Monday, October 29, 2007

Wrapping A Sack of Sugar

Two months after Faith was born, I discovered wrapping. Wrapping is simply using a long piece of cloth to wrap your child securely to your body. You can wrap your baby to the front of you or to the back in tens of ways. It is extremely comfortable and beats any kind of baby carrier by a long shot. Faith was the driving force to this discovery, as she craved a combination of being held upright while walking throughout the house - constantly. But it took me two months to find a solution to meet her needs, so I never had the delightful joy of wrapping a seven pounder onto my back and going about my day.

My first wrap jobs were so bad, they make me laugh out loud now looking at pictures of them. Thankfully, I've gotten so much better. That said, I wasn't sure how I'd feel about wrapping such a tiny nugget, but Hope has assured me, that she approves. And even though Hope is near perfect, she still has her own witching hour between 9:30 and 11:00 pm where nothing seems to work, except a close wrap and Mamma lulling her to sleep with the determined movement of finishing up chores. Just like in the womb.

This morning, in the chaos of running a household and homeschooling, I took a moment to breathe and capture our little duo. Every day I am reminded that Hope is bigger than yesterday. These days of tininess are so precious and go so quickly.

5 comments:

Family W said...

wow, it sounds like you're accomplishing so much... and with a newborn! She really is beautiful, and if I ever have another myself, I'll be asking you about the whole 'wrapping' thing. I can be very uncoordinated so I will probably have to have step by step instructions! :)

Stacy said...

What a cute picture! :)

I wanted to do this (wrapping) when we adopted our third from Guatemala. They carry their babies and toddlers there, on their backs. So I bought a big piece of cloth in GUA and hoped we'd get the hang of it for bonding. I never did get the hang of it. It was so hard for me to get my son in there and secure enough for me to move around. But I'd love to do this again when our new one arrives. Can I ask what type of cloth you use? Is it an official baby wrap you bought or is it literally just a piece of cloth you cut out for this purpose?
And where did you learn how to get your children snug and secure in the wrap?

~Stacy

K. Reyes said...

That looks like baby/momma bliss. I wish wrapping had that effect on toddlers....but I guess thats when they graduate from wraps to straight jackets?:) Lol. I will definitely be looking to learn this wrapping technique for our next bambino. I have a New Native baby sling which is the closest manufactured thing that comes to the wrap affect. Avery's colic was soothed away by being so close to me all the time...but I couldn't hold him upright like you have Hope pictured here.
By the way you look so fresh and full of that mommy glow that comes from looking at a radiently perfect newborn all day:)

Mama Knucker Hatch said...

Hey Lynn, There are wonderful step by step instructions with VIDEO at www.mamatoto.org. Also you will find gads of information about wrapping and all sorts of carriers at www.thebabywearer.com. The forum is an excellent location for checking out hundreds of pictures of mothers and their wrapped babies as well as a friendly place to ask questions. I camped out at those sites for months learning how to wrap properly and comfortably.

Stacy, I've tried three different types of wraps. I now only use one brand imported from Germany called Didymos. They run a little pricey, but personally I don't think there is anything that compares to the comfort of a Didymos. The Didy is my workhorse. Any piece of cloth will work with a little one, however, as your infant puts on weight, many types of fabric will put pressure points on your shoulders. The Didymos is woven and stretches on the bias. It has amazing grip, which keeps things snug, but it is also buttery soft.

It does take awhile to get the hang of it. However, with each week you'll find you need less fabric, and your wrapping gets much more snug and comfortable. Also, give your inner core a little time to adjust to carrying with muscles you often don't use. As your baby grows, you'll become very strong in your shoulders and stomach muscles!

Cousin, The glow is courtesy of an overexposing flash! :) Oh do have one of those new fangled awesome digital cameras like all of you photography buffs.

Promise Christian Academy said...

You are a wonder woman! I would surely be tied in knots! It looks comfy and sweet!
Hilda Rebecca