Troubleshooting Your Woven Wrap
Just like with a stretchy wrap, you might discover some bumps in the road even after youve learned a carry in your woven wrap. Here are some common problems you might face, as well as tried and true solutions to getting everything in order.
Fixing a Loose or Low Wrap
If you find your wrap is too loose, you can tighten it one of two ways. Some moms choose to tighten it by holding the end piece out and then grasping the top, then the middle, and lastly the bottom of the end piece while pulling up.
Other moms choose to tighten their wrap strand-by-strand. You do this by holding the end piece out, grabbing the top of the piece and pulling the fabric up, then you grab a few inches down and pull that up to meet the piece, repeating until you reach the bottom of the end piece.
After you have done this, you can re-wrap your baby.
My Baby Slumps to One Side
A slumping baby is not a good thing this can affect your babys airway as well as make the wrap uncomfortable for them to be in. If your baby keeps slumping the middle-third of the wrap is likely loose. Tightening this section should help keep your baby in the correct position.
Baby Buries Their Face in the Fabric
My Baby Wants to Look Around
You do not have to turn your baby forward facing to allow them to look around. Instead, you can cross passes across your babys body to give them visibility.
My Baby Feels Heavy
Shoulder Passes are Digging Into My Neck!
Red Marks on My Babys Neck
My Babys Legs Keep Straightening
How Long Should You Swaddle Your Baby For
Although swaddling is usually fine to do in your babyâs first couple of months, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that you stop swaddling once your baby is able to roll over, which may happen around the time he turns 2 months old. Reach out to your baby’s healthcare provider if you have any questions.
What Other Fabrics Are Suitable For Newborn Wraps
Cheesecloth wraps often have a large amount of flexibility in them. In the video, Kelly explains because of this amount of stretch, she likes to use cheesecloth for her pretzel style of wrap, or her basic back pose wrap, as the fabric holds the baby in place well. This fabric also and is soft enough that it doesnt irritate the baby.
Take care with heavily textured fabrics directly on the babys skin. In the early days of newborn portraiture, textured rayon wraps were very popular. However, these can leave indentations on babys skin, which takes a little while to clear similar to marks tight clothing or socks leave on your own skin.
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Wrapping Baby In A Stretchy Wrap
All of these facts and tips are great, but are you wondering how to actually use your stretchy wrap? Wonder no more, here are some step-by-step instructions for three of the most common stretchy wrap carries.
Safety Tip
Front Wrap Cross Carry
A Front Wrap Cross Carry is a basic carry and one of the easiest to learn. Its also a great way to carry a newborn baby because it keeps baby upright, yet snug and close so they feel protected.
To do a Front Wrap Cross Carry:
Pocket Wrap Cross Carry
To do a Pocket Wrap Cross Carry:
Twins Tip:
Tips For Choosing Wraps For Newborn Photography
- Choose colours which complement the rest of your set. You want your wrap, backdrop, outfit and props to work in harmony.
- Avoid fabrics which may irritate or itch babys skin, causing them discomfort.
- Take care with using textures which may leave indentations on babys skin.
- Avoid fabrics which easily pill or fray, and check the condition of your wraps before use. Look for anything which can catch on babys fingers, or stray into their mouth. Its also visually preferable to have neat looking surfaces.
- Choose soft, stretchy fabrics for your base wrap.
- Use textured fabrics or those with minimal stretch, for an outer decorative layer.
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Always Remember To Follow Safe Babywearing Protocol Ticks:
T – Tight baby wrap must be tied tightly and securely at all times.
I – In view at all times baby must never be hidden from your view by the wrap.
C – Close enough to kiss you should be able to kiss your baby’s head without straining.
K – Keep chin off chest a good check is to see if you can fit two fingers under their chin.
S – Supported back babys back must be straight and secure.
To watch our video tutorials, including how to nurse in your Beluga Wrap,
To shop our collection,
For some of the benefits of babywearing,
How To Swaddle A Baby With A Muslin Wrap
Ok, so its time to get down to some safe swaddling.
First things first, you need to lay the muslin wrap out in a diamond shape. Once youve done this, fold the top corner down roughly a quarter. Then, place bub on the turned corner so that the corners of the muslin spread out from bubs arms.
Next, hold your little bambino’s right arm down at their side. Pull the muslin over that arm, across the body. If bub is much smaller than the muslin, roll them to the side to smooth the rest of the muslin across the back. The muslin needs to be tight, but baby should still be able to bend their waist. Note: always make sure their hips are free to move.
Hold down bubs left arm before pulling the bottom corner up and tucking it under their left shoulder. Move the right corner over your little treasure’s body before finally pulling it firm by placing them on their side and wrapping the excess around the back.
The results? Youll know when bub quickly falls asleep.
