About Babywearing

Babycarrier Type - The Wrap

Flickr: finally, perla accepts the moby; molly, day 146

The Wrap style of baby carrier is also known as a Wraparound or Simple Piece Of Cloth (SPOC). It’s the simplest form of baby carriers: a long piece of fabric that you wrap around you to wear your baby on you.

A wrap is one of the most versatile baby carrier types, as there are so many different ways you can tie it. With the various wrap tying techniques, you can cradle carry, front carry, back carry and hip carry. And a wrap is great to use while you’re breastfeeding, both for hands-free breastfeeding and for privacy. Generally, most new parents learn one or two positions first that work best for them, and then add more positions as the baby grows and as they get more confident tying the long piece of cloth.

If you haven’t seen a someone tying a wrap before, take a look at this video by Juansan76 to see how you can quickly tie the piece of cloth into the basic front carry positions.

How you tie your wrap will determine how your baby’s weight is distributed. Each carrying position and/or tying method may distribute weight differently across the back, shoulders, hip and waist. That makes the Wrap a great baby carrier for people who may have a physical problem, and for pregnant moms that are still carrying toddlers. The wide material spread over both shoulders helps distribute your child’s weight evenly across your body.

Wraps are available in many fabrics, but there are two main types to keep in mind: Stretchy Knits and Woven. The stretchy knits allow for a snug hold on the baby, and newborns love to be cuddled close in a cradle hold using a stretchy wrap. The woven wraps are good for heavier babies, like toddlers or preschoolers, where you want to create a tighter tie, for instance, in a back carry position.

The Wrap style of baby carrier is highly recommended for premature infants. Parents of preemies are often prescribed to practice “kangaroo care”, as skin-to-skin contact has been shown to increase birth weight. A wrap does not put extra material or padding between you and your baby. Your baby hears your heartbeat, feels the warmth of your body, and experiences your rhythmic movement within the cuddly nest created by the wrapped fabric.

Wraps are generally one size fits all for the wearer, with extra lengths of fabric being tied up or hanging free. The wrap is long enough to adapt to your growing baby, and most models will hold up to 45 lbs, however most people feel comfortable carrying up to 35 lbs.

Here is another video by Juansan76, who is showing us how she puts her 22lb. son into the front carry position