Newborn Baby Wearing, Best Baby Wraps for the Newborn Stage
When I first went back to work, I knew that if I was going to be able to get in the hours I needed, I had to master the whole baby-wearing thing. I am a breastfeeding mom who doesn't do cry it out and so needless to say my little one likes to be on me 24/7. It's easier now that she can sit up on her own in my lap and play with her toys or look out the window, but when she was a newborn, that was out of the question. Baby-wearing saved my life! She took naps in the wrap, she played in the wrap, she got her snuggles in, and I was incredibly in tune with her feeding needs and when I needed to change her diaper. It was all around, the best solution for my circumstance. That being said, baby-wearing can be kind of intimidating when you consider that there are about a thousand different wrap styles to choose from and a hundred different ways to tie them. Hopefully, this blog post will help narrow down some of those options out there on the market and also provide you with a source to find out more information on your own.
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Different Wraps
1. Boba Serenity
This is my absolute favorite wrap! The Boba Serenity is like the original boba wrap, which we will talk about in a minute, but it is much more lightweight and stretchy. It wasn't so thick or heavy like a couple of the other wraps on this list, it was the most flexible which means I could basically wear it around my house like a t-shirt, and it didn't make me feel like I was wrapped in tons of fabric like some wraps do. The wrap is made from 68% Viscose from Bamboo, 25% Cotton, 7% Spandex making it so incredibly silky and soft, and Boba has an organic option that you can purchase as well. I have the Boba Serenity Tiger's Eye which is absolutely gorgeous and goes with so many outfits! I had my little girl in the winter, so a lot of the time I would wrap the boba wrap in the morning, pair it with jeans and a cardigan, and be set for the day! Out of all the wraps I tried, this is definitely the one I used most and the one I will use again for baby #2.
Some cons about this wrap that didn't effect me so much, but might be irritating for someone else. The boba wrap is very lightweight and stretchy so if you have a little bit of a heavier baby or are on a walk, it may feel like your baby is "bouncing." Also, although the boba serenity and bobo original are the same length because you can wrap the boba serenity so much tighter (due to the stretch) I found the tails of it were a bit long, and I am a size four and 5' 5". I simply wrapped the ends around my waist one more time, but it may be something to factor in if you are particularly petite.
2. Original Boba
Seeing how much I loved the Boba Serenity, it's no surprise that my second favorite wrap on this list is the original Boba wrap. This wrap is a little bit heavier and thicker, which is good if you are baby-wearing in the winter. Additionally, it feels a little bit more supportive and is less stretchy. which might be preferable if you are out and about or taking a walk. I own the Boba Original Black and I definitely used it during the newborn phase, but not quite as much as the Boba Serenity. However, because of the additional support, I did feel comfortable using the original boba longer than the boba serenity since after a certain point my baby's weight needed a bit more support.
Some cons to this wrap include the heavier weight. This wrap is made with 95% cotton and 5% elastane so as you can imagine, it's not as breathable as the boba serenity.
3. Mushie Wrap
This was my absolute first baby wrap, and I have to say it was definitely good for those early, early newborn days. the Mushie wrap is similar to the Boba Original. It is made with 95% organic cotton and 5% elastane, however, it is a little smaller. The Mushie wrap is not as long or as wide. This might be a benefit to you if you are a smaller person, but if I was any taller or fuller, I don't think mine would fit, so this may be something to note for fuller-figure women. The panel on the Mushie wrap is also not as wide as the boba. I like this and dislike this. It's nice for everything except the panel that goes over the baby and then it feels like slightly less coverage. Otherwise, it's nice to have smaller panels across your back and shoulders. I own the Mushie Wrap in the tradewinds color. Something I dislike about the mushie wrap is unlike the other wraps, the center marker is not a tag but a small stitched X. At first I liked this because I think it is sort of tacky to wear a large branded tag right on the center of your body, but the X is infinitely harder to find. In fact, I have just resorted to folding the wrap in half and starting there as I can almost never find the X. Also, like the Solly wrap, the Mushie wrap has a pocket to stuff the rest of the wrap into on one of the ends. I'm sure some people probably like this, but I find it makes the overal wrap a little blulkier. Overall, a great wrap that I will probably use as a backup wrap for baby #2.
