About Babywearing

Flickr: Baby Carrier - Tot Tote by tweetiepiebaby

Ring Slings are baby carriers made out of a length of cloth, with one end having two rings sewn into it. The Ring Sling wraps around your body, from the shoulder to the hip, then back up to the shoulder, threading the loose end the rings, and pulling it secure.

This is a great video from Zolowear, a company that makes quality Ring Slings, about how to thread and put on your ring sling

Your baby sits inside the pocket that is created in the fabric. His weight tension on the fabric, and the sling is locked into place. Because you can adjust the length of the sling by threading fabric through the rings, the Ring Sling is a one size fits most baby carrier.


A variety of feature options are available through different manufacturers, including padding on the shoulder, padding on the sides or “rails”, pockets sewn into the tail and more. Some Ring Slings have curved seats sewn into the body of the sling. The sling style is most similar to the rebozo, a traditional Mexican baby carrier which uses a knot instead of rings.

Ring slings can be used from newborns through toddlers. A sling is very convenient, given the number of hold positions you can create using a sling, and, because they roll up so small, it’s easy to tuck inside your diaper bag or purse.

See complete instructions for nursing with a sling at Mamma’s Milk
You’ll be able to nurse quite privately in a ring sling, and that’s one of the reasons why this style of baby carrier is such a favorite of mom’s with newborns who nurse frequently throughout the day. The Mamma’s Milk website has very thorough demonstrations of nursing techniques you can use when wearing a sling, showing several different holding positions, like the Cradle Hold, Tummy To Tummy and Hip Position. Scroll to the bottom of the linked page to view.