Ring Sling Trouble Shooting - Seat Popping

Seat Popping

One of the most common problems I see currently with new sling users is the recommendation and over emphasis of creating a seat by excessively tightening the bottom rail of your sling. What ends up happening is too much pressure is put on your baby’s legs forcing them into an unnatural position. This makes for an unhappy baby in the sling and they resist against it by ‘popping’ their seat as it is uncomfortable.  The image below shows optimal seat and a compressed seat. Think of your sling as a hammock for your baby’s bottom, they don’t need to be ‘locked’ into place. There legs should rest  against your body in the same way they would be if you carried them in your arms.

When using a sling it is important to remember that it is the top rail and midsection is what holds your baby snugly in place.  If your baby is unhappy or resisting being in the sling, take the pressure off their legs by loosening the bottom rail.

The photograph below is a great example of having the bottom rail too tight, you can see baby’s knee is almost up to the rings, which creates a very shallow seat or hammock for your baby’s natural squat.  Having the bottom rail too tight can also make the sling uncomfortable to the wearer as it creates pressure points where it is overly tightened.  It also can pull your rings lower, creating a smaller pouch for baby. (Thank you for allowing us to share this image as a teaching example)

The image below shows an optimal seat on top and an overly tightened seat below creating an unnatural position for baby.

This next image is a perfect example of ideal positioning, you can see how baby in a natural position, knees higher than bottom.  Your baby’s bum should be resting at or around your belly button and close enough to kiss the top of their head.

Thank you to Jess Ercse for the drawn images.

Please watch our helpful video that goes over creating a seat and adjusting your sling for comfort -