Mini Monkey Mini Sling | 0-15kg

Mini Monkey Mini Sling is so small and light that you will always have it with you. It is extremely compact and weighs as much as a mobile phone (175 gr). The lovely airy Mini Monkey Mini Sling allows you to ergonomically carry your baby directly from birth, and it is very quick and easy to use.

• 0 – 2 1/2 years (newborn to max. 15kgs)
• One size fits all
• Safe: compliant with all EU safety norms
• Washable at 40 degrees (in a wash bag and at low RPM)
• Material: mesh fabric (light-weight polyester fabric with small holes)
• Waterproof  perfect for use in the shower, at the pool, on the beach
• Super quick and easy as long as you follow the instructions

Carrying your baby ergonomically

You carry your baby straight against your body, with its head on your chest. Its bottom is low and its upper legs are spread and high; in the M-position or “frog position”. This ergonomic method of carrying is recommended by pediatricians as it supports babies hip development.

A newborn’s legs are still close together. As your child grows, its legs spread and eventually you will be able to carry it on your hip (instead of against your chest). Especially curious toddlers enjoy being carried on the hip as it allows for excellent views all around!

Tips

Experience has taught that users tend to wear the Mini Monkey Mini Sling too low and too loose. Therefore our advice is: wear the sling high, with your baby’s head against your sternum and its body snugly against yours! By tightening the black strap on your back, you raise the baby higher, ensuring the proper support for its neck and back. You are carrying the Mini Sling at the correct height if you can easily kiss your baby on its little head.

8 Tips to Use Mini Monkey Mini Sling

Tips 1 – Ensure good support

The baby will be sufficiently supported if you carry him in the carrier properly and it, therefore, won’t be necessary to also support your baby with your hand. A (newborn) baby can’t yet support his own head, which is why it’s important for both the head and the back to be fully supported by the carrier and that the fabric is folded tightly across the back. It’s also the intention for babies to be seated in the sling in a nice M-position.

If you feel like your baby isn’t quite supported enough yet and you are still supporting him with your hand(s) too, then the carrier isn’t yet correctly in place. You can solve this by:

1. Wearing the baby higher and tighter (tip 2).
2. Ensuring the top edge is horizontal (tip 3).
3. Spreading the fabric over your shoulder (zie tip 4).
4. Ensuring the baby is carried in the M-position (described below).
5. Fasten the clip on the top edge of the back panel and tighten.
6. Tightening the fabric around the back (refer to the video at the bottom of the page).

M-position

We recommend carrying your baby ergonomically, in the so-called M-position, in order to ensure good development of the hips. This means the bottom is seated in the sling and the upper legs are supported. The bottom will hang lower than the upper legs. Any baby not used to being carried in a sling or wrap may start overstretching when you carry him in a sling (for the first time). This means he would be stretching his legs and back and will, therefore ‘hang’ rather than taking on a relaxed ‘seated’ position with his bottom in the fabric.

Fortunately, this is easy to resolve by pulling up the fabric between the legs, until this completely supports the upper legs. You can also resolve this by grabbing hold of the lower legs and ‘twisting’ them upwards towards your tummy. This will allow the baby to relax even more. The back will then be in a convex curve and positioned in the fabric nicely and tight. You may need to repeat this step a few times before the baby really starts to relax. A newborn’s legs are still close together. As your child grows, its legs spread and eventually you will be able to carry it on your hip

The following instruction video by Anna Michalaki (Greek babywearing consultant) clearly shows how to get a nice deep M-position (at 2.57 – 3:20 sec) and how to ensure that the fabric is tightened around the back (at 2: 30 – 2:58 sec.).

Tips 2 – Wear the sling high (!)

Experience has taught that users tend to wear the Mini Sling too low and too loose. The neck and back of the baby will not get the proper support. Therefore our advice is: wear the sling high, with your baby’s head against your sternum and its body snugly against yours! You are carrying the Mini Sling at the correct height if you can easily kiss your baby on its little head.

Before you put the baby in, make sure the sling has the shape of a ‘bowl’ and hangs on both sides underneath your armpits (see picture above left). On the right picture, the shoulder piece hangs far too low.

