FAQS

We recommend you book an hours’ newborn/expectant consultation if you're local to SE London - this will give you an overview of carrying safety, positioning, sling options, give you time to try on slings and understand how we can help. Choose from either East Dulwich (at The Actress) or West Norwood (at Knowles).

If you are further afield, you can book an online expectant/newborn consultation instead.

Alternatively, if you would rather stay in the comfort of your own home and we come to you, please do book in for a home consultation.

Yes, absolutely! We're always happy to help you work out if your sling is suitable, or check the fit. A quick 15 minutes will be enough just to look at your sling, make a few tweaks for saety or let you know if you need something different. You’ll need more time than this if you want to try other options, or need us to show you how to put the sling on from scratch.

Absolutely! We' be happy to have a quick chat about how we might be able to support you! Many parents feel unsure about the safety, practicality or their ability to use a sling and we can almsot always help you to get the hang of it comfortably. Book an initial consultation and we can take it from there :)

Book in an initial consultation and we will 'sift' through with you and see what will be most suitable for your needs. Please book around 15 minutes per sling you’re bringing, and remember you’ll need double the time if you’re 2 people wanting to try them on!

Yes! We're based in South East London (East Dulwich and West Norwood) but we can do consultations online via Zoom wherever you are - we are very well practised at these! Just choose 'online' when you book in, and go from there. All slings can be despatched by post, as well as by local collection.

Yes you're so welcome to! We have members across the UK. All your consultations can happen via Zoom and we can post out your slings to you anywhere in the UK. Each postage costs £4 p&p and will simply be charged to your subscription account.

We have over 400 ‘ergonomic’ slings & carriers (browse our full collection), some of which are by highsteet names such as Ergobaby, but many of which are smaller manufacturers that predominantly retail online. We’ve chosen our selection based on the models and brands we like to work with, from years of expereince, and that we feel offer the best fit & quality for us to recommend.

There are also a vast number of brands that we can’t or don’t stock! Even if we’ve never heard of or seen the sling you have before, the basic carrying safety principles will still apply and we can help you to fit it and be sure that it’s safe.

We know leaving the house and getting somewhere with a baby can be daunting and overwhelming, and that for many parents of newborns we are one of your first outings together! Please be reassured that we have seen thousands of families and babies, and have had plenty of chaos with our own kids, too. So, however you can both make it is totally fine with us. Still in last night's sleepsuit, in need of a nappy change, asleep, awake, crying, needing a feed - it's all totally fine.

We hold the appointments at The Actress in East Dulwich, and Knowles in West Norwood, both of which are really welcoming and very family friendly pubs. They are on the ground floor, with baby changing facilities and plenty of space for buggies.

You can order coffee/tea/something stronger as well as a really lovely menu of food (we love the pizzas) from the bar, and make yourself comfortable. You are so welcome to feed, calm & comfort your baby however you normally do, during your time with us.

Lastly, please don't worry if your baby cries! We try and take our time and if you need to settle the baby first before we try on slings; that is much more important! Meeting their needs first is definitely the main concern so we can always see the next parent and come back to you if needs be.

We can often talk and demo things to you while you are caring for the baby or they are sleeping. If they are asleep and you would rather not move them and want to try on a sling, we have weighted dolls you can use instead.

You are really welcome to come on your own, with your partner or a friend or family member (or all of them!), with or without your baby - whatever you would like! Everyone is very welcome.

If you have any specific needs, or further concerns or queries about the appointment, please do get in touch, we are very happy to help however we can to make it a really happy and pleasant experience for you all.

Find our full safety information here, or feel free to bring your sling to an initial consultation for us to check for you! In general, your sling should be intact at all seams & buckles, appropriately safety tests & be used in line with the TICKS safety nmemonic.

If you are ever concerned about your baby's breathing, or general safety whilst using a sling, take them out immediately and seek urgent medical assistance if required.

In general, to be sure your baby's airway is safe please follow the TICKS guidelines found here. We know that knowing these checks doesn't always make it easy to know if the way you are using your sling meets them. If you're in any doubt, take your baby out of the sling and speak to us first.

Not quite. If your baby has healthy hips, using a sling that doesn't give optimal hip support is very unlikely to actually do any damage, so please don't panic.

