Water slings 27.7.18 by Carol Kite, SSL Consultant
Water slings are generally made from a soft-touch, breathable fabric that can be worn in the water.- some are mesh others a polyester fabric. The material is non absorbent which means you can take your baby into the sea, pool or shower and it remains comfortable for you and your baby when wet ,as it doesn’t get any heavier. Some like the Kokadi also have UV protection.
If you dont have a bath or are visiting where there isn’t a bath, the sling is a great solution for showering. As your abby gets wet and slippery, they are still safe in your sling and arms. Water slings offer convenience, bonding and washing in one.
Brands to consider are Mam, Kokadi and Sukkiri.
Ceri and her family hired one this month for the Summer and here is her summary of it in use:
In the water
It’s now been used both for swimming and showering afterwards, and I’ve found it very useful.
My daughter is quite cautious with water, so it holding her close when getting in a pool etc helped her gain confidence, and I only took it off once she started smiling. It also means you’ve got hands free to get in and out. I imagine it would be great when swimming with a young baby and a sibling, especially for getting in and out.
It’s easy to get a bit twisted, so I find I have to rethread it a lot, which is tricky in the water if by yourself, albeit not impossible.
It also made it a doddle to wash my daughters hair after getting out, and made her feel less scared of showering.
My husband was a bit less convinced by it for water use because of the twisting issue, but thinks its better to have it than not.
Out of water use
For just water use I might not be that convinced as it is a fairly niche use (though they are quite cheap which helps), but I’ve been using it a lot for regular use in this hot summer weather as it’s so thin.
Verdict
I wouldn’t want it as my only ring sling, but as an extra I think it’s well worth it, especially if you’ve got a water shy baby or are going somewhere hot.