By tightening the black strap on your back, you raise the baby higher, ensuring the proper support for its neck and back. If the baby is already positioned in the sling and the sling is still a little too loo

Tips 3 – Prevent hanging lopsided

If the baby is hanging at an angle, or the head falls sideways in the sling, this is generally caused by one of the following:

1. the carrier is too loose/too low (see tip 2)
2. the shoulder piece hasn’t been properly spread across your upper arm and shoulder (see tip 4)
3. the side of the shoulder piece is too high and the side where the sling goes underneath your armpit is too low.

It’s the intention for the shoulder piece to be spread out and that both the clip, as well as the section which goes underneath your armpit, is positioned at armpit height – see the yellow arrows in the picture below. If these are positioned at the same height – armpit height – and you close the clip once the baby is in the sling, the padded top edge of the back piece will effectively support the baby’s neck and head. The top edge will then be nice and straight, just like with a strapless top, and the baby’s head won’t fall sideways.

If your baby is in the sling and it’s still a little lopsided, you can slightly twist the Mini Sling and tighten the strap on your back a little.

Tips 4 – Spread the shoulder piece

Spreading the fabric over the shoulder helps to prevent the baby from hanging lopsidedly (tip 3) and is much more comfortable for you. The Mini Sling’s shoulder piece is designed to fit comfortably on your shoulder joint. Ensure the shoulder piece is spread out properly over your shoulder and upper arm, to prevent your baby from hanging to one side. The large black extendable strap should be on your back.

The sling is suitable for wearing on either shoulder. Don’t know which shoulder to pick? Choose the side you normally carry your (hand) bag on as that will feel the most natural to you.

Safety loops and buckles

The Mini Sling has two safety loops and two buckles, so you can wear it on your left as well as your right shoulder. The loop on the inside (near your baby’s neck) and the clip at the bottom of the sling aren’t used, they are for carrying your baby on your other shoulder. If you so wish, you can tuck the dangling clip between the fabric above it, as shown in the illustration below.

Tips 5 – Use the sling in the shower, in the swimming pool…

The Mini Sling is not watertight, but it is waterproof, so you can get it wet. And once wet, it dries again within 30 minutes. This makes it the ideal baby carrier to use in the shower, on the beach or at the pool. The sling is made out of a mesh fabric, so as well as being waterproof, it is very light and airy, making it ideal for warm days. In short, the Mini Sling is a must-have if you take your ‘little monkey’ on a trip! 😎

Tips 6 – Folding the Mini Sling in its pouch

The shoulder piece has a small sewn-in pouch with a black and white rope that allows you to fold the sling into a tiny package, as shown in the illustrations below. Essentially, it’s the same as folding up a reusable shopping bag.

Tips 7 – Times of use

The Mini Sling is the ideal carrier to always have with you. It is so small and light, you will barely notice it’s in your bag at all! It is suitable for use for a newborn as well as a toddler (max. 15 kgs) and its airy fabric makes it especially suitable for warm days. The Mini Sling is perfect for traveling, around the house, the ‘I wish I brought a baby carrier and the ‘let’s quickly’ moments…

On the go:

If you’re traveling with your baby, or you are out and about, there are a thousand things you need to bring; clothes, food, nappies, sunscreen, you name it… So it’s very convenient if you can stuff a baby carrier in your bag that doesn’t take up much room, is light and airy, can get wet and it dries quickly. This all makes it ideal for use on the airport, under the shower, at the pool or on the beach.

The ‘I wish I brought a baby carrier’ moments:

You are out and about with your baby in its stroller, and the inevitable happens: the stroller can’t get into the shop, you need to take the stairs to another floor, you need to hand over the stroller to board your plane, etc. Or, your ‘little monkey’ simply refuses to sit down… All these situations make it necessary for you to carry your baby. How wonderful to just dig into your bag and take out the Mini Sling!

Let’s quickly:

Let’s quickly go to daycare, school or the shops. Quickly going to and from the car. A quick trip up the stairs or down the post office. Let’s quickly take the dog for a walk… Let’s quickly get out the Mini Sling!

