Sling Consultants are people trained to teach parents and carers how to carry their child safely and comfortably. The main difference between the library and a consult is that a consultation is a 1 to 1 session, exclusive to your family, where you can get much more in-depth information about your personal requirements. The consultant will listen to and evaluate your needs before suggesting some slings for you to try. You are able to practice all types of carry, front, hip, back or even tandem!
Consultations can take place in the client’s own home or occasionally in the consultant’s home or work space. The consultant will bring a selection of different slings for you to try, along with a demonstration doll to practice with before putting your own child in the sling.
Consultations are a charged service, compared to the libraries which are free (or a nominal cost) to attend. Here are some of the reasons why:
- During a consultation you have the consultant’s full attention; this is difficult to achieve in a sling library setting.
- You are able to practice back carrying. Most libraries don’t allow people to practice back carries with their child in the sling library due to the potential risks of working in a busy environment.
- You are able to take your time. Many library sessions have to limit each person to 15 minutes as it can be extremely busy.
- Consultations can be held in the clients’ home. This means you get to relax and be comfortable in your own home. As sling libraries are usually run by volunteers they can only offer 1 or 2 sessions a week, but for a consultation, many sling consultants will come to you at your convenience.
Sling consultants offer many types of help and support. They can help you start from scratch and look at all sling types, they can help you use slings that you already have or they can teach you something like a specific carry using a woven wrap.
sling consultants with Slinging London
These consultants all volunteer in the various libraries run by Slinging London CIC.
Becky Derham
Trained with: Trageschule UK (Certified), Je Porte Mon Bebe (JPMBB) & Slingababy
Prices: £20 for 30 min sling fitting, £35 for 1hr mini consultation, £50 for 1h30m full consultation
Do you visit clients’ homes? Yes – additional home visit fee applies
Do you allow clients to visit your home? Yes
Do you run workshops? Yes
Do you run a sling library? Yes – North London Sling Library, Bloomsbury Branch
Do you sell slings? Yes – Online and as part of consultations (www.theslingspace.co.uk)
Specialties or limitations: N/A
Annabelle Barlow
Trained with: Slingababy
Prices: £25 for 1 hour, £35 for 1.5 hours, £45 for 2 hours. Please email to discuss further
Do you visit clients’ homes? Yes – additional home visit fee applies
Do you allow clients to visit your home? No
Do you run a sling library? Yes – East London Sling Library
Do you sell slings? No, but Slinging London CIC does (www.theslingspace.co.uk)
Specialties or limitations: N/A
Andreia Miranda da Silva
Trained with: Slingababy
Prices: £25 for 1 hour, £35 for 1.5 hours, £45 for 2 hours. Please email to discuss further
Do you visit clients’ homes? Yes – additional home visit fee applies
Do you allow clients to visit your home? Yes
Do you run workshops? Yes
Do you run a sling library? Yes – North London Sling Library, Enfield Branch
Do you sell slings? No, but Slinging London CIC does (www.theslingspace.co.uk)
Specialties or limitations: Twins, tandem carrying, woven wraps
other sling consultants in the London area
Alexandra Bonningues
Trained with: Trageschule UK & Je Porte Mon Bebe (JPMBB)
Prices: Start from £50 for 2 hours
Do you visit clients’ homes? Yes
Do you allow clients to visit your home? Yes
Do you run workshops? No
Do you run a sling library? Yes – Central London Sling Library
Do you sell slings? No
Specialties or limitations: N/A
Azizah Attard, Sling Clinic and Library; North London
Website
Trained with: Slingababy, Die Trageschule and the School of Babywearing UK
Prices: Start from £45 for 1.5 hours
Do you visit clients’ homes? Yes
Do you allow clients to visit your home? Yes
Do you run workshops? Yes
Do you run a sling library? Yes – Sling Clinic and Library; North London (Bounds Green)
Do you sell slings? No
Specialties or limitations:
Camille McConaughey, Wear My Baby Wandsworth
Website
Trained with: School of Babywearing
Prices: £30 for Standard Consultation (up to £1.5hours), £15 for Mini Consultation (30mins)
Do you visit clients’ homes? Yes – additional home visit fee applies
Do you allow clients to visit your home? Yes
Do you run workshops? Yes
Do you run a sling library? No
Do you sell slings? Offers discounts at wearmybaby.co.uk/shop
Specialties or limitations: N/A
Caroline Auld, The Sling Stop
Trained with: Trageschule UK (Foundation) & Slingababy
Prices: £20 for visits to consultant’s home, £30 to visit client’s home.
Do you visit clients’ homes? Yes
Do you allow clients to visit your home? Yes
Do you run workshops? Yes
Do you run a sling library? Yes
Do you sell slings? No
Specialties or limitations: N/A
Trained with: Trageschule
Do you run a sling library? Yes – Chiswick Sling Library
Do you sell slings?
Specialties or limitations: N/A
Chloe Merali
chloe_m[at]hotmail.com 07432 501 149 W1H 2ND
Trained with:
Do you run a sling library?
Do you sell slings?
