Let’s Talk About….Babywearing

Babywearing:  it’s a THING.  If you google “babywearing”  you will find hundreds of videos and entire sites dedicated to babywearing.  I guarantee, if you spend any time perusing these videos, you will find a rainbow-haired, colorfully-tattooed Dutch mama who is particularly good at wrapping her babies; that girl can wrap like a ninja!

I have only recently purchased my first woven wrap.  It wasn’t cheap, and you’ll probably be shocked at the fact that this is just a really long piece of woven fabric, and yes, you could probably make your own for less, but a mom only has so much time to invest in her day.  For me, it was worth doing the research and buying one ready-made.

So how expensive are we talking?  Well, you could probably find one for under $100, but most well-made wraps are between $100-$200.  Strangely enough, because these woven wraps take time to break-in, a used wrap usually can be sold for close to original purchase price.  So, you can get back a good portion of your investment, if you choose to sell it later.

I will warn you now, there is a portion of the babywearing community that seems to want to collect multiple highly expensive wraps, that can be upwards of $800.  And you will find people selling sought-after patterns for much, much higher than their original purchase price.  Don’t let that put you off, you don’t need anywhere near that amount of money to find a beautiful, reliable wrap, and if people are into that type of thing, well, okay then. I won’t be buying an $800 wrap.

I also have to warn you that there is a big learning curve.  The first week I received my wrap, I was staring at videos, for hours each day, baby on back, trying to get the hang of various back carries.  My back was literally in spasm after the first day…apparently, there were quite a few muscles that I hadn’t used in a long time.  It was the middle of winter, but I was sweating like the 4th of July, as I wrapped and re-wrapped my very large baby onto my body.

At first, I couldn’t figure out why my wrap jobs looked nothing like the videos; frankly, mine looked like I had asked my three year old to wrap her little brother on my back.  So be prepared for many wrap fails!  And, be prepared to have to break in a new wrap, even if you’re an experienced wrapper.  In other words, be patient with the process and don’t give up on day one, or even day ten!

Finally, the clouds began to part,  angelic choirs began to sing, and my wrap jobs actually started to allow me to wear my baby for an hour or more on my back, with no discomfort of which to speak.  I was happy because I was getting tasks done around the house, and my baby was happy, really happy to be so close to me.

The biggest surprise for me was when I realized that I’m more relaxed when he’s on my back…it’s like we need each other more than I thought.  Often, he’s so relaxed that he takes a nap on my back while I get all of the clothes sorted or dinner started.  It’s a win-win situation, and you just might want to check it out for yourself.