Q: How do you do it?
A: All the different carries are made up of just four different wrapping patterns, such as a rebozo pass goes over one shoulder, under the baby's bottom but not under their leg, and under the wrapper's opposite arm (e.g., diagonal across the bodies). So once you learn a few basic techniques, they turn into infinite combinations.
Q: Is it hard to learn?
A: It seems more or less difficult for different people. I didn't find it that hard to get started, and when I was wrapping Emerson about once a day I felt competent within a month. I still got good carries during that time, but it took me longer and I had to re-start more often. I started out with one front and one back carry, and when I was good at those I added a different size and one new carry. After focusing on one carry at a time for a while, now it's easier to add a new carry in quickly.
Q: What are the basics?
A: The two main techniques are forming a good seat for the child's weight to sit in, and evenly tightening each pass so the whole carry turns out snug but not tight. It is much easier to learn these things by watching someone do it, but many people learn by watching videos on-line.
Here is a photo tutorial for my first favorite carry.
Q: How many carries do you know, anyways? Isn't that complicated?
A: I regularly use four shortie carries, six mid-length carries, and five long-wrap carries. Oh, plus two front carries and a hip carry. Some of those are variations on each other.
Maybe it's complicated, but that helps make it interesting. Sometimes life with small children gets a bit... uninteresting. I really like having something to think about and something to work on improving.
Q: What do you mean by "good" wrap job?
A: A good wrap job is extremely comfortable, but there are a lot of variations and sometimes it is NOT a good wrap job! Often that is user error, like getting a loose pass and then it gets saggy. The child being wrapped also makes a difference. Some children push their feet and straighten their legs, so using under-leg passes work better for them; some are leaners so carries with a high horizontal pass helps hold them in.
Some people define a good wrap job as that the child feels "weightless." I would not define the sensation that way, but sometimes the child's weight is so well distributed that I cannot feel it in any one place; it seems like there is no weight particularly on my shoulders or my chest or my hips; I just am overall heavier than usual. A not-good wrap job is not nearly as comfortable, but I rarely find it more uncomfortable than a regular carrier. Besides, usually you can just re-tie, although of course the child is bound to fall asleep right after you realize you really hate the wrap job!
Also, many carries are adjustable as you wear them, so as the child moves or the fabric settles into place, or you want to adjust the weight, you can tweak and adjust as you go along.
Q: What about little babies?
A: Woven wraps are great for little babies! That's an age when they like to be held all the time, and wrapping leaves mom's hands free and takes the pressure off her back and shoulders. It might have saved me from my back problems exacerbating!
And one really amazing fact: since the wrap itself is so supportive, you don't have to wait until the baby can support his own head and weight. You can safely wrap even a newborn on your back!
Q: Would I like wrapping? Would it help me out?
A: If you are a parent of a baby or toddler, babywearing is a big help. If you are a parent of multiple children including a baby or toddler, I don't know how you can manage without it!!!
Q: How could I get started or learn more?
A: There are many local babywearing groups, where you can try out wraps and get hands-on suggestions and help. There is also lots of information on-line. The forum thebabywearer.com has a ton of information and support, or you could find the facebook group Babywearing 102. I hear that Babywearing Faith has really good YouTube tutorials. If you are curious and looking on-line, don't get discouraged or overwhelmed by seeing people who have tons of wraps or are talking about really expensive or hard-to-find wraps. Like any hobby, there are people who are willing to put a lot of time and money into their hobby, but that doesn't mean that they are representative of everyone. Most of us are treasuring every moment with our babies, not focused on getting the most gorgeous collection.
Q: Where do I buy wraps, and how much do they cost?
A: There are large used forums on facebook and thebabywearer.com, where I have gotten most of my wraps. Since most parents don't wrap, they aren't carried in most stores, so most people buy on-line, either from specialty shops or directly from the manufacturers.
As for the cost, first of all: baby carriers are expensive, good quality fabric is expensive, only high-quality fibers will create a wrap strong enough to carry a child, and many companies create exclusively fair-trade and organic fabric. All of that adds up; it's not JUST a piece of cloth. A good all-purpose wrap costs around $100; many wraps are much more. But you can also find wraps for much less!
Q: That seems like a lot of money!
A: One way to look at it, is that a wrap is saving us visits to the chiropractor and pediatric occupational therapist, and those add up fast!
After Emerson's babyhood, I realized that I had used our baby carrier more than anything else in our entire house... and I didn't even like it that much. I kept thinking I wouldn't be using it much as he got older, so I didn't buy a new one. The second time around, it doesn't seem worth it to try to skimp. I absolutely enjoy every moment of our wrap snuggles, and I know they won't last forever. I will sell the carriers when we're all done with them, and use the money for something important in mid-childhood, but nothing is more important right now than security, bonding, and snuggles.
Let me know if you have any more questions! I love sharing about my latest hobby, and I really believe that it is such a valuable parenting tool.
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