Please help another Zolo virgin - I can't figure out Cradle Hold!

[MiaPia]

HELP! I'm in tears of frustration right now. I got my cotton Zolo today and have spent all afternoon trying to figure it out. I studied the Zolo site and watched all the videos from the Maya site, but I'm still stumped on the cradle hold. When I try to put Isabella in it she starts to scream, even though she was fine before. She looks SO wadded up and contorted when she's in there.
So, here are my questions:

1)What *side* should her head be on? The rings are on my left side. The Zolo site shows the head on the SAME side as the rings, but the Maya video shows the head on the OTHER side. I'm trying to put her in with her head on the "ring side"

2)How high up on my body should she be?

3)Where should her feet be? Should her body/neck be contorted? I can't seem to get her straightened out in there.

If it helps, she's 7 weeks old, has pretty decent head control, and is very long - almost 23"!
Oh - I also tried her in the "snuggle hold" and she screamed with that, and we got all twisted up. :( I feel like a sling failure.

The only positive is that I did succesfully carry my toddler in the hip carry!

[mommyj]

I've had better luck with the cradle hold while using my Rebozo, but maybe that's just because I only really figured out how to adjust my Zolo sling this afternoon. DS is ths same age as your baby and he's probably just as long. They grow so fast, don't they?
Anyway, I've had good luck doing the snuggle hold with ds' legs tucked under him in the sling. He loves sleeping like that anyway, so I haven't tried to pull his legs out yet. I just make sure his feet aren't folded in any weird positions, and he LOVES it. If your dd likes to be more cuddled up, you might want to give that a try. Good luck! Hopefully you'll get good instructions on the cradle hold, because I need them too :)

[susabusa]

Are you starting with tummy to tummy? I pretty much usually start with this position. Her feet are out and she is tummy to tummy. I pull up on the bottom ring to loosen the sling a bit, and then I tip her to lay down. Her head is opposite the ring side -- feet are sticking out on the ring side, material is snug under her butt. The top rail is usually loose enough that I can see her, but not anyone else can -- the material usually stands up a bit. If I want to nurse hands free I can snug the material up a little bit so I don't have to use my arms to support her at all. I love the directions at

http://www.taylormadetreasures.wahmb...structions.htm

Stephanie

I only use the cradle hold when I'm going to nurse her. Even once she is asleep I usually tip her back up to tummy to tummy.

[Calmegja]

This is exactly what I was going to say....good job! ;-)

My last baby refused to ever be held in a cradle hold. He acted as if I was trying to hurt him, he would contort and scream. Tummy to tummy worked much better for us.

See if that works, and ask more if you need more help!

[houseof3boys]

Hmmm, I had some of the same questions. Ryan is 11 weeks old and while I can use the hotsling pretty well now (except getting him out easily), I am very Zolo challenged. I washed it so it would be softer and easier to pull the fabric through and I swear I cannot get it threaded the same way. I have watched that video stream twice and still can't do it. I hate that I have this great sling and can't seem to get the hang of it. I know everyone says it takes 2 weeks to really get used to it but it is a frustrating two weeks! I want to be liberated like the rest of you with are so sling savvy :7

[susabusa]

Lay the sling completely flat with the wrong side up -- you should see the tag. Grab each side of the tail with a hand and gather fan style, hold with one hand and bring up to the rings and re-thread thru the rings. Then make sure that the material is spread out and the the edges are truly on the edge and not tucked under at all.

What color do you have? The silk and the camel color are thicker than the others.

The good thing is, once you get it to a point that it is adjusted for you and the babe you hardly have to adjust it at all. The hardest point is getting it to that point.

Stephanie

[houseof3boys]

Thanks Stephanie. I can get it threaded okay, it is just really bunchy and not the same. I wish I had never washed it now! I am sure it will straighten out a bit once I wear him a bit more. I could also iron it or steam it and see if that helps. I hung it to dry with the rings down (like the website recommends) and just clipped it by 2 skirt hangers on the other end.

I appreciate your post. Practice makes perfect for me, so I will try again today to wear him.

Edited to add that I have the red one :)

[toomanystrollers]

Hang in there,
I took me a full two weeks to master my zolo. Neve is 9 wks. old & we always use the tummy-to-tummy position with her feet inside. I first lay her up on my shoulder and then cross her feet - froggy style? and slip her in. I usually don't have to adjust the bottom rail - I just use the top rail to keep her snug. I rememember reading on KK's site (I think?) that once you get your babe in the sling - get walking, especially if they're fussy. The motion helps the baby relax and snuggle in.

Don't give up - I truly love my cotton zolo! I can't wait to get a silk for Christmas.

HTH

[stillplayswithbarbies]

>
>1)What *side* should her head be on?

Whichever side works best for her and you. Try them both. When my baby was smaller, I liked her head on the side opposite the rings because there was less fabric and I never liked having her face covered.

>2)How high up on my body should she be?
>

Having baby above your waist is usually more comfortable. The higher you carry her, the less strain on your back.

>3)Where should her feet be? Should her body/neck be
>contorted? I can't seem to get her straightened out in there.
>

If she is small, her feet should be inside the sling. If she is longer, her feet come out of the sling. In that case, the sling is supporting her body and her feet stick out beside you.

>
>If it helps, she's 7 weeks old, has pretty decent head
>control, and is very long - almost 23"!
>Oh - I also tried her in the "snuggle hold" and she screamed
>with that, and we got all twisted up. :( I feel like a sling
>failure.
>

I was not able to do the snuggle hold (tummy to tummy) until later with my baby. I started out putting one leg out of the sling (under the rings) and the other leg in the sling, sort of sticking up in the air.

Except that I did the snuggle hold from day 1 in the KKAFP. But that was easy to just slip her down in there feet first when she was a newborn.

>The only positive is that I did succesfully carry my toddler
>in the hip carry!

Tummy to tummy is exactly like the hip carry, except baby is in front of you instead of on the side.

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03

[MiaPia]

Thank you all so much for the tips! I think I will try again in the snuggle hold and see if we have luck with that!

Karen - thank you so much for your in-depth answers to my questions!