sling q's

[kazzie-bo]

hi

i have got a wrap sling and i love wearing it, but when the weather is bad, how do i put it on without the ends dragging in the mud/puddles etc? i can't often do it at home as i am out and about most of the day and often altenate between buggy and sling. also if i leave it on (with out baby in it) then put him in at the next location it is always too loose and he is too low down on me.

and another q how do i wear him on my back and from what age can i do this?

thanks
kaz x

 

[kalia]

how do i put it on without the ends dragging in the mud/puddles etc?
You can tuck the end you aren't wrapping into a pocket or your waist bans or you can hold ends between your knees.

also if i leave it on (with out baby in it) then put him in at the next location it is always too loose and he is too low down on me.

What carry are you doing? Is it a stretchy or woven sling? I like the front cross carry as baby can be popped in and out easily enough and to tighten I just have to hold the knot while bouncing. It's easiest and neatest if you fold the woven wrap in half lengthways. I wouldn't do it with a stretchy wrap as she could push back so I'd use either Front Wrap Cross Carry or Pocket Wrap Cross Carry which you can't pop a baby in and out of with a woven wrap but you can with a stretchy.

If you haven't untied the knot between taking baby in and out it sounds like you aren't tying tight enough in the first place. As you put on the wrap tighten each rail (each edge of the fabric) and the middle each time it goes round you or over a shoulder. Baby should be held snug against you - I've heard it described as being as tight as a bandage but I'd describe it as a hug.

and another q how do i wear him on my back and from what age can i do this?

If you have a stretchy wrap then it is recommended you don't wrap on your back as they can push themselves back with the stretch and come out. An exception to this is the Gypsy Mama Bali Baby Stretchy as it is not as stretchy but use your judgement as baby gets heavier. With a woven wrap tied properly you can back carry a newborn depending on the way you wrap. Personally I'm not a confident enough wrapper to start with a baby that young so I've waited until my daughter has very good upper body control - so from 4 or 5 months. I suspect from what you said about baby getting lower in the wrap that you are wrapping too loosely and it is very important not to do that with a back carry. There are lots of different ways of tying a back carry. Have a look at this leaflet for some help:
http://www.gypsymama.com/booklet.pdf

Have a look at the forum on Rumplebums (a UK site) and The Baby Wearer (an international site) for help and tips. Everyone on these forums is lovely so you can ask lots of questions and be sure to get lots of answers.

 

[kazzie-bo]

thanks

yes it is a stretchy wrap, its fine the first time i tie it and put him in, he is very snug and doesn't slip down at all, but if i take him out and then put him in again without re-tying thats when he is too low but i do as you have described and tighten it with him in situ, i just wondered if i was doing it wrong.

so i will need to get a woven wrap for back carrying? do you think it is necessary to carry him on my back....when would you do this instead of front carrying? can you recommend one?

kaz x

 

[kalia]

DD is nearly 5 months old and I only front carry her. I'm scared of trying a back carry - I gave it another g today and it just didn't work for us. You can carry on your front as long as you like. At some point it will start hurting you but that will depend on how used you are to carrying your baby like that (so you've built up the muscles), how much your child weighs, how supportive the wrap you use is, what carry you have tied and how well you have tied it.

I'm wearing DD just now. I have been doing housework and have stopped for a rest. If she was on my back I wouldn't be able to sit comfortably back.

As for recommending a wrap.. I have an awful lot of them I would say the most important thing is to choose a pattern and colour that you like. The wraps I use most are:
2 Calin Bleus, one burgundy, one olive. These are gauze so they are much thinner than others and much cooler. I find them amazingly comfortable but I don't know if they will be next summer as they will have less support for a bigger child. They are my cheapest wraps but like I say, won't be as comfortable for as long.
I have a Didymos Bears that was blue and has been dyed eggplant. If it was still blue I wouldn't really wear it but I love the colour it is now! It is a very thick wrap and will be supportive well into toddler years (and beyond!). I find it a bit thick for some carries with DD being young at the moment but now I fold it in half lengthways it is really good.
I have a Didymos Pfau which I may dye Woodland Brown or I may keep it black and white. It is a really supportive wrap and will be brilliant when DD is older. The only reason I don't use it as much just now is because I prefer the colour of my other wraps
I have a Girasol Earthy Rainbow. I use this one most because I LOVE the colours!!!!! And of course the more you use a wrap the softer and snuglier it gets so the more you want to use it
At this very moment I have DD sound asleep in a Stochenwiege Natural Leo. I'm going to dye it lavender if we ever get on top of the washing! I would recommend you get a Leo as they are very supportive but with a bounce to them because of the diagonal weave that makes them very comfy! My Leo is the most forgiving of my wraps - I know I've not tied it that well but nothing is digging in. It ticks all the boxes for a wrap that will work with all weights. I wish I'd got the turkis (turquoise) one as it looks gorgeous! The natural one can be dyed whatever colour you'd like though and is more brown than I expected - it's quite nice actually! It also comes in marine or red. I guess you would need a size 6 (4.6 metres) and that would cost £52 which may seem like a lot of money but saves buying one and then needing another later on. I ordered mine from Big Mama Slings and there were no delivery charges.

 

[beanie]

Kalia says it all so I don't have much to add apart from it is recommended you carry babies on your back from 20lbs onwards. However this is not a hard and fast rule, you can keep wearing baby on your front but after a while it will start to ache more (though I managed to carry Seren till she was 14 months on my front). I carry Cally on my back if we are out for a while but I do prefer front as I can snuggle her and chat to her.