27/03/2026
Following yesterday's post about breastfeeding your baby in a sling or carrier and the importance of educating yourself on how to do this safely, here are 5 important things to start you off 👇
🤱 Not hands free: unlike with normal day-to-day babywearing, breastfeeding in a sling, especially with younger babies, should not be thought of as hands-free. The sling is simply taking some weight off!
🤱 Not close enough to Kiss - again, h like day-to-day babywearing where safety acronyms remind you to keep baby high enough on your chest to kiss their head, breastfeeding will mean they are often out of reach, making it even more important you are keeping an eye on them and adjusting their position as needed
🤱 Head free - as with breastfeeding advice in general, baby's head should be free to move and adjust as needed without fabric or hands putting pressure on the back of the head, restricting movement and forcing baby into the breast
🤱 Protect the airway - remember newborns have heavy heads and delicate airways and largely breathe through their nose. You want to make sure baby is not in a position where their head can drop and chin rest on their chest as this can cut off the airway. 2 fingers should be able to fit between chest and chin and they should be able to latch and unlatch as needed
🤱 Return baby to the "close enough to kiss" position as soon as they are showing signs of falling asleep or they have clearly finished, adjusting the sling to bring them back up to a tight, supported, hands free position, head against the hard part of your chest
For more support, advice and information around breastfeeding while babywearing, search for your nearest Sling library or Sling consultant and follow helpful accounts like:
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