Sheffield Sling Library

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The Sheffield Sling Surgery and Library has a team of dedicated and trained staff, here to help you learn how to carry your child in safety and comfort.

Sheffield Sling Library - Carrier hire and fitting support by appointment, plus regular drop-in help

If you have received some support from us and would like to return the favour, then please visit: https://ko-fi.com/sheffieldslinglibrary Kiri Porter leads a team of highly experienced peer supporters and volunteers! The Surgery has the largest sling library in the region, with over 500 slings, coats and accessories available for hire. These can be hired from free bookable 10min library clinic appointments at the Surgery's permanent home (The Snug on Leadmill Road) from consults or workshops, or by fast-track arrangement from the Sling Spot shop next door. Appointments can be viewed and booked on our website sheffieldslingsurgery.co.uk/consults/

Pre and post-natal sessions are available. There are appropriately weighted demonstration dolls available for practising and there is a large range of slings that may be borrowed to try out at home. The popular Fourth Trimester course is now held online via Zoom which means we are available to locals and non locals alike, hooray! To check course dates and book a place please head to our website. Much more information is available on the website (www.sheffieldslingsurgery.co.uk)

15/10/2026

Colder weather carrying!

We get a LOT of questions from families about this....

"If I can't dress baby in a warm coat/pramsuit, what CAN they wear?"
"How will I make sure they are warm enough?"
"WHY can't they wear a coat!?"

Bulky layers inside the sling can be risky for young babies for various reasons - we end up fitting the carrier around the clothes, not the baby for one thing, which can really affect positioning and airway support.

Whats more, if baby is bundled up warm and sleepy, and we move from the cold outdoors into a warm house, shop, cafe or similar, then we can't make any adjustments without waking then up by taking them out and de-layering them.

Thats why light layers *on top* of the sling is a much safer and easier to manage option, especially for newborns. Keeping them close so you share heat helps them to regulate their temperature; and using removable layers helps you to adjust if you get too warm whilst walking around.

This reel shows how a young baby can easily be bundled up using items you already have, and botrowing a partners jacket or sizing up at the charity shop are popular options as baby's get bigger. This is just an example for ideas, get creative with whatever you have, anything goes as long as we are mindful of keeping fabric away from faces, and monitoring temp by checking baby's chest/back, not hands or feet as these often feel cooler anyway.

Got any tips to share?
Still have questions?
Drop them in the comments! 👇

08/10/2026

Is your baby over 6 months now and feeling heavy on the front? Well did you know, now would be an excellent opportunity to try them on the back. You can do this with most buckle carriers and in fact, we are running one of our super duper handy Backcarrying with buckles workshops this weekend. That's right. On Saturday morning, you can hang out with one of us as we show you how to safely and confidently flip your little one onto the back and wear them like a rucksack.

Trust us when we tell you it's a game changer. The balance and weight distribution between you and your little one is so much easier to achieve with your little one high up on your back. If you can imagine that all you need to do is be able to tilt gently forward to get them stable, whereas when they're on your front you have really engage your back muscles. Backcarrying is also super useful for shorter parents as you can move your fast-growing child out of your airspace and put them somewhere safe when you carry them.

So for £35 and 90 minutes as your time on a Saturday you too can become well-versed in the art of backcarrying.

Booking link here: https://sheffieldslingsurgery.as.me/workshops

30/09/2026

October is tomorrow! Only 3 months left in the year... I know we haven't quite put away the summer wardrobe yet, but I assure you autumn is around the corner. Now that everyone is back on to the regular programming, come join us at one of our regular Stay and Play venues.

To kick things off, we will be at Tovah Sheffield tomorrow in S20! It's a lovely dedicated play, activity and party space. For all of those looking to get some support or just hang out, we got you. As always, please let us know if there's anything you might want to try out and we will try our best to have it on hand.

For those who work in the week, this Saturday is your chance to stop by for quick help and whats more we have an ex-hire sale on too! Come by and browse a bargain.

As always, there's no charge to attend our drop-in, but if you find the help receive useful please consider donating (cash or ko-fi link) towards the cost of running the sessions so we can keep this service accessible to all

See you tomorrow? X

22/09/2026

Always feeling as if you need to hold baby's head?

A really common problem with crossed strap buckle carriers is letting the straps creep too close to your neck!

This is a twofold problem; the top of the carrier panel doesn't hold tension across your little ones shoulders, so their head isn't well suppported. You probably also feel all their weight in your shoulders and neck......

If we pull the strap straight down towards the floor to get everything nice and snug *before* bringing it across your back to clip, then we can usually place the straps much lower - the "X" shape should cross somewhere in the middle to spread the weight nicely, not right behind your neck.

If you've ended up with this and you aren't comfortable, don't worry we can fix it! Follow the steps in the video, and resist the urge to overtighten- making the straps too short will make them ride up your back again......

Save this to remind you, and send to a friend who needs to know!

15/09/2026

Have you ever noticed that Onbuhimos get suggested a lot for carrying whilst pregnant, but rarely recommended otherwise?

Based on traditional Japanese carriers, the lack of waistband does indeed make these a brilliant option for when you are working around a bump - but there are so many more reasons to try one!

They can be really quick, ideal for older babies/toddlers wanting lots of ups and downs. They can be a fairly compact option for having in the bag just on case, and the high vantage point offers curious kids a lovely view over your shoulder.

They are also a fabulous option for those wanting to tandem carry an older child on the back, or twins!

We've always been fans here, and we've finally got around to updating our well loved Onbuhimos so that we now have the newest Onbuhimo Pro available to hire in each size!

This pretty Tangled Plait fabric is the "standard", from 6 months to 2 years, and we also have "toddler" (roughly 1 - 3 years) and "preschool" (2 - 5 years) all in the library.

Would you like to try one?

11/09/2026

We do love a stretchy wrap!

Lots of you with autumn babies are enjoying the snuggles and comfort a lovely soft wrap can bring 🤗

Whilst we rightly focus on safety for baby at all times, its important that you are as comfortable as can be too, or it won't be as useful a tool as it could be!

If you are struggling with your stretchy wrap, book in to see us or pop along to a drop in session, we promise we can help 🤗

wraps available to hire, and on sale with 10% off at

09/09/2026

Stay and Play is back in Hillsborough tomorrow. We had a small typo in our last drop-in notice, but it is definitely going to happening betweeen 10am and 11:30am tomorrow the 10th of September.

If you happen to be in the area, fancy a hot drink and some company, then the doors are wide open. We can help you with a sling you inherited or show you one of the many ones that we have hauled in. Just next to the park, you can enjoy some company and then have some scran at a cafe or visit the library afterwards. The location is spot on for anyone who wants to enjoy being out of the house. RivelinCo is the loveliest of venues with large windows facing on to Middlewood Road. You can even ask about the many community projects they have going on too. There is lots happening.

Since Alix has already packed her bags, we can't bring anything else from the library. But if you have any questions, please let us know in the comments or in our messages. We hope to see you tomorrow.

Address

Scotia Works, Leadmill Road
Sheffield
S14SE

Website

http://www.sheffieldslingsurgery.co.uk/

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