However a small proportion of babies will have undiagnosed hip issues which could be made worse by poor support in a sling. Even a great sling can be used in a way that doesn't give optimal hip support, so check with us if you're unsure. A great sling used in an optimal way will be the most comfortable for both you and your baby.

Again, not quite. So long as your baby is awake, and old enough to hold their head up (typically 4-5 months+), then short periods of outward facing, in a sling/carrier designed for this use, are totally safe. If you’e not sure if your baby is ready, or if your sling is able to be used in this position, then please do book in.

Equally, there are other options if your baby is wanting more freedom and visibility when in the sling such as having their arms out - again, please do come and see us and we can help to find a solution.

It is SO stressful when your baby cries in the sling and you might feel that you simply can't use one with them, that you're not capable or that your baby just hates being carried. However, if your baby usually likes being picked up and held by you, then we should be able to help you to use a sling. And even if they don't like to be held at all, we will have some ideas!

Babies cry for so many reasons, and the first thing to know is it's not your fault. By going through the sling use slowly and calmly with you, we can work out which part is causing all the tears, and help you to solve the issue.

Sometimes this means adjusting your technique, the baby's clothing, the sling or all three! Sometimes getting to a solution can take a couple of visits to us, but with a little time and patience we can almost always help you figure it all out. Carry Club membership can be a great option for this as all you appointments are included so you can come along as often as you want.

Sometimes your baby might find the process of the transfer confusing, and so lots of reassuring talking/singing while putting them in, and then ideally (as long as you are feeling confident it is safe) getting moving, even just going for a short walk around the block can often help them settle.

We can’t always offer a ‘magic bullet’ solution, but usually with a little technique tweak, reassurance & practice most babies will enjoy being carried in a sling.

Using a sling or carrier is about 50/50 equipment/skill. You can have a great sling but without tuition, not be wearing it well, or you can be doing your utmost but struggling with the wrong kit for you. Over the past 7 years we've helped thousands of parents to carry comfortably and will absolutely be able to help!

YES. As someone who is perpetually tripping over, going the wrong way in fitness classes and can't catch a ball, Rachel can say with confidence it's totally possible- and in fact, finding it tricky initially is exactlly why we choose to support paernts with this skill. Please book extra time if you can, so we can teach you slowly and with lots of time for practicing!

Yes, you can use a sling straight away, there's no reason to delay until the wound has healed. However, it's really important to wear a sling high, well away from the wound and in a way that doesn't add strain to your abdominal muscles. Ideally we recommend using a wrap style or ring sling and booking in with us to understand how to use it safely.

Absolutely. Many slings on the market state at least a 5lb minimum weight, but we are trained and qualified, and so able to support you to carry babies smaller than this should you need to. Many of our slings can be used on special care baby unit for kangaroo care. If you anticipate requiring this, we recommend a specialist newborn consultation in the antenatal period.

Otherwise please get in touch to find out how we can support you in the newborn phase. Once your baby is discharged from hospital, we can see you for any of our consultations as normal.

Yes! We are able to support you in carrying twins or triplets, or to be able to carry one baby whilst you feed/care/use a buggy for the other.

It can also be really useful to use slings as feeding aids, when you have multiples. We stock several twin specific carriers, or your can use ring slings, wraps, or some buckled carriers that work to be worn two at a time. Please book in a specialist newborn consultation and we will support you to get started.

Yes, we've supported a number of families to carry in this situation. The main thing is to have a carrier than can easily slide through the babies legs when restricted by the boots and bar. We can show you several options that work well and how to use them confidently.

Yes, absolutely. In fact this can be a lot easier then using a buggy as the cast fixes the legs in an optimal carrying position. There are some slings that work better than others in this scenario so do book in an initial consultation and we will make some recommendations for you.

The answer here is yes, usually, with careful consideration and support. Carrying extra weight can make a prolapse or continence issues worse.

However, if you carry very safely, using the right sling, then it's possible to do so without making things worse. We really advise seeing a women's health physio to understand how your pelvic floor is currently functioning and how to rehabilitate.

Please do tell us if you have any pelvic floor issues as we will recommend slings that do not restrict or add pressure to your abdomen, that distribute weight more widely across your shoulders and torso and explain how to care for your pelvic floor whilst carrying.

Usually yes, but please get in touch or book in a consultation so that we can discuss your individual needs and make appropriate recommendations for you.