Baby Wrap (Warning: NOT a Delicious Sandwich)

No, not a delicious sandwich, but certainly a delicious baby.

(Yes, that's Frank Sinatra above the record player.

We believe in paying him homage.)

Jen pointed me in the direction of this Sling Your Baby blog a couple weeks ago. The gal who runs the blog is a big proponent of babywearing, and she is also a big proponent of thriftiness. I like her already! She has several posts outlining different types of slings you can make on your own for pennies. If you're not into paying $40 and up for name-brand slings (which are, after all, simply yards of fabric craftily sewn/looped together), then I'd highly recommend this site. Jen put together a great pouch sling for her up-and-coming mancub, and I wanted to try my hand at the homemade Moby Wrap. These instructions worked great!

We have had two Baby Bjorn harnesses (don't worry--both were purchased used and much discounted) since the boys were newborns, and while I'd never replace them for walks, I wanted something more organic and more back-friendly. I had bought a Hotsling when Charlotte was born and wasn't happy with its design. It always seemed too constricting, and it put a ton of weight on one shoulder and on my poor, much-suffering back. (Please note: These are just my personal opinions. Feel free to dabble in any form of slinging that you want! All are great options for keeping your baby close, for nursing, and for general cuddliness.) The Moby Wrap had intrigued me for awhile (I am a wanna-be granola girl), but the price tag made me balk, since I could plainly see that the wrap is simply one long piece of material. Enter the Sling Your Baby blog. Genius.

(Yes, that's Jesus in the ikon behind us.

The space next to Him is reserved for

our Mary, which is currently sitting

behind our church's altar, waiting to come home.)

(I also have Shakespeare somewhere in the house,

as well as a homemade triptych of Claude Monet,

Audrey Hepburn, and F. Scott Fitzgerald.

It's important to know your heroes.)

You simply find a stretchy cotton knit material that you like, buy 5 yards, cut it length-wise down the middle, and use one bolt of material for your wrap and give the other to a friend. Genius! No sewing involved, nothing. And yes, you really do need 5 yards. This sucker wraps around you about 13 times for stabilization and support. I'm 5'5" and 5 yards were perfect, so if you're taller, I might recommend more fabric. You can always cut off, but you can't add on.

And that's my Captain Obvious statement for the day.

Moby's website provides a pdf outlining all the various holds, and in these pictures Charlotte and I are demonstrating the Joey hold. It worked great, and she loved being up next to Mom (her favorite position ever) as well as being able to survey her kingdom. It provided fantastic back support, much better than the Hotsling or Baby Bjorn carriers, and you can do so much with this sling. I can't wait to put her on my back like a baby spider monkey. (Was that veiled Twilight, the movie, reference? Perhaps...)

The only modification I might suggest is sewing a small patch or something in the middle of the fabric so that you can easily put it on. The Moby Wrap has a logo, and you are constantly searching for that logo while maneuvering your baby and the wrap. (The instructions refer to the "logo piece" several times.) Otherwise, this is a much cheaper option for a great product.

In conclusion, Charlotte smells yummy and her thighs are just so squeezable. The End.