Wrap the Baby! But Which?!

With baby wearing being more and more of a trend in North America, more and more modern moms (and dads!) are strapping their babies on to themselves.... in style. There are so many types of baby carriers out there, from the mainstream Snugli and Baby Bjorn, to Mei Tai, slings, and wraps. While the advantages of baby wearing are quite obvious, choosing one for yourself or for the next baby shower gift can be overwhelming. This time I will be talking mostly about the wraps and the different types, simply because wraps are my favourite type of baby carrier.

Material

The most common wraps you would find are made from cotton. Different brands would have different thickness and stretchability. My very first wrap was a CuddlyWrap by Peapod Creations. It was a light weight, organic cotton wrap that came in a nice box along with an instructional DVD (which was very helpful!). This stretchy kind is great for newborns and younger babies because they are soft and relatively easier to put on. I love that this particular wrap is designed tapered at the ends, so it's easy to tie and doesn't create a gigantic knot on your waist.

Then there are the Bamboo Wraps, which is not as stretchy as cotton, but still have some give for easy wearing. I started using this one when Miss Kiki was about 17 lbs. It's great for heavier babies because they don't end up by your knees at the end of the day! Cotton ones would stretch and will require periodical re-tying as your now heavier baby shifts lower. I bought mine from The Sling Sisters. Theirs have cotton panels in the centre for extra support, with so many designs to choose from!

The last commercial one would be the woven wrap (usually also from cotton), which I have borrowed but never bought because of the price. They give the most support for moms and babies, but it's a bit tricky to get the baby in it because it does NOT stretch.

On top of those, you can take any materials you like and make your own. They are usually between 3m and 6 m long.

The How To

With such long fabric, there are endless possibilities on how you can carry your babe. Front carry, back carry, facing forward, facing in, rucksack carry, cross carry, and many more! There are many instructional videos on youtube that you can follow. TheBabyWearer.com is a great website for more information on baby wearing.