Natures Sway carriers now available from our library

The team at Natures Sway have kindly donated three carriers to our library. Natures Sway (NS) have recently added to their range - in addition to the NS sling which you probably already know about, they now also make a soft structured carrier (NS Pouch Pack) and a stretchy wrap (NS Carry Wrap).

Here's some information on each of the carriers:

NS sling


The NS sling is available in either 100% cotton or an organic blend of 55% hemp/45% cotton (which we have in the library). The design of the organic sling has been updated to make it easier to adjust and more comfortable for both you and your baby, especially in the hip carry position. The sling is designed to be used from birth till around 2 years old. The slings are easy to adjust between different wearers as they do up with an adjustable buckle, and they are also great for breastfeeding in, as shown below.

NS slings now come with a yellow safety loop which goes around the buckle for added safety. Also, in terms of safety, rest assured that the NS is not a 'bag sling' however it's very important that you place your baby in the sling correctly following the NS instructions. Your baby needs to be lying diagonally along the line of stitching (which indicates the placement of your baby's head and spine). Here's a video from NS showing exactly how to do this:

For more information on NS sling safety, see here.

NS Pouch Pack

The NS Pouch Pack is a soft structured carrier so is more comfortable for extended periods of wearing and can be used from birth to around 3 years of age. It can be used as a front or back carrier, as well as on your hip if desired. Like the organic NS sling, the main fabric of the body is 55% hemp and 45% organic cotton, with a front panel available in several different patterns (we have a fabric sample book available for you to look through). The front panel has a zip to extend the height as your child gets older. The wide shoulder pads are padded with wool for comfort on your shoulders, although, like all SSCs, the waist strap means the weight is largely distributed to your hips. There is also some padding around the the bit where your baby's legs go for added comfort. It's easy to use, and folds up relatively small to put in your bag if necessary.

NS Carry Wrap

The NS Carry Wrap is a stretchy wrap with a woven panel. The woven panel adds extra support around your baby's spine and helps prevent sagging, while the 100% organic cotton knit on the rest of the wrap is comfortable for your shoulders and back. The woven panel (available in the same range of patterns as the panel on the Pouch Pack) also means it's easy to find the centre of the wrap and tie it correctly. The wrap has a built in storage pocket so it's easy to fold up and put in your nappy bag. 

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NS have a great comparison chart available on their website comparing the features of each of these carriers to help you work out which one is right for you. If you'd like to check out any of these carriers, they'll be available to try and/or hire at our slingmeets or you can email our librarian anytime. 

Thanks again to Natures Sway for making these available to us!

Be in to win a Heart to Heart Stretchy Wrap

At Babywearing Wellington we're running a competition for one lucky person to win a Heart to Heart stretchy wrap in natural colour. This is thanks to the generosity of Jackie from Baby Wrap, who has donated this beautiful and comfortable stretchy wrap. Check them out at www.babywrap.co.nz

All you need to do to be in the draw is send us a Babywearing story by 29 April: a short paragraph or few detailing why you think you (or a friend) should get the wrap. You can use email, or send us a message on Facebook. The BWW committee will collate all stories and select by vote which one speaks 'Heart to Heart' to us the most. I can tell already that we have our work cut out for us!

The winner will be announced at our May Slingmeet, so if you enter the comp please make sure you attend on Friday 6 May at 10am at the Southern Cross in Te Aro to be able to claim your prize.

We'd love to hear more stories from our Babywearing community, and this is a wonderful opportunity to do so.

Check out the fabulous specials that Jackie has going this month - only $50 for a beautiful wrap!



I have one of these beautiful wraps myself, which was perfect for Holly as a newborn. Being cotton, it was very easy to take care of. I just threw it in the wash after one of the many messy incidents involving a number two. As Holly grew into a very bonnie baby (aka chubba bubba :)), the extra width was very handy too.

This photo is one of my earliest outings with Holly in the Heart to Heart (at just 8 days old). Fond memories of those newborn days!

Tips for Successful Babywearing - The Early Days

You've done the research, bought the sling and are completely committed to wearing your baby. So what does a new sling mumma do if their baby doesn't seem to 'like' being worn?

We've all experienced some degree of difficulty in those early days of babywearing, so here's a few ideas for successfully working through those hard times, and wearing your beautiful newborn successfully and safely. These tips are based on our own experiences of those early days of babywearing, and what we did to overcome our own personal hurdles.

- Practice the different carries first with a teddy or doll. The doll won't wriggle or cry like a newborn baby might, but the practice will set you in good stead for when the baby comes along. This is particularly important with a wrap sling, so you can understand the body mechanics required for wrapping your baby.

- Practice putting your baby in the sling when she isn't too tired or hungry. Often people use slings as a last resort as a sleeping tool (I certainly did!), with first attempt when baby is completely overtired. This may mean that the experience of getting baby into the sling is traumatic both for the wearer and baby - it is no surprise that many people give up if this happens a lot.

- Have your partner, friend or relative be a support person when putting your baby in the sling. Your support person can assist hugely by boosting your confidence and keeping you calm while you put the baby in the sling. They can also assist with the more difficult wrapping techniques. However, you may find that once you get your wrapping mojo, an extra pair of hands can be more of a hindrance than help.

