The most versatile style of carrier that can be found in the world of babywearing is that of the “wrap”. It is a long and narrow piece of fabric that is wrapped, tightened and tied around the bodies of the wearer and the wearee to create a secure carry. There are two types of wraps, a woven wrap and a stretchy wrap.
Image Description: a grainy black and white photograph of a traditionally dressed Japanese woman holding a parasol with a baby wrapped high on her back by use of an obi sash.
Woven wraps and slings have a rich history aided by the development of cloth weaving and skills in sewing and decoration. Many early cultures have made use of lengths of cloth to carry their children in order to accomplish their daily work. These societies relied heavily upon slings and carriers to aid in caring for their children and we can only pay our respects to these traditions; Mexican rebozo, Kenyan kanga/pagne/kikoy, Peruvian manta, Japanese obi sashes, Mozambican capulana, and Indonesian selendang, to name a few. These traditional lengths of cloth are the ancestors of the woven wrap that we see within our Western culture. Western cultures and societies have their own early styles of carriers (Welsh shawls and German Hockmantel garments) but their use dwindled with the introduction of the “baby carriage” which sparked new attitudes toward child-rearing at the beginning of the Victorian Era. In the 1980’s, the term “babywearing” was coined by Dr William Sears and Martha Sears to describe the act of closely holding a child following their use of baby sheets and Rayner Gardner’s ring sling with their sixth child. It was around this time that carrying children in slings started to regain popularity within Western societies. Thus, stretchy wraps are a relatively new addition to baby-wearing and are primarily used within Western cultures.
Stretchy Wrap vs Woven Wrap
The modern woven wrap is made from woven fabric, it is hemmed and often tapered at the ends (to create a parallelogram shape), and it comes in various lengths (2-6 metres); a stretchy wrap is made from jersey fabric, is unhemmed or has serged edges, and is 4-5 metres in length.
The main difference between stretchy wraps and woven wraps is the “stretch factor”. Woven wraps generally don’t stretch (but can stretch on the diagonal based on the open weave of the fabric) and stretchy wraps can stretch in all or some directions e.g. horizontally and vertically; horizontally, vertically and diagonally; or horizontally only. Because of the varied stretch in a stretchy wrap, there are only two carries that are deemed safe, both of which must be front carries and requires 3 spread passes/layers over baby at all times, and has a limited “lifespan” due to degradation of the fabric (stretchy!) and sagging based on the growth of baby. A woven wrap has endless possibilities in types of carries and, if well cared for, there is no end to its lifespan.
Pros and Cons are mostly based on safety, ease of use and care, and lifespan. Spoiler: woven wraps have more pros, even if they can be a bit more difficult to learn to use.
Woven Wraps
Pros
Multiple carry options including back carries and hip carries
Many fabric and fibre options
Multiple size options
No weight limits; can be used from newborn and beyond
Can be used in single layer carries and multiple layer carries
Can become an heirloom or be passed on to another dyad
Can be converted to other styles of carriers or other household items
and much more!
Cons
High learning curve
Care needs to be taken with washing/maintaining some fibres
Stretchy Wraps
Pros
Available at big baby stores
One size fits most
Easy care and machine washable
Good for “bigger” newborn stage cuddles
Gateway carrier
Cons
Must always have 3 spread passes/layers over baby
Suitable for front carries only
Maximum comfort weight of 6-8 kgs
Minimum entry weight of 3.5 kgs
Single lifespan; often cannot be passed on to another dyad due to degredation of the fabric
Image Description: Left, a full-body photograph of a woman, who stands side-on to the camera, is wearing a baby wrapped high and tightly on her front by use of a stretchy wrap in FWCC with spread passes; the woman is looking down at the baby. Right, an upper body photograph of a man wearing sunglasses, who stands side-on to the camera, is wearing a baby wrapped to his front by use of a woven wrap in FWCC.
Front Wrap Cross Carry FWCC vs Pocket Wrap Cross Carry PWCC
The Chatter Group is often filled with questions of why BWWA recommends a different carry to that depicted in stretchy wrap manufacturer pamphlets (PWCC). Safety is of utmost importance to BWWA so it is recommended to use FWCC with spread passes when using a stretchy wrap. PWCC is a “poppable” carry and it has the risk of being too loose which presents a chance of slumping/asphyxiation and falling.
“If there is space to pop in baby, there is space for baby to pop out.”
FWCC enables the wearer to tighten the stretchy wrap completely around baby and it also serves as a teaching tool should the wearer wish to continue wrapping when baby maxes out the comfort weight range of 6-8 kgs. Whilst stretchy wrap manufacturers tout maximum weight allowances of 11 kgs or more, it is not comfortable to carry a baby that heavy in fabric that stretches and sags and ultimately digs into shoulders and hurts the body all over.
Bonus: often, wrapping a stretchy in FWCC with spread passes can last to the higher end of the comfort weight range. If the wearer and the baby are still comfortable and content to use a stretchy wrap with a baby beyond the comfort weight range, then it is quite alright to continue use until the manufacturer’s maximum weight limit.
Note: the maximum weight described by carrier manufacturers is the fail weight, this goes for structured carriers as well. It is literally the point at which the carrier will not do its job anymore. Highlight: safety!
Image Description: a black t-shirt style carrier is worn on an edited out mannequin.
Another style of stretchy wrap is that of “babywearing shirts”. These are those carriers that are marketed as “no fuss, pull on like a t-shirt, no buckles, no complicated tying” kind of carriers. BWWA discourages the use of these shirts as they aren’t adjustable so will often be too loose (thus not secure enough; “if baby can pop in, baby can pop out”) and are actually considered to be carry-assist babywearing garments. This means that they aren’t hands-free baby carriers. There is also the issue of their marketing and pamphlets neglecting to highlight the importance of the “accessory sash” (a third horizontal pass/layer) that is sometimes sold separately; as mentioned above, stretchy wraps require 3 spread passes/layers of fabric over baby to be a safe and well-supported carry. Babywearing shirts are best suited for “kangaroo care” and facilitating skin-to-skin bonding, where the wearer may still keep their hands on the baby.
Fibres and Densities
Heading back to woven wraps, let’s consider the fabrics that are used to make them. These fabrics generally have clearly visible threads/fibres in a loose to moderately tight weave and have little to no stretch horizontally and vertically. A woven wrap can be made from cotton, linen/flax, hemp, wool, silk, or bamboo, with the most common fibre being cotton for its ease of care and breathability. The density of the weave of a woven wrap is also a consideration; woven wraps are made with fabrics between approximately 160 gsm and 240 gsm, but can go up to 350 gsm. For hot weather in Western Australia, a weight around 200 gsm is recommended.
Have you wondered why woven wraps are often rainbow-hued? What’s with all the stripes? Stripes and colours aid in tightening the wrap evenly and sufficiently, especially when learning to wrap with a woven. Knowing where to pull to remove slack is important for maintaining an even wrap-job. Other characteristics may be that the two hems on a wrap will differ and the wrap may be two-faced to clearly differentiate the “inside” and the “outside” of the wrap. All of these details aid the wrapper in creating a secure and safe carry when manipulating and handling metres of fabric.
For more information and guidance on using woven wraps, please join us at meet near you.
Happy ‘wearing to you and your family.
References
diana. (2013, February 12). Cultural Babywearing - traditional baby carriers [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://wrapyourbaby.com/cultural-babywearing/
Knowles, R. (2016). Why Babywearing Matters. Pinter & Martin.
lovingbeing. (2015, March 11). The cultural history of carrying babies [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://marionrose.net/the-cultural-history-of-carrying-babies/