So, what sort of swaddle products should you be looking for? Well, bamboo is the perfect fabric for swaddling as its ultra soft and durable. Our feather-light muslin wraps are crafted in 100% bamboo viscose, a fabric that features an open weave for ultimate breathability. Although delicate, these bamboo swaddles can stand up to all the required laundering, while their superior absorbency makes them an essential for all new parents.
But when is it time to stop swaddling?
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Does Swaddling Work For All Babies
Some children will resist swaddling like the plague. At the same time, you want to try several different swaddles before giving up completely but bottom line, some children will not be comforted by a swaddlenever force it to work.
Its also important to note that a swaddle is not appropriate for:
- Co-sleeping babies, because they cannot move covers from their face or alert their parents when they are too close
- Babies who can roll over
- Babies at a higher risk of SIDS
- Babies in hot environments , as baby could be dangerously overheated
If your baby does not like being swaddled, try the sleep sack option, as the tight restrained feeling might be what your baby is resisting. Never put baby to bed with loose bedding or blankets, as this is a suffocation risk.
Is It Ok Not To Swaddle Your Newborn
Swaddling isnât a requirement, and some experts say it isnât even necessary or recommended. If youâre unsure about whether to swaddle your newborn or not, talk to your babyâs healthcare provider.
If you need a demonstration on how to swaddle your baby in order to make an informed decision, your healthcare provider or the nurses at the hospital where she was born may be able to show you how itâs done.
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Front Inward Facing Carry Instructions
Special Note About Sick And Low Birth Weight Babies
Babies who are born preterm and wrapped during the period of hospitalisation have been shown to have improved neuromuscular development 2,41, less physiologic distress 16,18, better motor organisation and more self-regulatory ability 19. Swaddling has been shown to reduce behavioural distress after heel lancing in preterm infants older than 31 weeks but not in more immature babies 18. More recently a study conducted by Shu and colleagues 22 showed that both swaddling and heel warming reduced pain responses to the heelstick procedure in neonates born at 31-41 weeks gestation 22.
A study of preterm infants born less than 32 weeks gestation investigated the developmental benefits of positioning in the neonatal intensive care unit 42. Using a randomised controlled trial design, babies were randomised to be positioned in an alternative positioning device or to traditional positioning methods for their length of stay. Infants in the alternative positioning arm of the study demonstrated less asymmetry of reflex and motor responses than those positioned using traditional positioning methods 42.
In the early weeks of life however infant wrapping should not interfere with skin to skin contact of the low birth weight infant with a caregiver. Kangaroo mother care, or skin to skin, has been shown to reduce risk of mortality and morbidity and improve growth, breastfeeding and maternal-infant attachment outcomes for low birth weight babies 43.
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How To Use Baby Carrier Infant Insert
The baby carrier as a small bag with clips is the easiest to use and its the one that needs the less education/preparation before using it. Its also the option that necessitates a bigger budget. There are many good companies that offer different models of baby carrier. The call it the infant insert because its really that simple. Heres a video showing you how to use one of them.
What Are The Safety Considerations When Swaddling
For your little oneâs safety, keep these tips in mind when swaddling your baby:
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Remember to always place your baby on his back in his crib, whether he has been swaddled or not. Placing your baby to sleep on his back is crucial as it can help reduce the risk of SIDS . Also, ensure that there are no blankets, stuffed animals, pillows, or any additional bedding or soft items in your babyâs crib. Since your baby will be quite warm and comfortable in his swaddle, he wonât need the additional blanket anyway.
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Since swaddling may lower your babyâs natural ability to arouse himself from sleep, it may make it harder for him to wake himself up. Be aware that this, too, can increase the risk of SIDS.
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Swaddling your baby too tightly can cause him to develop hip problems. If you can fit two to three of your fingers in between your babyâs chest and the swaddle, then youâve swaddled just right.
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Ensure that your baby isn’t too warm when he’s swaddled. If you see that heâs sweating, has damp hair, flushed cheeks, heat rash, or rapid breathing, he is most likely overdressed.
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Where To Buy Wraps
Prop vendors and fabric stores offer newborn wraps in a large range of shapes & sizes, fabric types, and textures. Its handy to have a bit of variety to work with, and youll get to know which materials you prefer for different situations.
But dont forget to look for something a little different by going out to trade shows and fabric stores to touch and feel whats available.
And you can also check out department and accessories stores for inexpensive scarves.
Three: Make An X In The Front
Gather both panels into your hand in a ball, then pull them through the panel with the label. Pull them out the bottom, making sure not to lose any of the snug-ness youve created. Then, cross them into an X. Youve now created an X on your back, and an X on your front. Bring the two ends behind you.
Fit Tip: At this point, you want all the fabric to be as flat against you as possible, and snug, but not uncomfortably so. You can take this moment to pull the shoulder panels evenly across your shoulders and upper arm to make sure your babys weight will be evenly distributed for a near weightless carry.
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