4. Classic Moby Wrap
When my little one started getting a bit bigger, I wanted something super supportive that wasn't quite a woven wrap, or a structured carrier, but that didn't bounce when I walked. After reading some reviews, I purchased a Moby Classic Wrap secondhand from eBay. Although the wrap served the purpose I needed it for, I definitely cannot see myself wearing this wrap around the house. For one, it is super thick! Made from 100% cotton. And it's just not stretchy. It is actually the only two-way (or one-way, depending on where you are from) "stretch" stretchy wrap. What does that mean? Simply, that the wrap only stretches in one direction, which would be length-wise. As you can imagine, this makes the overal wrap quite a bit harder to work with. You almost have to estimate your baby before putting it on and it's much harder to adjust. As far as walking goes, it's a great carrier for walking, and I almost never had any back pain with it. It was definitely worth the hassle for the extra support. I definitely recommend investing in a moby if you think you are going to be baby wearing a lot, especially if you plan on doing housework, yard work, or just going on walks when your baby's little. Otherwise, you may be wasting your money. But this wrap was a great alternative to the woven wrap design for the newborn phase.
5. Baby K'tan
Now some people cannot get over the whole "baby wrapping" thing, and I wanted to share some of the easy baby wrap carriers out there that work just as well at cuddling your baby as the traditional wrap-style carrier. I own the Baby K'tan in the original cotton version and "breeze" style. K'tan baby carriers are made from the same fabric as Moby wraps so they are very supportive, but some of the downsides of these wrap alternatives are you have to purchase a K'tan for your size and your baby may grow out of it before it maximizes the weight requirement. I didn't personally love the breeze baby K'tan, but that was only because it was less stretchy and I prefer more stretchy baby carriers. Out of all the "wrap alternative" carriers, the K'tan was by far the easiest and probably my favorite for on the go, but it didn't support my back the same way a traditional wrap did. I think it is because the X that spreads across your back with the traditional wrap is sinched in the middle. I fixed this by removing the piece that connects the two sides. It still seems to work and I no longer have the problem. I know the K'tan is not everyone's favorite wrap, but I definitely find it works great for out and about or when I don't feel like wearing a baby wrap all day, and I know I will be using it with baby #2.
6. Momcozy
Now this is probably my least favorite carrier out of all of these on the list, however, I am including it because I think other people might like it. The Momcozy Wrap is like the K'tan in that it gives you the same feel as a baby wrap but with the ease of a traditional baby carrier. The Momcozy is adjustable, meaning that, unlike the K'tan, you don't have to order a specific size. The Momcozy is made with extremely lightweight and stretchy material. I'm not a fan of the Momcozy, because the shoulders sit too far on my shoulders. I feel as if the sleeve part is falling down my arm and that the lightweight stretchy fabric isn't supportive enough for long days. I don't prefer this carrier, and I will probably end up giving it away. It may work for someone with broader shoulders than me, but personally, I was not a fan.
7. Moby Fit Baby Carrier Wrap
A probably ideal alternative to the Momcozy wrap is the Moby Fit Baby Carrier Wrap. I got this towards the end of my baby-wearing journey (at least my wrap-wearing journey, I still find myself baby-wearing), but I will definitely use this with baby #2. This has all the same conveniences as the Momcozy but is so much more supportive. Additionally, something about the back panel is cut differently so that the straps sit just right on my shoulders. The whole thing is very easy to put on, and I definitely think I will be using this for walks or housework with my next baby. The only think I can complain about is the third panel that goes over the baby is a little smaller than I would like it to be (this is something Momcozy does so well as their panel is huge!), but it is something I can live with. Overall, this is another favorite wrap alternative carrier that I will definitely be keeping for future use!
Resources
Some mention resources. This can be products, articles, sources, curricula, etc.
- Let's Talk Babywearing
- Resource Two
- Resource Three
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