Wrap-around slings - the basics:
Wrap-around baby slings, also known as 'wraps' can be made from stretchy jersey, cotton lycra or fleece, or from woven fabric. They are essentially a long piece of fabric which can be tied around you and your baby in various ways for different carries. Most wraps are about 5m in length and 60cm to 90cm wide.
Learning to use a wrap may appear daunting at first, but it is deceptively simple to learn the basics, and it is well worth the effort for the comfort and versatility of this type of carrier. Once you have tied the wrap, you can pop baby in and out throughout the day, without having to re-tie it again. After learning the basics, lots of mums like to learn many different carries, and enjoy mastering the traditional art of babywearing.
Wrap around slings are extremely comfortable, even for very heavy babies and for long periods, because the width of the fabric distributes weight so well through shoulders, back and hips. They are also very versatile, offering front, back, hip and nursing carries.
All types of wrap can be used from birth right through to toddler, but the softer stretchy wraps are especially good for newborns, and the more supportive, woven wraps are better suited to older babies.
Stretchy Wraps are made of fabrics with a significant amount of stretch (such as cotton jersey, cotton lycra or fleece). This means that you can tie the wrap on in the basic cross carry position and then put your baby in once the wrap is fully tied. The advantage of this is that they are easy for even wrap novices to use and you can tie them on before you go out and pop your baby in and out as required. However the stretchy fabrics aren't quite as supportive as the woven fabrics; so these wraps tend to be best used from birth up to about a year or so.
Woven Wraps are made from woven fabrics, they usually have a little stretch from the weave - enough 'give' to be comfortable and flexible, but they aren't as stretchy as the stretchy wraps. For some of the carrying positions this means you need to tie the wrap around your baby rather than tying the wrap first. This means the learning curve for using them is a little steeper. However the advantage is that you get superior back support for the adult wearing the wrap, so they are more suitable for using with heavy toddlers.
Wrap-around slings - best for:
- newborn snuggling (stretchy)
- heavy toddlers (woven)
- comfortable carrying all day long
- carrying 2 babies at once
- adjustability for multiple wearers