Hello! I am Mel ’the sling lady', mum to 3 gorgeous boys and certified babywearing consultant. 

I run Wrap a Hug Sling Library East London and I’m based in Tower Hamlets and Hackney (though people travel from all over north and east London!). I run a dedicated sling library in Bethnal Green every other week with a volunteer, a monthly sling clinic at Hackney Central library and a Sling information session in Clapton every 6 weeks. I work closely with the Hackney Real Nappy Network and I run my Hackney sessions alongside them. Once a month I also co-run the Tower Hamlets Family meet-up at Poplar Union with Helen who runs BirthWright which is space for new and expectant parents to meet, chat, make friendship and get perinatal support from us including babywearing help and the other professionals who come and donate their time.

My sling library is an inclusive place for all parents to come and either get help with their own slings, try some on, learn how to feed in slings, troubleshoot, learn new skills, build their confidence and be here for them. Parents can hire slings for as long as they want, switch them, carry 1 or 2 babies from tiny premie to preschooler. I stock over 400 slings with a huge range to choose from. There is something for everyone!

Wrap a Hug had originally been set up by my friend in north west London but when she moved away, I took over the name and website and relocated it in east London, starting with just a few slings and a sling social to where it is now, a well-loved sling library and parent support hub.

I started carrying my first baby straight from birth and quickly learned about slings and found a true passion for it. Babywearing was a real saviour for me. I suffered from postnatal depression, didn’t get support for a long time, found it difficult to connect with other new parents and, in the midst of it all, was forced out of my job in academia. Carrying my baby helped me immensely. I then found my crowd, got support and found a true calling for helping others. I found ‘my thing’!

Nine years down the line, hundreds of slings collected and thousands of families supported, Wrap a Hug is now more than I could ever imagine it to be and I am very proud of what I do.