Babywearing: How I Use Our Baby Wrap
If you have been following me at all on social media, you will have seen different pictures of me babywearing our children. There are times that babywearing is the only way I can get anything done around the house without having multiple meltdown moments from the kids! It is also great when I take Mia to the park or other public place because Wyatt is strapped to me and I still have two hands to corral Mia if need be!
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Which Wrap??
I have a couple of different wraps and carriers and I will get to a post about those in the future, but today I am going to share the different ways that I wear Wyatt with my large stretchy baby wrap. I received this wrap off my registry at my baby shower with Mia. I didn’t know a lot about it when I put it on my registry, I just knew that it was the “in” thing to have! I didn’t know anything about brands and this carrier is probably considered an “off brand.” But I love it, it works like a charm, and it wasn’t super expensive. It has some stretch to it, but not an over abundance.
The Learning Curve
Wrapping a baby definitely has a learning curve. I was unsure with Mia and was always wondering if I was doing it right. For this reason, I pretty much stopped wearing Mia after the newborn stage. (I also only had one child which was wayyyyyyyyyyy easier to manage!) Now I’ve had more practice, done more research, and have just needed to carry Wyatt more, so I feel a lot more confident!
In the beginning, I also only used instructions that came with the wrap. It had some pictures and captions which were okay, but I found it much more helpful to watch videos and talk to other moms. (One of the reasons I am now doing this post on babywearing!) Other ways to defeat the babywearing learning curve is to join a babywearing group in your city, or a group on Facebook. As our tiny little town doesn’t have a baby wearing group, (the nearest one is a little over an hour away) I did find some Facebook groups to join.
Carry Styles
Today I am going to show three different carry styles: Front carry facing in, Front carry facing out, and Back carry (also Rucksack carry). I use them all at different times depending on the activities we are doing.
Front Carry Facing In
This carry is the one to start with. It is the only carry out of these three that can be used with a newborn. It is easy to check baby’s breathing, temperature, and head control. Remember, when babywearing in this position, the baby’s head needs to be high enough to kiss! Suffocation is possible if the baby can kink their head down too much. So keep that baby close! 🙂
In the newborn stage, the baby’s feet get to stay tucked in, but as the baby grows and has head control, the feet pop out the sides. Keep the knees up above the bum so the feet, knees, and bum make an M shape. This helps with hip development.
Front Carry Facing Out
This is by far Wyatt’s favorite carry. He is able to see everything that is going on and feels like he is a part of whatever the family is doing. We did not start this carry until Wyatt had good head control and was able to sit up on his own. It is also not the best carry for hip development, but I have to say we do it anyways, just not every day and not for super long periods of time. I try to stretch the bottom out so that he has a good seat to sit on and stays comfortable. You can see this in the video below!
Back Carry (Rucksack Carry)
When I need to get things done but keep Wyatt out of the way, this is our go to carry! It was probably the most difficult to master, but once we had it, it was easy enough to manage. The hardest part is making sure Wyatt is up high enough on my back. I don’t want him slipping down too far. Again, this carry is only possible when the baby has developed good head and neck control.
Tips for Babywearing
- Practice, Practice, Practice! – These carries aren’t second nature, so do them around your home the first few times.
- Use a mirror. Seriously. You can see what you are doing as you are wrapping and can double check that baby is secure.
- Wrap tighter than looser. The wrap will loosen a little as you are out and about.
- Ask Questions! Not sure? Message me, leave a comment, whatever! I will try to help any way I can. Else, find a group online or in real life to ask. Babywearing moms are more than happy to share their knowledge.
Well, that’s it! Be sure to share and subscribe if you like this post so you and others won’t miss out on future posts! Drop me a comment below and let me know your experiences with babywearing. Happy baby snuggles!!
