Adventures We Seek

Babywearing Guide for Beginners — Wraps Carriers and Everything We Learned the Hard Way


A month ago I had never heard of babywearing. Now I own four carriers am in two Facebook groups and have strong opinions about woven wraps. Here is how this happened.


dc6d41a4e518411e908ca03f2c5412ecI am very new to babywearing, but stumbled upon it about a month ago, and have been hooked ever since. I am by no means a pro and sometimes end up sweating with a crying baby as I try for the fifth time to get Gavin wrapped and sturdy so I feel comfortable letting go with my hands.

Our wearing began with the Bjorn, which through research has proven to not be the best for your little one. Then, we tried the Ergo, which is way to bulky for me. I have a ring sling which I am also not a 100% fan of, it kind of limits what you can do with reaching your arms (at least from my experience) Next, came the Mai Tei…in which I ended up sewing my own. This was working the best, but I still felt like it wasn’t the perfect way to wear Gavin for me.

I began really looking at the Wraps and wanted to try them out. I joined a Babywearing group for Orlando Mom’s on Facebook…O-Town SlingersYeah and went to a meeting. There, you are able to try on different wraps, they help you wrap correctly and you get to socialize with other Momma’s. Besides it being my first time at a Mommy group where I was terribly overwhelmed by all the noise, kids, Mom’s and chaos in one room, I had to step out of the room for a bit.

Babywearing is HUGE. I had absolutely no idea. There are so many companies in which the Babywearing Momma’s purchase from; they also buy/sell and trade on Mommy Groups.

Some of the amazing on-demand woven wraps are by Girasol, Didymos, Easycare, Kokadi, Natibaby, Wrapsody, Zara. These wraps run anywhere from $100-$500. $500 you say, what??!! Here is a great blog explaining the Economics of Babywearing.

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I bought 1 Didymos, a size 5 Didymos INDIA Crimson-Hemp.

I am not sure how much I love it. It is thick and hard to wrap (but oh so beautiful). It may find itself back on the swap so I can experiment with other brands that are easier to wrap and lighter in material. I am really lovin on this Zara Sun. Maybe in a size 3 or 4. I think it is a beauty.

If you are new to babywearing, Babywearing Faith on Youtube has a ton of tutorials. Babywearing 102 on Pinterest has tutorials, images of the different wraps and a ton of other resources.

 

So far, my favorite wrap was one I found on Etsy. Shawna, the owner of LilPipsqueeks has customized two wraps for me. The purple on is one she made. The other is still in the mail on its way here (Hint: The colors resemble a orange sherbert creamcicle) I still only feel comfortable wrapping on the front and only with the Kangaroo Carry or Front Wrap Cross Carry FWCC. I am not really an expert on either, but am practicing every day. I’ve been stopped quite a few times in the store and Mom’s ask me about my wrap. I think it is pretty cool!

Custom Cotton Gauze Wrap
Custom Cotton Gauze Wrap

Wrapping makes it so much easier to clean the house or do chores, go grocery shopping, eat out and be in public and be hands free knowing that little munshki is safe and comfortable.

We did order one other wrap, it’s for Adam. It is called a BityBean. It too is on its way in the mail. It is much more manly, easy to wear and perfect for the hansome hubster.

There is also a huge amount of Mom’s who DIY, believe it or not, there is also a facebook group dedicated to it, Babywearing DIY. I have seen some very awesome carriers, but don’t have permission to post their pictures (hint, think Monster’s Inc., Halloween Costumes, etc) There are also a ton of free patterns and tutorials out there for RingSlings and Mai Tei’s.

Babywearing exists all of the world (we saw a ton of it in Korea…it’s way more popular than strollers) and it has existed back hundreds of years. Here are some pictures I compiled off the internet (I know they aren’t sourced…so many of them just go into internet outer space and I have no idea where they originally came from)

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Some of the benefits of babywearing as written by Dr. William Sears:

  • Mothers’ oxytocin is increased through physical contact with the infant, leading to a more intimate maternal bond, easier breastfeeding and better care, thus lowering the incidence of postpartum depression and psychosomatic illness in the mother; similarly, the father carrying the baby has benefits for the paternal bond.
  • Infants who are carried are calmer because all of their primal/survival needs are met. The caregiver can be seen, heard, smelled, touched, tasted, provide feeding and the motion necessary for continuing neural development, gastrointestinal and respiratory health and to establish balance (inner ear development) and muscle tone is constant.
  • Infants are more organized. Parental rhythms (walking, heartbeat, etc.) have balancing and soothing effects on infants.
  • Infants are “humanized” earlier by developing socially. Babies are closer to people and can study facial expressions, learn languages faster and be familiar with body language.
  • Independence is established earlier.
  • Attachment between child and caregiver is more secure.
  • Decreases risk of positional plagiocephaly (“flat head syndrome”) caused by extended time spent in a car seat and by sleeping on the back.   Info from wikipedia

Here are some celebrity babywearers

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The big question going around the babywearing boards right now, “Do you think Kate Middleton will be a babywearer?” 

Are you a babywearer? Which wrap/ carry/ style do you like the most?

Related articles

Q: What is babywearing and why do parents love it? A: Babywearing is the practice of carrying your baby in a soft carrier wrap or sling keeping them close to your body while leaving your hands completely free. The benefits are significant — studies show it increases parental bonding reduces infant crying supports healthy physical development and makes daily life with a baby dramatically more manageable. We wish someone had told us about it from day one.

Q: What is the best baby carrier for beginners? A: Start with something simple and forgiving while you learn. Ring slings and stretchy wraps are popular starting points though woven wraps offer the most versatility once you get comfortable. We went through a Bjorn an Ergo a ring sling a Mai Tei and eventually found our favorite on Etsy through a small maker called LilPipsqueeks whose custom cotton gauze wraps are genuinely beautiful and easier to work with than premium brands costing five times as much.

Q: Why do some baby wraps cost $500? A: Premium woven wraps from brands like Didymos Girasol and Natibaby are made from high quality natural fibers with intricate weaving patterns and limited production runs. They hold their value remarkably well and are actively bought sold and traded within the babywearing community almost like collectibles. Whether a $500 wrap is worth it depends entirely on how much you use it and how much the quality of the material matters to your carry style.

Q: Is babywearing safe for newborns? A: Yes when done correctly following the TICKS guidelines — Tight In view at all times Close enough to kiss Keep chin off chest Supported back. The key is learning proper positioning which babywearing groups meetups and YouTube tutorials like those from Babywearing Faith make very accessible. We recommend attending a local babywearing group meeting where you can try different carriers and get hands on guidance before committing to a purchase.

Q: Is babywearing popular outside of the US? A: Enormously so — and it has been for centuries across cultures worldwide. In South Korea where we lived babywearing is far more common than strollers particularly among older generations who have carried babies in traditional pojagi style wraps for generations. Seeing it practiced so naturally and universally in other cultures was one of the things that first made us curious about it.

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