Tips for using your Bubba Lugga sling
This is the basic sitting up position - bottom in the middle of sling, legs outside it against parent's body, and head may be supported if you like:
This is the basic lying down position: bottom in the middle of the sling, head on one side and legs diagonally across on the other side - works best for most people if baby's head is away from parent and feet next to parent:
Try it - lay sling on bed, lay baby on it and lift the ends... baby should lie flat
DO NOT do it like this - it will fold your baby in half! The baby in the sling is just like you lying in a hammock, to keep the body lying flat it must be diagonally across the fabric.
Try it - lay sling on bed, lay baby on it and lift the ends... baby will be bent in half at waist!
PS I'm sure your baby is much more beautiful than my diagrams!!!!
Putting baby into the sling
1. Most parents find it easiest to start by putting the sling onto yourself and adjusting it until the lower part of the sling is about level with your waist. Make sure the adjusting rings are right over the top of your shoulder for now.
2. Hold the baby over the other shoulder as if you were burping them.
3. Keeping baby high on your shoulder, tuck their legs under sling so baby is lying next to you and the sling is around you both.
4. Still keeping baby high, hold baby with your hand up under sling and with your free hand find the middle point of the fabric of the sling.
5. Place this middle point of the fabric over baby's bottom and then lower baby's weight into the sling. This way you know baby is securely placed in centre of sling.
6. At this stage baby will be sitting up. Now you have a choice of baby sitting or lying down:
To sit up:
Make sure legs are out of sling and around your body, sling should be firmly around bottom and supporting them down to their knees. Head can be supported with sling on outer side.
Adjust sling at rings by pulling on tab to tighten or lifting edge of ring to loosen. To wear child over your hip make sure sling is pulled tight enough to have baby ON your hip and not AGAINST your hip bone, for your best posture.
To lie down:
Tuck baby's head into the outer edge of the sling (on the side near the adjustment rings works best for most). Now run your hand along the inner edge of the sling all the way round making sure it is pulled up between you and baby for maximum support for baby. You will tuck their feet in next to you as you do this. (Remember the final position is for baby to lie diagonally across fabric.) Make sure they are lying slightly facing you, not rolling away from you with an arched back. You may need to get your arm inside the sling and roll baby over a bit to find the most comfortable position for you both. Tighten sling till comfortable.
Having said all that, some parents like to put baby into the sling on the bed, do up the rings and then just slip their arm and head under sling and lift baby up into position - this works quite well once you are used to the sling, but it can be hard to get things lined up well when you are a beginner... so do start off by using the instructions above.
Now - choices again - do you want to wear baby on your front? Your hip? Your back? Breast feed? Swivel sling around your body to the required position. This is a matter of moving the sling relative to you, but not moving the baby's position in the sling much at all.
Trouble-shooting:
Doing up sling? Put end through both rings and back through one only. For your best comfort, make sure the extra padding lies under the rings when in use.
Tiny baby lost deep inside sling? Pull a few tucks of excess fabric under baby and this brings their head closer to the edge of fabric. Make sure they are lying diagonally across the fabric.
A cold day? Wrap baby warmly before putting into the sling - there is room for bunny rug, blanket, etc inside the sling so baby is cosy. Or on a really cold winter's day, try putting baby into sling before you put on a large jacket - jacket can then go around both of you to keep you both toasty warm.
Your shoulder/neck is ðgetting tired? Put the sling
further out over your shoulder - this works best when baby is on your side
or your back, rather that when they are against your tummy.
Enjoy "wearing" your baby :-) Enjoy your walks!!!!