Specialties or limitations: N/A
Trained with: Slingababy
Prices: £10 – £30
Do you visit clients’ homes? Yes
Do you allow clients to visit your home? Yes
Do you run workshops? Yes – variety from newborn workshops to woven wrapping
Do you run a sling library? Yes – Harrow Sling meet and Library
Do you sell slings? Yes
Specialties or limitations: N/A
Hannah Wallace, Wear My Baby
Trained with: Slingababy and School of Babywearing
Prices: From £15
Do you visit clients’ homes? Yes
Do you allow clients to visit your home? No
Do you run workshops? Yes – a wide range on offer at www.wearmybaby.co.uk/workshops
Do you run a sling library? Yes, 5 day a week hire service
Do you sell slings? Yes (full range at www.wearmybaby.co.uk/shop)
Specialties or limitations: Newborns, bigger babies, special health considerations, twin carrying
H Libi Israeli, Close to My Heart – NW London Slings
Trained with: Born to Carry and Slingababy
Prices: £30-35 for as long as needed. Skype consultations available
Do you visit clients’ homes? Yes (distance dependent, extra fee may apply)
Do you allow clients to visit your home? Yes
Do you run workshops? Yes and please ask about tailored sessions:
* Newborns
* Carriers for men
* Ring slings
* Woven wraps
* Back carries
* Learn a new carry!
* Bring a friend to a workshop tailored to you.
* Twicks, tricks and troubleshooting
Do you run a sling library? I have a sling rental service, where you are welcome to hire a carrier after your consult
Do you sell slings? No but I help with where to find the right carrier
Specialties or limitations: Specialisng in woven wraps, ring slings, buckle carriers, and onbumihos. Experience with newborns, toddlers, preschoolers, and special needs.
Madeleine Boot, Sheen Slings
Trained with: Trageschule UK (Certification Level)
Prices: £20 for 1 hour, £40 for 2 hours
Do you visit clients’ homes? Yes
Do you allow clients to visit your home? Yes
Do you run workshops? Yes
Do you run a sling library? Yes – Sheen Slings
Do you sell slings? Yes – from consults
Specialties or limitations: N/A
Mel Pinet, Wrap a Hug
Trained with: School of Babywearing UK
Prices: 1 hour private consultation at your home: £ 45 (+ traveling fees if applicable)
1 hour private consultation at the consultant’s home: £ 35
Skype consultations available on request: £25
Do you visit clients’ homes? Yes
Do you allow clients to visit your home? Yes
Do you run workshops? Yes
Do you run a sling library? Yes
Do you sell slings? No
Specialties or limitations: n/a
Melissa Branzburg, Wear-a-Bye Baby
Trained with: Trageschule UK (Certified)
Prices: £25 per hour
Do you visit clients’ homes? Yes
Do you allow clients to visit your home? Yes
Do you run workshops? Yes
Do you run a sling library? No
Do you sell slings? Yes, in person only a limited selection
Specialties or limitations: n/a
Rebecca Ford, Wear My Baby Beckenham
Trained with: School of Babywearing
Prices: £10 – £30+
Do you visit clients’ homes? Yes
Do you allow clients to visit your home? Yes
Do you run workshops? No
Do you run a sling library? No
Do you sell slings? Yes (full range at www.wearmybaby.co.uk/shop)
Specialties or limitations: Specialises in newborn carrying (also a midwife)
Sally Martin, Buddha Baby
Trained with: School of Babywearing UK (Foundation)
Prices: £25 (1 hour) £50 (1.5-2 hours) + £5 with sling hire (2 weeks)
Do you visit clients’ homes? No
Do you allow clients to visit your home? Yes
Do you run workshops? Yes
Do you run a sling library? Yes online (www.buddhababywanstead.co.uk) and with consultations
Do you sell slings? Yes – some…(Hana, Boba, Beco, Scootababy)
Specialties or limitations: I hold consultations at my home, in Wanstead, East London on Tuesdays and Saturdays. I run my consultancy as part of Buddha Baby, my small business, and am known for my ability to create a calm and relaxed environment for parents and babies to learn together. I have a wide and varied background in teaching and also run the Sling Swing East London franchise.
Sarah Claridge
info[at]southlondonslings.co.uk 07813 003 604 SE13 5JE
Trained with: School of Babywearing
Do you run a sling library? Yes – South London Sling Library
Do you sell slings?
Specialties or limitations: N/A
Sarah Lawson, Raise Them Up Slings
Trained with: School of Babywearing (trainee)
Do you run a sling library? Yes – South East London Slingers
Sarah K Smith, Greenwich Slings
Trained with: Slingababy
Selina Shaikh
Trained with: Slingababy and Je Porte Mon Bebe
Prices: £35 for 1 hour, £45 for 1.5 hours and £55 for 2 hours
Do you visit clients’ homes? Yes
Do you allow clients to visit your home? Yes
Do you run workshops? Yes
Do you run a sling library? Yes – Barnet Sling Library
Do you sell slings? No
Specialties or limitations: N/A
Sonia Pinson – Wear My Baby Greenwich
Trained with: Slingababy