At home – hands-free:

As well as being super convenient for use outside the house, the Mini Sling is a champion at home too! At those moments when your baby’s a bit fussy and wants to be close to you, you quickly put it in the sling. You’ll have your baby close and comfortable, while still having your hands free.

Tips 8 – The instructions, step by step

To see how the Mini Sling works, we strongly recommend you watch the instruction video first.

• Practise with someone else a few times.
• Practise when your baby is relaxed (for instance after nap time, a feed and a nappy change).
• Practise with a doll and in front of a mirror.

Below you find the written instructions, step by step:

1. Put the Mini Sling on

• Put the sling over your head and spread the shoulder piece over one of your shoulders.
• Pull the black strap on your back tight so the carrier fits snugly into your armpit on the other side (see left illustration below). A newborn baby should be carried in the middle of your tummy. A somewhat older (and especially curious) baby should be carried more on the hip. The height should be kept the same when carrying on your hip, but the carrying part of the sling should be moved towards your hip slightly, allowing you to carry the baby on your hip.

Make the carrier into a ‘bowl’, ensuring the carrier isn’t inside-out (the ‘mini monkey’ logo needs to be visible on the outside).

2. ‘Hang’ your baby in the sling

• Put your baby high up on your free shoulder.
• Now pull one foot through the safe loop at the bottom of the carrier (at the green asterisk in the illustration). Please note: you do not use the loop at the top, this one is for carrying the Mini Sling on your other shoulder). Once its leg is in the safety loop, your baby cannot fall out of the sling. Note that this loop is only there for security – it does not support your baby, the Mini Sling’s fabric does.
• Now let your child hang with its knees in the sling until it is completely relaxed in this position.

3. Pull the fabric up

• Calmly pull the fabric up over your baby’s back. For newborns: the fabric reaches halfway its ears.
• Ensure the mini monkey logo is at the middle of your baby’s neck.
• The top edge of the Mini Sling should be horizontal.

4. Fasten the clip

• Fasten the clip on the top of the back panel.
• Tighten the strap until the soft stuffed neck trim properly supports your baby’s neck.
• Any excess fabric can be neatly tucked away to the side. If you feel your baby is sitting too low or too loose, you can pull it up with one arm while tightening the strap on your back.

5. Checklist

• Your child is in a nice M pose – the carrier supports its upper legs and its bottom is lower than its upper legs. Its back has a natural curve.
• Your baby’s head is properly supported and rests on your sternum (5b).
  The top edge of the Mini Sling is horizontal, the mini monkey logo is centered and the opposite side fits snugly underneath
• your arm (5a + 5b).
• The back panel is nice and tight over your baby’s back.
• The shoulder piece is spread over your shoulder and upper arm (5c)

Belly versus hip carrying

A newborn’s legs are still close together (see picture below left). As your child grows, its legs spread and eventually you will be able to carry it on your hip (instead of against your chest). Especially curious toddlers enjoy being carried on the hip as it allows for excellent views all around!

‘Problem’ solving

Is the sling not sufficiently supporting the baby yet? This will usually be because the sling isn’t tight or high enough, or because it’s sitting at an angle and/or the fabric is too loose. See tip 1, tip 2, tip 3, and tip 4 to find out how you can resolve this.

Is the sling not yet comfortable for you? This will often be because the fabric hasn’t been properly spread across your shoulder and upper arm. Or because of the fact you may need to get used to the feeling when you have spread the fabric out correctly. ?

Are you still unhappy with the fit? These tips will help you:

If the fabric doesn’t stretch tightly over your baby’s back, you can tuck the fabric away at the side or underneath your baby’s bottom.

If its head isn’t properly supported and/or your baby isn’t sitting in the sling correctly, you can pull it up with one arm while tightening the black strap on your back.

Is your babysitting in the sling lopsidedly? Slightly twist the Mini Sling by pulling the shoulder piece down a bit and at the same time pulling the other side up a bit, fitting it more snugly underneath your arm. The top edge of the back panel should now be straight. Tighten the strap on your back to ensure the Mini Sling stays in this position.