FAQs

“How does it work?”

“I’m pregnant, should I try on some slings now or wait for my baby to arrive?”

A lot of expectant parents are unsure as to when is a good time to come to a sling library to get a feel of what slings are out there, and how they feel on them.

Here are my top tips and how things work at Wrap a Hug Sling Library:

• Don’t hesitate to try slings on while pregnant. It’s never too early to try some on. You can come and see us anytime during your pregnancy. So get in touch and we’ll book you in to try some slings on using demo dolls.
• Always try slings on before you buy one, and try them with your baby once your baby is here! You’ll get a good idea of the comfort and support you get with different types of slings and carriers, and how they support your baby.
• Not all buckle carriers fit all people, so try some on. Don’t fall in for marketing techniques, popularity and friends’ recommendations. Slings are personal, very much like shoes: every body is different, mobility varies between people and preferences are preferences!
• Not all carriers will fit all babies from birth, even if your baby is within the lower weight limit of the carrier, so come see us! We’re here to help.
• We can help you find ‘THE’ sling that works for YOU. Skip the big baby shops where the only aim of the salesperson is to sell you the most expensive carrier (not to mention that many are not trained to explain safety and will likely show you unsafe positioning).
• We always offer a follow-up appointment for when your baby arrives. All you need to do is get in touch again, and we’ll book you in to pick up the sling/s you liked and show you again how to use them with your baby, check that they fit your baby well, and go over safety again. We love seeing your little ones! The follow-up appointment is included in your consultation, so no need to pay extra
• Types of appointment (see ‘sling library consultations‘ for more details):
  • 20mins (£10, inc. 1 sling hire for 2 weeks or 1 month for Close caboos and stretchy wraps): best if you only want to try one type of sling on (e.g., wrap/Caboo, ringsling, carriers…)
  • 40mins (£15, inc same hire as above): best if you want to try 2 types of slings/carriers and get a quick intro to babywearing. We will ask you to watch our introduction to slings video to speed things up.
  • 1h15 mins (£30 at Wrap a Hug HQ, £50 at your place; inc 2 slings hire): best if you want to see all types of slings, you want to take your time to try a few and you have a partner who wants to try some on as well.
  • Follow-up sling fitting consultation once your baby arrives (20mins) included for free, at HQ or on Zoom or you can use my video tutorials if you feel confident enough! We will discuss the follow-up together. You can take your sling/s hire before baby comes, once baby is here either in person or I can post it (postage at your own cost).

“How does a video consultation work?”

During lockdown (and hopefully there will be no more!) and for people who prefer to shield or live too far to come for a face-to-face consultation, we will offer you a tailored-made video consultation to suit your needs. This option is if you really come in person. Please be aware that there is only so much we can do on Zoom and a face-to-face consultation is always better.

Here’s how to work:

• Get in touch and tell us how we can help you, what you’re looking to learn, what sling/sling type you want to try… basically, give us some info! We’ll ask you a few more questions to determine how much time we need to book to address your needs and give you the pricing. Then:
• If you have your own sling we’ll guide you to learn how to use it or fit it more comfortably. If you also want to try other slings, we’ll send you some or you can pick them up contactless and have a second Zoom call.
• If you don’t have a sling but want to try a specific one, we’ll organise postage/pick up and schedule a Zoom to guide you.
• If you don’t have a sling and don’t know which one/which type to try out, I’ll send you a guide video to watch and we’ll schedule a Zoom call where I’ll demo some slings that I think would suit your needs and we have a little chat. We’ll decide on the sling/s for you to try out and organise postage/pick up.
• Once you have received the sling/s, you have them for either 2 weeks or 1 month for Close Caboos and stretchy wraps (you can also swap slings during the hire duration), and we’ll have a second Zoom call where I’ll show you how to put the slings on and guide you.
• We’ll also send you our video tutorials for the slings you’ve hired/you own (if available) and offer follow-up support if you need a bit more help after our call and have questions.
• Depending on how much support you need, we’ll book you in for 20mins (£10), 40mins (£15) or 1h-1h15mins (£30) of video consultation time.
• We know that things take a little bit longer remotely than in person, so we don’t count all the demo-ing and pre-consultation time.
• Postage is at your own cost and we’ll send them cheapest option as possible with appropriate insurance (in most cases, £4.35).

We’re doing our best to adapt to the situation and offer a fair service to all 🙂

What types of slings are available?

 The world of babywearing can be quite overwhelming, so let us guide you on your journey and help you find ‘the’ sling that will work for you and your family. There are lots of different types of slings, sub-types, hybrid and even unique ones!

We can break them down into main categories:

What happens if my baby cries and/or feeds constantly during our appointment?

