Keeping A Little Baby From Getting Lost in the Wrap
Sometimes a parent puts a little baby into a wrap carry and the baby disappears down into the fabric. This can be upsetting to the baby and, most importantly, is dangerous. You should always be able to see your baby’s face. Your baby’s head should be high on your chest (in a front carry). And your baby needs fresh air to breathe.
So here are some tips:
First, make sure you have your baby wrapped high and tight on your chest. You should be able to kiss the top of your baby’s head easily. My last post had some tips for tightening baby up to the right height.
Next, realize that your wrap is probably wide enough for a toddler, and that width may be swallowing up a little baby. I personally like a wide wrap with a little baby. The width is nice to have when you know how to use it. You can choose where to spread it, and where to bunch it. In the pictures below, the wide, alternating stripes of orange, green, yellow, and red, make it easy to see where I’ve bunched and spread the wrap.
The middle two stripes are spread, and the outer edges are bunched.
The upper half of the wrap is spread, the two lower stripes are bunched.
The lower half of the wrap is spread, with the top half bunched.
The wrap can also be evenly bunched over baby. The trick is to make sure that the tightness along the length (from your shoulder to opposite hip) is uniform no matter how it is bunched. And if you find that the edges (orange and red stripes in above wrap) are tight enough, check to see if the middle of the wrap is also pulled tightly, otherwise you may have too deep a pouch that your baby can sink down into.
Another thing that you can do to keep your baby above water, is just to poke out one of your baby’s arms. My tiny infant often slept against me with the wrap supporting her head while one arm and shoulder hung out. When awake, both arms can be out if the baby is supporting his or her own head.
Baby's right arm is out of the wrap.
Both arms and shoulders are out of the wrap.
Colette Ako April 22, 2010 at 4:15 pm
I wish when I had my Babies that the Ella Roo wrap existed my nice came over last summer with her 20 month baby girl,she caried that baby all over the place with such ease it was wonderful.
I have a grand daugther who is having a baby this summer I know my daugther in law will be getting one for her.