“I don’t know if my new baby sling fits..!?”

This is probably the most common question we get from new baby sling owners!

There are photos showing a good fit and bad fit here

A pouch sling should be snug and secure feeling, without being uncomfortably tight. Your baby’s bottom should be right about at your belly button level, at any age or size and in any wearing position.

It is a far more common mistake to wear a pouch too loose than too small. You will know if your pouch is too small, but it can be difficult for a new user to know if it is too big.

Signs that your sling is too big:

• • The sling is sliding down your shoulder, it is impossible to keep it centered on your shoulder. This is especially common in petite women with narrow, rounded or sloping shoulders. Some people remedy this by pushing the sling entirely up on top of the shoulder, or wearing it on the neck even. OUCH! Please don’t do this. Exchange your sling for a smaller size and I assure you that you will be happier.
• • The baby feels too low, lower than you would carry the baby in your arms. You have the urge to hold the baby up higher. A baby sling should mimic the way that you would carry the baby in your arms. Baby’s head should be up near your heart, this is where they will be most soothed.
• • The baby feels too loose or insecure. You feel as though you need to hold the baby closer to you. You don’t feel confident going ‘hands free’ when you need to. It’s hard to resist the urge to pat or touch a baby in a sling, but if you HAVE to hold your baby in order to feel confident that the baby is secure, then the sling is probably too big.

Signs that your sling is too small:

• • It is very difficult to get the baby in the sling. It is fairly common for a new sling user to have trouble getting a baby into a correct fitting pouch, so don’t be alarmed if you have a bit of trouble at first. Try it out a few times, and if after getting the baby in and wearing it a little while you still feel like it is too tight, then we are happy to exchange.
• • It is a far more common mistake to wear a pouch too loose than too tight, so give it a little bit of time before you decide it is too tight.
• • If your sling is too tight to get the baby in, even after a few tries, you likely need to go up 2 sizes.
• • If you can get the baby into the sling, but once in the sling you feel as though it is too tight, please only go up one size. Another common mistake is to overcompensate when exchanging, and get too large of a pouch
• • If you have an older infant (4 to 6 months) that you are carrying in the cradle carry and your sling is getting too tight, try a more upright carry, such as the tummy to tummy or hip carry. These carries place less of the baby’s body in the sling, so they will work better. If you get a sling that works in the cradle carry for too old of an infant, then it will not be perfect for the hip carry.
• • Make sure that you are always centering the baby’s bottom in the curved seam part of the sling. This is the roomiest part of the sling and where the baby’s bottom belongs in any positions, at any age. Not placing the baby’s bottom on the curve will make the sling seem tighter than it really is. The curved seam does not belong on your shoulder

Slight arm restriction on your sling arm side is normal and something that you will become accustomed to. Most sling users can go about their normal activities with the exception of anything that involves lifting their sling arm above their head If you need full use of your arm temporarily for a quick chore, you can push the sling fabric up onto your shoulder for a short time, then re-position it correctly once you are through with the task.