#stretchy wrap

Newly pregnant and trying to learn all the things before baby arrives is like trying to drink water from a fire hose. There are so many ways to parent! Most of us grow into functional adults, so I decided all the variety is out there because we are all different people with different life goals.

Early on in the planning process, I knew I was going to lean toward the natural parenting method. Breast feeding was never a doubt in my mind, cloth diapering sounded adventurous, and babywearing looked intriguing. I won't go into the first two choices, but babywearing has become such a staple in our lives as a family, I decided to blog our adventures.

The first weeks at home with my little were a blur. I had a complicated post-partum period on top of being a first-time parent. Sometime during her first week of life, I bundled my precious, floppy little girl into a stretchy fabric carrier. We loved that thing. It was so easy to keep her close and comforted while I tried to pick up my house or take a short walk. I soon found out the weight limits on stretchy carriers are generous. Once she weighed about 12 lbs, I found wearing her in our trusty stretchy wasn't comfortable and it tended to sag with time.

We graduated to a soft structured carrier at about 6 weeks post-partum. I started attending a babywearing exercise class, and the SSC with infant insert worked well for the class even if it was a tad warm. I also wore her in the SSC for the occasional outdoor winter walk. Unfortunately, due to the bulky straps and waist band, I found myself wearing her less and less around the house or for short ups when out running errands.

Thankfully, I found a local babywearing group through social media! My first meeting was mostly timid observation on my part. Because I wasn't sure how I wanted to continue wearing, a couple of nice ladies suggested a ring sling. I bought a budget friendly version and wore my little several times around the house and a few times while out. I appreciate the ease of use, the quick in-and-out, and the ability to nurse in a ring sling. However, I just don't find them comfortable for long wear. I don't really like bearing all her weight on one shoulder, and off-center carrying is painful for my hips and back.

Finally, I found my way to woven wraps! Remember that first babywearing meeting? I watched from the sidelines as a few moms learned to use long, beautiful pieces of fabric to carry their babies. I was intrigued and quickly went to work researching wrap brands and fabrics, the language, and types of carries. There is a wealth of knowledge out there, but it can be difficult to find. My best resources were moms and dads who have lots of experience in the wrapping community. After a month of learning, I finally went out on a limb and bought my first woven wrap.

I’d recommend getting a stretchy wrap (like a Moby wrap) for when babe is brand new. They take a little practice but once you get the hang of it they’re ah-mazing! You can find nice ones at second hand baby stores but they’re not super expensive to buy retail either. You’re looking at $40-60. Care is super easy, just throw it in the washer and drier when it needs it. There are a lot of tutorials on how to wrap baby and I have a couple I made I can link you to if you want.

For when babe gets to be about 3-6 months old I would recommend a Soft Structured Carrier (like an Ergo Baby). They’re easy to use, comfortable, and versatile (front, back, and hip carries). The hardest part of a SSC is getting the clip snapped in the back, which you figure out how to do super fast. Care is super easy as well. With most of them you just throw them in the washer and drier. These are a little more expensive. They run around $120-$250+ depending on the brand. Ross will occasionally have last seasons Ergo Baby carriers on sale for $60 which is where I bought mine.

With both the stretchy wrap and the SSC I would wear Liam for hours on end. Grocery shopping, walks, cleaning the house, breastfeeding…. They’re both very comfortable carriers and can be worn for long periods of time. Stretchy wraps are only good and safe until baby is 15lbs whereas a SSC can go from newborn to 35lbs. I wore Liam during the hot summer (90+*) and we didn’t sweat too much aside from where his head rested against my bare skin, but I don’t live in a humid environment so take that into consideration. It’s easier to bundle baby up for cold weather in a SSC than a stretchy wrap but it’s not terribly difficult to do.

I’m personally not a big fan of ring slings since all the weight in on one shoulder, but I know lots of mamas that love them. They’re fast, and easy to use. You’re looking at around $80-$200 depending on the brand and fabric, and I’m not familiar with care.

Woven wraps are beautiful. They’re good from newborn to 35lbs but they take some practice and there are different sizes, fabrics, and carries and that can get overwhelming. If you want one I’d suggest figuring out what kind of fabric you want and what kind of carries you’re wanting to do before picking one out. They’re more expensive running around $100-$300+ depending on the fabric, size, and brand. Care is usually pretty simple, throw in the washer and dry on a low setting. Some need to be hand washed and air dried.