Let’s start with the basics. Here is a list of the most common types of carriers, their names, & an approximate age and/or weight range for each one.
Please note that this is general range for use. Please check with the company/brand of your specific wrap or carrier and follow their guidelines.
Types of Carriers
Woven Wrap
Newborn to Toddler
Stretchy Wrap *
Preemie to 35lbs
Meh Dai
7lbs to 45lbs
Ring Sling
Newborn to Toddler
Soft Structured Carrier (SSC)
Newborn to Preschool – Style Dependent
* Me in the stretchy wrap? That’s my first time every wearing my baby in anything. I was so nervous, I just sat down the whole time. Technically, it’s not tight enough. But I share it with you so you can see the pure joy of a first time mom wearing her baby for the first time. Exhausted, ecstatic, & worried… that pretty much sums up many moments during the transition into motherhood. My hope is to get you from that space to confident. Confident that you’re wearing correctly, confident that your baby is safe, confident that you can move around and do what you need to do while keeping baby close.
Why Babywear
Why do people wear their babies instead of “just holding them” or using a stroller? For many, many practical and beautiful reasons:
A happy content baby = a happy content mama
Many babies love being in a carrier and feel at ease close to mama. That sense of security can make them relaxed and calm (content) which can help mama relax and remain calm knowing her baby is happy and close.
Wearing your baby caters to their Fourth Trimester needs
Not sure what “fourth trimester” is? It’s that special time right after baby is born when their needs are high and different than any other time during infancy. For example, babywearing allows for easy skin-to-skin contact, a special need during the postpartum time. If you have never heard the term before, it’s definitely worth an online search!
It is a simple solution for meeting baby’s needs
Most babies just want to be close. They want to be held. They want to snuggle. Meeting these needs will not “spoil” a baby. Babywearing can give an older baby or child a sense of calm they need when they start to feel overwhelmed by the big wide world. So many needs, one simple solution.
It’s genuinely convenient
We live in a world that tells us that parenting must be convenient. Wow, having children is anything but “convenient.” But that’s okay. We didn’t become parents for the convenience. Whatever your reason for becoming a parent, you have things to do: work, dinner, laundry, dishes, outings, shopping, parties, travel. An endless list that asks you to be in constant motion. But our children are only little for such a short amount of time. Truly the days are long, but the years are short. So how do you balance getting things done while still bonding with your child? Babywearing.
Babywearing Tutorial Videos
We’ve got big plans for videos over here at yayamamas!
Until the videos are up, here are videos covering commonly asked questions we often receive at yayamamas:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRKkTyiuUEg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0iWcDGjfmc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3TPBkdQ1o8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PD5YKSf1Q4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvLpoj_tgmQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qzad0sAR4g8
Fit Check
See me in this Meh Dai? I’m wearing it wrong. The panel is up over my new baby’s face and that is INCORRECT. Baby’s head should not be covered like that. But why share it? Because I want you to see what a fit check looks like.
If you’re unsure whether you are wearing your baby correctly, take a selfie in a mirror and send it to someone you think can help—a friend, a babywearing instructor, or even in a moms group. Post it in a babywearing group. Post it on the yayamamas’ Facebook page. Email it. Text it. Ask another BWing mom when you’re out and about. Don’t be embarrassed if you find you are wearing wrong…it happens to all of us. We’re learning. Reach out to someone who can help you with the fit for safety and comfort reasons.
If you have a question about a carrier you own, a carrier you are curious about, want a “fit check” to make sure you’re wearing safely, and/or want to make a carry more comfortable, send us an email! ask@yayamamas.com
About the Author
Lori Beth Auldridge, M.A., M.F.A. is a babywearing mama on the island of Maui. She’s the Pacific Birth Collective’s Babywearing Instructor & Advisor and an enthusiastic BWing collector. You can see her gushing over the beauty of babywearing at the beginning of the film Highly Sought After: A Babywearing Documentary or in a few babywearing advertisements here and there. She’s a proud ambassador for Beachfront Baby and promoter/affiliate for Tula Baby Carriers.