he can see and hear
what’s going on in life
and be included.
The end of ‘Pushchair Exile’

Cuddlebaby slings spread the weight, leave both hands free,
are lightweight, versatile and simple to use single-handed.
No straps, no ties, no buckles, no fasteners.
They are comfortable and washable
and made from 100% cotton.

NURTURING A CLOSE MOTHER/BABY RELATIONSHIP

One sling lasts from Tiny to Toddler.

Tips for Use

Put the sling on like a sash, with the knot in the centre of your back, and spread the cloth over the ball of your shoulder. When you first put the sling on, your initial impression should be that there’s not much room to fit a baby in it. This is how it should be.
Don’t be tempted to get a size that’s too big as it’s vital that when your baby is in the sitting position (4 months plus) she sits ABOVE your hipbone.

For newborn babies (and for feeding and sleeping):

Always put your baby in from the top (up and under will drive you mad!) and into the lowest part of the cloth, i.e. NOT on the side it goes over your shoulder. If it’s more comfortable to carry baby on your other side, you can wear the sling on either side.
Hold your baby on your shoulder in a sort of 'winding' position, then slide her down into the ‘cradle’ of the fabric so that her bottom is lying towards the shoulder side. Lie her back in the cloth so that it’s up around her head to support it.
From this position breastfeeding is easy!

Another position for carrying babies:

Again, hold your baby on your shoulder in the same ‘winding’ position, then slide her down so that the cloth of the sling cradles her body completely in an upright position in front of you, similar to the position she was in during her time in the womb, but in reverse!
Make sure the cloth is pulled right up around her back and gives support to her head.

As she gets bigger (from about 4 months plus) :

Same position to begin with - baby on your shoulder in the ‘winding’ position, then slide her down so that the cloth of the sling cradles her bum and her legs are out the bottom as though she were sitting in a chair. Pull the cloth up around baby’s back. This is the sitting position and can be in front of you, or she can be ‘swung’ round to be more on your hip.

From about 6 months onwards:

As she gets bigger, from 6 months plus, when using the sitting up position it’s easier on your back to have your baby well round to the side, in exactly the place you would normally carry - on your hip if you didn’t have the sling to take her weight.

Persevere! Following instructions to put on a sling always makes it seem harder!
It all feels slightly precarious at first, but after a few days you’ll feel confident enough with the sling to let go of your baby and have your hands free.

The best bit though is having your baby cuddled up to you, whether indoors or out and about. You can talk to her, other people also see and talk to her (aiding speech development) - she’s not exiled to a pushchair or pram and if you use the sling regularly, you soon get used to the increasing weight.

Be prepared for a happier baby!!!

You can adjust the sling slightly, if it starts to feel a bit stretched, by washing it... and if you want it a lot tighter – tumble dry it!

Feedback

Some extracts from letters:

“Thank you for sending it so quickly – it looks and feels great!”

“She loves to be in her sling and I love the bright blue colour...”.

“These things are brilliant!”

“She’s not lost in a pram in amongst a sea of knees all day!”

“Why haven’t I found these before?!!!”

“Where would I be without our Cuddlebaby?!
It lets me get on whilst still holding Robin close to me”

“Thanks for the sling... baby and I are really happy and comfortable,
only wish I’d had it from the word go!”

A letter printed in The Natural Nurturing Network newsletter (June 1999):

“Having carried four children (at intervals) and tried many slings, I finally found the perfect one which I don’t feel can be improved upon. The sling I want to tell you about is so STUNNINGLY simple, so practical and functional it makes you wonder how no-one has thought of it before! It’s lovingly called the CUDDLEBABY, it’s made from 100% cotton, is easy to wash, the colour never runs, so it’s safe to put in any machine wash and it loves being tumble-dried as it helps to retain its snug fit!

It’s made from a double length of fabric which gives it much more support than a conventional sling yet remains supple and pliant and grows with the infant, becoming a hip sling for an older infant or child just by sliding them over onto the appropriate hip.
One size lasts from tiny to toddler. Breastfeeding is EASY and there is no disturbance involved other than lifting up your jumper or opening your shirt – baby is already at breast height, snugly tucked up next to you for discreet feeding! It provides an extra layer of warmth for the baby and is just so incredibly easy to use as it has no buckles, no long straps to tie and no uncomfortable or awkward knots. You simply put it on like a sash and in goes baby! Simple!

My husband and I have used ours for 14 months now and it is SO easy to use - we’ve had total strangers come up to us in the street asking where we got it, also a local health visitor... even my midwife has started recommending it! Baby carrying can certainly be made a lot easier and more comfortable by using one of these”.

Natural Nurturing Network

Why carry?

It’s taken up to ten months to grow our babies inside us and no-one can deny the special bond that develops between mother and baby during that time. Once born, health care professionals and childbirth educators alike all agree on the long term benefits of continuing to hold our babies close to us.
In developmental terms, holding our babies close to us enables them to feel deeply safe, secure and relaxed on an emotional level, which in turn makes it much easier for a baby to learn. Keeping our babies next to us aids speech development, as more people talk to babies they meet at eye level and baby is encouraged to make sounds in response to all he hears said to him... many babies largely go ignored at pram or pushchair height beyond the initial curious peeps and are often slower to talk.

A Cuddlebaby sling becomes like a second pair of arms, cuddling and cradling our infants close to us where they belong, even at times where we really need to have our arms free.

Cuddlebaby Pictures

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Natural, Safe, Back and Baby Friendly The Ultimate Baby Carrier from Newborn through to Toddler