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Day 221 of 280 · 31 weeks + 4 days

The sling

Last reviewed · 3 min read · 7 sources · Plain-text version

Thirty-one weeks and four days. A sling is easier to learn before there's a baby in it. Today you try one on with a rolled towel, and check the fit.

Size this week
about the size and weight of a coconut
Length this week
around 41.1 cm from head to heel
Two sisters in a bright living room, one with a full bump in a loose t-shirt, laughing as they tie a fabric sling around the other with a teddy bear tucked inside, daylight.

Thirty-one weeks and four days. Slings and carriers look simple on other people. Today you find out how one feels on you, with nothing more precious inside it than a towel.

Your baby

A single brown coconut on a plain pale wooden table, soft window light.

Around now your baby is around 41.1cm long from head to heel, about the size and weight of a coconut, and still has "lots of fattening up to do," as the NHS puts it (NHS). Over the coming weeks they'll gain around 1kg of extra fat, which helps them keep at the right temperature after birth (NHS).

Your body

The NHS's advice for this week is to learn how to use a sling or carrier safely before you buy one (NHS), and next week's page says the same about learning it before the birth (NHS). Fit is personal, and so is comfort on a back that's already carrying a lot.

The AAP's rules for wearing a baby are short: keep their face visible, nose and mouth clear, and chin off their chest; check on them often; and bend at the knees, not the waist, to pick things up (AAP). Those are easier to practise now, on a towel, than at 2am on a baby.

Try today

  1. The sling practice

    Time: 20 minutes

    1. Borrow a friend's sling or carrier, or try a few in a shop, before you buy one (NHS).

    2. Put it on with a rolled towel or a teddy inside, following the maker's instructions step by step.

    3. Look down and check: face visible, nose and mouth clear, chin off the chest (AAP).

    4. Pick something up off the floor by bending at the knees (AAP).

    5. Swap: let your partner or friend try it while you check them.

    Make it work:

    The CPSC urges extra care with slings for babies under 4 months, preemies, and babies with colds (CPSC). Practising now means the checks are habit by then.

Watch for

  • Normal

    a little spotting after sex or an internal exam (MedlinePlus). About 1 in 10 women bleed in the third trimester, and MedlinePlus says to always report bleeding late in pregnancy right away (MedlinePlus).

    Call 911

    for heavy bleeding, or bleeding with a stiff, painful belly or strong, frequent contractions (MedlinePlus).

  • Normal

    the bump making walking harder, even a bit of a waddle (NHS).

    Call your provider

    if you fall, since balance can be off now; the NHS says to tell your midwife or doctor (NHS).

  • Normal

    feeling your heart work harder on a walk.

    Call your provider

    right away for chest pain or a fast-beating heart (CDC).

For you

A sling isn't required; plenty of people never use one. But if you might, the NHS's order is the right one: learn it, then buy it (NHS).

If you're the partner, this is a job you can own from day one. A baby carried on your chest is a baby who isn't on hers.

Sources

This guide is general education that summarizes published research and guidance from groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics, the CDC, and the WHO. It isn’t medical advice, and every child develops on their own timeline. Your pediatrician knows your child; if something feels wrong, call them. In an emergency, call 911.

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