a stretchy wrap.

Lindsay is a full-time mum to her own little Henry.  She loves natural childbirth, breastfeeding, living naturally and traveling with her little family in tow.  She, occasionally and hopefully more in the near future, blogs at Henry's Mama.

Well, I must admit that I am a bit flattered that I was asked to write a guest post on here! I hope I can fulfill my task to Laura's liking ;)

I seriously can't remember when I decided that I was going to wear my baby but I know that I bought my first wrap when I was 17 weeks pregnant. It was this crazy hybrid wrap that had a buckle around the waist. I thought it was genius! Fast forward 25 weeks and a forceps delivery later and I found that I couldn't walk upright, never mind wear my baby!! It wasn't until about 3 weeks post partum that I decided to give it a go. It was interesting. The wrap just wasn't supportive enough for a newborn's wiggly head and I didn't feel like it was holding up all 12 of his pounds.

It was while I was at a festival in my town (a beer festival nonetheless) that I noticed a woman carrying her baby in what looked like the best thing in the world! I stopped her and got all of the information I could out of her and purchased a Moby wrap the next day.

I must admit that when I opened  the bag and pulled out 5.5 metres of fabric, I was a little intimidated. I went onto YouTube and began watching loads of videos about how to wrap it on me and how to get Henry into it. It took me a few tries to get it just right but after the first few tries, it becomes second nature!

The thing I love about a stretchy wrap is how soft it is and how it cocoons the baby to your body. It is perfect for a snuggly newborn because they feel nice and warm and get to move with your body just like they have done for the past nine months. They also get to hear your voice and your heart beat. It's a great transition for them.

The practical information: 
The Moby wrap is made from a sweatshirt like material and is 5.5 metres long. I am 5'10" with a few extra pounds and found it to be plenty long enough. Some other stretchy wraps are made with thinner, stretchier material but that's why I chose the Moby- it felt sturdier to me. I was able to use it comfortably up to 15lbs. The manufacturer says that it can be worn up to 35lbs. I have a few friends who have worn stretchies up to about 20lbs but in my experience, the wrap does tend to sag a bit, no matter how tight you wrap it when your baby gets heavier. The other thing is that babies over 20lbs should go on your back as humans are not physically designed to carry that kind of weight on our fronts. I personally would not do a back carry with a stretchy because I don't think they are sturdy enough. I think the Moby is the perfect newborn wrap so you can cuddle up close and keep an eye on them.

It is machine washable and dries relatively quickly though I wouldn't recommend putting it in the dryer too often as it does tend to shrink a bit. (It stretches back out in a few wears though). It is completely adjustable to whoever is wearing it because each individual wraps it around themselves- so it's great for Dads as well!

I loved my Moby when my little man was small. We have worn it in Scotland, Germany, France, America (and obviously England). It has saved me in the airport because I have my hands free to go through check in and security (some airports over here let me keep it on since there was no metal buckles). It kept me warm in the winter and allowed me to do the housework when Henry just wouldn't be put down. It has seriously saved me on so many occasions! I am a total woven wrap convert now but I am sure I will pull out the Moby when the next little one enters our lives :).

This is us in Scotland when Henry was 8 weeks old. He is a bit lopsided. He fell asleep and it was a quick wrap!

My favourite part about wearing Henry when he was small- I could rock him to sleep in it and then eat dinner out with my friends and family. Brilliant! (Now his head is past my chin!)