First of all, don’t worry! We are mothers and we know what it’s like! Try to book a timeslot when your baby is usually alert and happy. We are open 9-4.30pm on weekdays and 9-12 on Saturdays at HQ (shorter sessions for sling libraries in our venues). If your baby cries and doesn’t want to go in the sling, we will use our weighted demo dolls to practice on so you can get a feel of how the slings supports you and your baby and have a go at putting it on yourself with the doll. We will always send you demo videos after your visit so you can practice at home. Some babies can feel a bit overwhelmed being in a new environment with new faces and parents sometimes feel a bit anxious. We totally get it! At Wrap a Hug, our mission to support you and make you feel empowered and reassured, not frazzled and confused. If your baby doesn’t want to be put in the sling on the day, practice at home with our videos. We always include follow-up support, so if you need a bit more help or for us to check the fit or positioning, send us some pics on Whatsapp or we can also Zoom if you need more help! There’s always a solution. If we need to check the size and fit of a sling, we will measure over your baby while you hold them in arms to get an idea. Sometimes babies decide they want to feed the entire time or want to stay on the breast and that’s ok too!! If it’s not possible to wait until they are done if there is a booking right after you; we will demo, explain things, and again you can practice at home with the videos and follow-up support. When the appt is at HQ, we leave plenty of time between clients so we can accommodate for a crying/feeding baby. Sometimes babies snooze the entire time and it’s up to you to decide if you want to gently try a sling on while they sleep (lots of babies like to be wrapped/put in a sling super gently while they sleep!) or you can use a demo doll. And don’t worry, don’t pressure yourself, don’t stress out, we always find a way!

Policies

SALES RETURNS AND REFUNDS POLICY FOR PURCHASES

RETURNS: If you wish to return an item (sling/carrier or babywearing socks) that you have purchased from me, please inform me via email at mel.wrapahug@gmail.com within 14 days of receiving your order. I’ll explain how to return your item which must be received within the next 14 days from that point. You can return the item directly to me at HQ by appointment or via post. Please note that customers are responsible for the cost of return postage. Please use a tracked and insured service, as items remain your responsibility until they are in my possession. I can only accept returned items that are unused and in their original packaging in an as new condition. Items must be in their original intact packaging, undamaged boxes, with all tags, labels and instruction manuals in an intact condition. I cannot refund items that have been used, worn or washed. Returned items must be in fully re-saleable condition.

Once I have received the returned item, I will send you a full refund for the purchase price of the item(s) within 14 days of receiving the item(s) back. I will refund to the credit/debit card that you used for the original purchase when you paid your invoice. Please note the refund may take some days to appear in your account once I have processed your refund, depending on your credit/debit card provider.

FAULTY ITEMS AND WARRANTY RETURNS: In the unlikely event that an item you purchase from me is faulty, or your need to make a claim on the manufacturer’s warranty please drop me an email at mel.wrapahug@gmail.com and I will send information on how to return your item to me so I can arrange refund, replacement or repair as appropriate. Please note items must be in otherwise satisfactory condition. It will not be possible to refund or replace items that have been damaged due to misuse. Accidents happen, and if you have accidentally damaged your own carrier please do feel able to reach out to me. While I will be unable to offer a refund or replacement, I maybe able to offer guidance on whether the item can be repaired and if so how best to do this and/or help source replacement buckles, hoods, spare bits etc as needed.

PAYMENT POLICY

Payments for consultations and sling hire must be made at least 48h before the appointment/sling pick up. You will be sent an invoice via Square, a secure online invoice system and pay by card. Payments are non-refundable (part or whole).

The payment covers UP TO 1h15mins, 40mins, 20mins or 10mins of consultation time. If we use considerably less time than booked for, I will offer you additional hire time to cover for this or for the time to be added to a later consultation. Every parent is different in terms of learning style, and some will need less time than others. I cannot always predict how the parent will be on the day. I am always generous with my time and if we need to overrun for a few minutes, I won’t charge you for this.

The consultation (except the 10mins consultation) includes 1 or 2 slings hire. If you decide or don’t need a sling hire, the consultation fee will not be discounted. The hire is included whether you need it or not. If you want to return your sling before it is due back, I will not offer a part refund. It is your choice to return it earlier.

If you can’t come to your appointment, we will reschedule it and the payment will be used for this new appointment. If you decide you don’t need the consultation or sling hire anymore, the payment will not be refunded. You can, however, offer your paid consultation to a friend or family member or come for your appointment at a later date (for example, when your baby has outgrown baby-sized slings and you want to look at a toddler carrier). Failure to come to your appointment, disorganisation, failure to answer my emails/messages, moving out (I will offer you a Zoom consultation with postal hire instead) or having been given slings by friends doesn’t entitle you to a refund.

On the rare occasion that I am sick or unable to see you on your appointment day, I will offer you an alternative date or a refund if I am at fault. I will use my discretion to offer you a refund in very special circumstances (e.g., if you or your baby have become very unwell and can’t babywear). Thank you for your understanding.

PRIVACY POLICY

We will never share any of your personal information or contact with any third parties in compliance with GDPR regulations. Your data is stored onto our secure online hire system called MyTurn. We use a secure invoicing system called Square to invoice you and your details are stored safely there as well. All our online systems are GDPR compliant. We will never share pictures without permission and any referrals or signposting to other perinatal and early years professionals will be done with your consent.