I originally started wearing as a convenience. I have some physical limitations that make carrying a child in my arms very tiring and my children aren't even that big! Thanks to the local La Leche League and my friend, I found the wearing love with a ring sling and Ergo soft structured carrier. They were both wonderful options at the time, but just not quite what I was looking for as my needs changed. I'm so grateful they were available to start our obsession!
I remember my first experience with a woven, before I even had children. A neighbor used one to back carry her youngest while we made goat cheese. I didn't think anything of it until several years later when I started wrapping my our children. Oh how I wish I had remembered and asked her for help when I had my first! She gifted me a homemade stretchy wrap at my shower and I was an epic failure with it as there were no instructions. Following some Moby wrap tutorials resulted in me feeling like it wasn't safe at all (cradle hold...) and I was overwhelmed by all the fabric. Ironically, it was only the length of a size 4... Oh how things change!
My first time wearing our oldest
When E was about 8 months old, I realised I needed something different. She didn't fit well in the Ergo due to her tiny size as a failure to thrive child and it was so difficult to look around her wiggly self while cooking. My friend Kristin often posted pictures of her woven wraps and I knew that was what I needed! I placed an order through her coop for a Little Frog wrap and was having such a hard time waiting. So I convinced DH to buy me a more immediate option! We looked and looked for the PERFECT wrap. We finally settled on KoKaDi Erna im Wunderland and not so patiently waited for it to arrive from Canada.
It was LOVE!!! Cuddly soft, easy to wrap with, I still hold my gold standard to how it made me feel. I've tried different blends, different weaves, different amounts of texture and grip... But whenever I try a new carry, I bring good old Erna out. We quickly mastered back carries and that opened a whole new world of adventure!
Our first back carry!
Wearing (particularly in a woven wrap) allows me to care for my children more easily. I can wear a needy toddler or nurse the baby while I cook dinner! Let the baby nap while I play with the older children and take them for walks. It's easier for me to take them shopping without worrying my runner is going to take off in the parking lot. It keeps them calm when they're overtired or anxious. If they're sick, I can keep them close and comforted!
Wraps keep us happy during testing at the children's hospital (yay, no cystic fibrosis!)
There are so many different carries to learn, I feel like you're never done learning when it comes to wrapping. I made it an effort to learn as many different carries as I could during my third pregnancy. It was so fun to compare the differences and similarities of various carries and I found a lot of great new options! It helped me understand the different wrapping qualities of various brands and blends. I want to try them all!!!
Part of my obsession with woven wraps is my love of textiles. I love to feel them, rub them between my fingers, test the stretch in various directions, feel the changes after a first wash. Cotton alone can feel so different depending on the weave, if it's mercerized or unmercerized, if it's dyed... So far I've tried unmercerized and mercerized cotton, combed cotton and Egyptian cotton, wild silk, hemp, linen, baby camel, Repreve, wool, and more. The varying dynamics in how the fibers play together is fascinating! My goal is to try as much as I can and I am looking forward to the many years of wearing I still have!
Our first and latest stash shots
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