by
raswar on Saturday, November 1st, 2008 |
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Ring slings are the most preferred baby carriers in the first months of life, when babies are small and nurse frequently. They are considered very good for breastfeeding due to their flexibility allowing easy access for the baby to nurse itself.
Ring slings are designed in such a way to use the dynamic tension created by the baby's weight on the fabric, with which they are made and the metal or nylon rings sewn at the end of the cloth. The cloth wraps around the wearer's body from shoulder to the opposite hip and back to the shoulder. And the end is threaded through the rings creating a buckle effect.
The baby sits in the resulting pocket, and its weight creates tension on the length of the cloth. This coupled with the friction of the fabric surface gives a 'lock ' effect to the sling position.
The advantages of this type of slings is that the wearer can adjust them to suit his size and also to set different wearing positions. While carrying the baby, the wearer can adjust the length of the fabric by pulling it with his one hand while supporting the weight of the baby with the other hand
Ring slings are available in different variety of fabric. This include those made of silk brocade, lightweight cotton calico, tencel, linen, hemp, rayon etc. When comes to designs, there padded and un-padded variety, closed tail or open tail and simple or hybrid body.
The rings are usually made of aluminum, steel or nylon .Most rings used by manufacturers are either designed specifically for baby carriers. They are designed for high-tension situations like marine rigging or for securing heavy livestock.
Most parents use ring slings from birth of the baby to the level of toddler. But as the baby grows, some parents find it very difficult to extend its use. In such cases, the option is for two-shouldered carrier such as a wrap or a mei tai.
Before buying ring slings, make sure of the quality of the product going by the brand and the reputation of the manufacturer. There could be products of substandard materials like lightweight craft rings or low quality fabrics or slippery cloths which may not hold the weight of the baby.
