Emma Cooper Carrying Consultant & Sling Library

05/05/2026

GRWM - today I was at the Play Hub for - you can book to see me in or at www.buildingbonds.as.me/

01/05/2026

May and June sessions are now available for booking at www.buildingbonds.as.me/ my studio now has level access and buggy parking space!

25/04/2026

100% this!

Can I come to the sling library before my baby comes?

YES! Absolutely do and there are many benefits to trying on slings before your little arrives:

✔️Get an idea of what you sling you might like to use
✔️ Be prepared and ready to carry your baby when they arrive so you don’t have to try and find an option last minute or when you’re already overwhelmed
✔️Have more time to practice and perfect your technique using a doll or teddy at home
✔️Have more headspace to focus on the sling itself
✔️Learn not sleep-deprived or overwhelmed!
✔️You don’t have to try an get an appt when you already have so many postnatal ones with health care practitioners
✔️Get out without having to rely on a pram (cue the broken lift and achey pelvic floor!)
✔️Use a sling to create more support for breast/bottlefeeding
✔️Come back from the hospital on public transport with baby in sling
✔️Promote close contact, bonding, milk production and support postnatal recovery and adjustment straight after giving birth
✔️Skin-to-skin straight after birth
✔️You don’t have to wait for me to have an available appt! (We often have 1-2 weeks waiting time)
✔️ Belly wrap with a woven/stretchy wrap/ringsling to give yourself some support if you are pregnant
✔️Be hands-free to look after the siblings

And it goes on and on!!
We can use demo dolls and if you are pregnant, we make sure you don’t put pressure on the bump. Using a demo doll will still give you a good idea of what a sling feels like.

You can always come back for a fit check, follow-up or to try other slings when baby is here, we’re always so happy to see you again!

This is for everyone: the pregnant mamas/birthing partners, dads, partners, carers, adoptive parents, parents having a baby via surrogate, co-parents… EVERYBODY!

Get in touch to book an appt or come to a drop-in, all info in my bio and website! ❤️

(Pic of my very special friend Caitlin, Tower Hamlets Homebirth midwife and her hubby Alex who are having their baby soon. It’s a real honour to support her after she’s supported me in my 3rd pregnancy! I also got to support my midwife who was here at the birth of my 3rd baby with her own baby! A real privilege!)

19/04/2026

How to carry everything?! One way is to make one strap long on your rucksack, and use it messenger style … bigger children don’t get carried all day (usually) so the carrier is inside the backpack and comes out when little legs get tired or in busy areas.

18/04/2026

I have one space for Tuesday’s sling clinic - book at www.buildingbonds.as.me/

12/04/2026

You will find me at the Play Hub next Tuesday and fortnightly going into the summer. I have also extended my studio space into the ground floor so it is now airy and spacious 🥳 you can book to see me at https://www.buildingbonds.as.me/

12/04/2026

Holidays are coming! Do you know that you can hire toddler and preschooler sized carriers for holidays? I find the ability to go longer distances and to places where wheels can’t go, with naps on the go, makes trips much more manageable for the small ones. Book a fitting at https://buildingbonds.as.me/

07/04/2026

The first clients to try my new sofa in the studio put their baby down and we momentarily didn’t know where she was! Book to see me at my snug studio: www.buildingbonds.as.me/

10/03/2026

Some slings that are sold as 'suitable from newborn' are not. And some slings that claim to be suitable for children up to 3 years of age really aren't.

In some cases these slings may be suitable for some newborns (depending on exactly how big the newborn is), while others are not safe to be used until babies are around 2 or 3 months. In some extreme cases, they are not truely safe until babies are able to sit up independently!

I hear people say that slings wouldn't be allowed to be sold as suitable for a specific age range, if they weren't safe. But do you know what safety testing slings actually have to go through?

These are the safety tests that slings in the UK have to pass:

1. Chemical testing - to ensure that the product does not contain restricted substances above the allowed limitations.

2. Physical testing - to ensure that the product is strong enough to hold the baby until a certain weight, does not include sharp edges and does not include small detachable parts that present choking hazards.

3. Flammability testing - to ensure that the product does not propagate a potential flame too fast.

There is no test to ensure that a child of a specific age/weight can be safely worn in the sling (only that a child of a specific weight will not be so heavy as the cause the sling to break/rip).

Manufactures can claim a sling is suitable for children up to 3 years of age, if the sling is strong enough not to break, when weight equivalent to that of an average 3 year old child, is placed in it and shaken!

There is no safety test for minimum weights. Manufacturers can claim their sling is safe from whatever age/weight they choose!

Obviously a sling which is labelled 'suitable from newborn to 3 years' will sell better than those labelled 'suitable from 6-8 weeks until 18-24 months' or 'suitable from newborn until around 9 months', even though in most cases the latter are much more realistic. It is obvioulsy tempting for less scrupulous manufacturers to exaggerate the suitable age range of their products. Although, in many cases, I believe such labelling is down to them not being that knowledgable about safe babywearing, rather than a deliberate attempt to mislead.

If you are unsure at what age a specific sling is safe/comfortable to use, then do get in touch with your local sling library/babywearing consultant to discuss.

01/03/2026

Here are the dates for sling clinic in March and April - you can book at www.buildingbonds.as.me/

I can help you with a sling / carrier you already have, and/or help you choose something from the sling library to hire.

My studio in Frampton Cotterell is at 147a Church Rd BS36 2JX - there is parking outside, or on street locally.

The Play Hub in Longwell green is a wonderful welcoming space at BS30 9DD

09/02/2026

A great tip here