The Edinburgh Sling Library

I briefly mentioned in another post that I've been rather busy setting up a Sling Library.  Now, this is a concept that might be new to many of you who aren't sling-obsessed like I am, so I will briefly explain:

There are so many baby carriers available to buy.  Great carriers that are comfortable to wear, and comfortable for the child to be carried in.  Carriers that are versatile and can be used for years, not just the first 6 months.  Unfortunately, these are not generally the carriers that most people can find if they go into a high-street shop.  If you went into a shop thinking you'd see a representative range of what is available on the market you'd probably think that the Baby Bjorn, and its derivatives, are the be-all and end-all of the baby carrier world.  This is very unfortunate because really, the Baby Bjorn and its kind are some of the worst carriers on the market, certainly in terms of comfort, versatility and value for money.  As far as safety goes, they are fine in that department (it's Bag-Slings that are the main culprit when it comes to a carrier actually being unsafe.)

The majority of baby carriers in existence are mainly, if not only, available to buy online.  This poses a bit of a dilemma for someone who wants to buy a baby carrier.  There are so many types of carrier available - Woven wraps, Stretchy wraps, Soft Structured Carriers, Mei Tais, Ring Slings, Pouches, Onbuhimos - and many different brands within each category.  Picking the type of carrier, let alone the specific Brand, and then spending a significant amount of money on it without even being able to try it on is a bit daunting to most, and rightly so.  This is where a Sling Library comes in.  A Sling Library usually runs on a not-for-profit basis and will stock a range of different types of carriers that you can try on and if you wish, will allow you to hire a carrier to try out for a couple of weeks to see if it works for you before you invest in one yourself.  Ideally the person running the Library will be able to provide good advice on the carrier type best suited to your lifestyle, and should be able to help troubleshoot issues you might be having with a carrier to make it as comfortable as possible. 

Edinburgh didn't have a Sling Library so this summer I decided to set one up.  It was time consuming (probably more so than need be due to my slight OCD/perfectionist tendencies in designing my website and business cards, but I like to think it all adds to the professionalism) but very satisfying as well.  I've had a lot of support from absolutely lovely members of the Babywearing community and many generous donations.  I couldn't have done it without them, and they have my sincerest gratitude. 

So far The Edinburgh Sling Library has been open twice and I've had several visitors, several slings hired out and a very positive response from those who hear about it.  Long may it continue.  It's my little project at the moment, and maybe in the future it could turn into something more but for now I'm just going with the flow, trying not to stretch myself too thin and taking it easy. 

Oh, and if anyone is nosy we have a Facebook Page and a website.