- Enlist the help of an expert, preferably in person. Babywearing Wellington committee members are available to give advice whenever you need it. We also hold monthly slingmeets, which are a brilliant place to get some help and practice the different carries.

- Don't be rushed. Take your time to get the carry right and don't be afraid to start again from scratch if you need to. 

- Try different carrier types. Sometimes a baby won't enjoy a wrap sling, but will love, love, love a mei tai! Sometimes the wearer will find a certain sling type or brand uncomfortable, but finds another type or brand to be the perfect fit. The Babywearing Wellington Sling Library gives you the opportunity to 'try before you buy'. We have a range of sling types and brands that might just be perfect for you.

- Be patient and keep trying if it doesn't work the first time. It may also help to have a break and come back to it again later (after a nice cup of tea and a well deserved piece of cake!).

The most important thing is to feel comfortable asking for help if you need it. We are a phone call or email away, and are ready and willing to help you with any aspect of Babywearing. Don't hesitate even for a second to reach out to us. :)

Kia Kaha,

The Babywearing Wellington Team

Emotionally Attached to my Didy

This is the story of how I developed an emotional attachment, akin to that of a child to a blanky, to my Didymos Silk Indio woven wrap sling. I call her (yes, it's a she) “Didy” and she holds a special place in my heart.

Of all the slings I've tried, Didy is my absolute favourite. Aside from being beautiful, tactile, and totally practical for a warm baby in summer, Didy holds a lot of meaning for me as a solution to many of my baby Holly's initial sleeping problems.

Holly was a colicky newborn who found evening sleeping and feeding really difficult. Every evening from around 5 she would start crying, and it wouldn't stop until late (which I'm sure sounds familiar to many new parents). Most of the time she wouldn't take to the breast so feeding to sleep wasn't an option, much to my distress. More often than not we would rock her to sleep, singing while she cried in our arms until she tuckered herself out. It was really hard. Nothing we tried was working, and nothing had prepared me for the anguish I felt at being powerless to stop my baby crying.

Wrap slings had appealed to me since I had seen my dear friend Emma wearing her first born in one. What I liked most about them initially was the convenience and portability. Emma also looked stylish, relaxed and somewhat like a supermum, and baby Leith was snug and contented. So, with Emma's guidance, we invested in two lovely stretchy wrap slings before Holly was born.

We had of course heard about helping your baby to sleep using a sling, but for some reason in those early, sleep deprived weeks, we primarily used the slings we had for taking Holly out walking or shopping. Eventually the light went on, and tried them as a sleep solution, but when we did she was already overtired and would cry even louder as we put her in. We persisted despite those cries because, once she was snug in her sling, Holly would fall asleep much quicker than the rocking method, and would sleep soundly against either mummy or daddy for a reasonable length of time.

Once we made the conscious decision to use slings as a sleep tool, we were much better at putting Holly in the sling before she became really overtired, and eventually she stopped protesting altogether. Often it was only a 100m walk up the road and back that put Holly off to sleep.

We were determined to make a go of it, and the more we looked into slings, the more benefits we could see for Holly. She was such a spilly baby - before, after, in between and during feeds - and seemed most comfortable in an upright position. Of course it meant washing the sling quite often!

The reason why we went for stretchy wraps over woven ones was that we were reluctant to fork out the big bucks on a woven sling without trying the sling idea out first. The stretchy wraps were good for Holly as a newborn, but as she started to pack on the weight, the wraps would sag a little and constantly need retightening. She would also get way too hot, and seemed to need a much lighter fabric. For this reason, Didy was absolutely perfect for our needs.

We also tried a number of different carries before settling on the front wrap cross carry as a preference. All three of us preferred this carry because Holly was completely upright (as opposed to a cradle carry) which helped with the spilliness, and it was the most supportive of all carries for my back.

Once we'd bought Didy there was no turning back. I also stopped using the stroller, taking Holly out for walks in the sling instead. Having Holly sleep in the sling made it so easy to get out of the house, jump on a bus to town, catch up with friends, or do whatever I needed to at whatever time. It has meant that Holly is a completely portable baby – she'll sleep wherever as long as there's a sling handy. Even evening sleeps were blissful, with Daddy putting Holly to sleep in the sling until we adults were ready for bed (then a quick transfer and a dream time feed did the trick). Things really started to come together sleep-wise when Didy arrived. Like a beautiful, woven kind of magic.

Daddy still loves wearing his sleeping daughter. I know it has assisted in their bonding – each sleep is an extended hug. For myself, even when I'm having a bad day, and feel cranky with Holly for whatever reason, wearing her blissfully sleeping in the sling lets me reconnect with her every time.

While it is still completely usable for our bonnie baby, Didy's fabric blend and weave means that it isn't quite as supportive as a 100% cotton wrap sling or a soft structured carrier. So now we use the Manduca or the Neobulle sling. But Didy still remains our most precious sling, because she was a real life saver in our time of need. Didy helped with Holly's sleeping difficulties, her spilling, and I am totally convinced that wearing Holly so much in the first six months of her life helped strengthen that special bond between us. Didy has been fundamental in Holly's development from baby into toddler, and I give Didy much of the credit for the confident, smiley and happy little 12 month old that Holly is today.