woven wrap - anyone recommend??

[mumblemumhome4lunch]

Calling all babywearers......................help !

I was given a stretchy mobywrap when my baby was born and I have been in love with it, wearing him loads and loving it. It's especially useful as he is DC4 and it's just SOOO useful having my hands free to do stuff for the other 3 !

BUT I have just recently been prompted to look at some of the youtube clips on olderbabies flipping out of their stretchy wraps. They don't make for comforting watching! Thre solution seems to be a woven (and therefore not stretchy) wrap but I'm not sure what's out there and if there are any reasons to go for one make over and above another.

DC4 has just turned 6 months and is, as I type, trying to lean backwards out of the wrap to see what I'm doing on the computer so I either need to chgange my wrap or stop wearing him which I really don'y want to do

I have a couple of calin bleu woven wraps which I've always found to be great. Very long though!

Have a google and see if there's a sling library near you. I went to my local one and got shown a whole bunch of different slings, tried out a woven wrap, was taught how to tie it and then borrowed it for 2 weeks. Great way of seeing if one is for you or not.

What's your budget? I have a number of wovens (and have had many more pass through). There are a few main brands: Didymos, Hoppediz, Natibaby, Storchenweige. These are all good brands that will last and hold value. There are also different blends around too, plain cotton, cotton/linen, cotton/hemp, cotton/silk etc etc. With a 6 month old a plain cotton would prob be fine, linen is more supportive, hemp is also supportive but really snuggly etc.

I use a plain cotton, and a cotton/linen blend now with dd who is 16 months. I also have a hemp blend tucked away for the next one and a few others.

I would second finding a sling meet, also have a look at www.naturalmamas.co.uk forum for recommendations and a second hand board. Buying second hand is always a good way to go.

I had a shorter Calin Bleu woven wrap and that was great, once I'd got the hang of tying the baby on (which didn't take long).

Yes stretchies are great when they are little, but don't offer much support when they are older.

I second the suggestion of visiting a sling meet :) I was fully intending to switch from a stretchy wrap to a woven one when DS got too heavy (around 9 months) but actually found I didn't get on with it very well. I went for a soft structured carrier in the end. You could also look into mei tais.

I used a didymos with DD and it was fantastic! I only stopped when she finally was just too heavy for my front (about 25 months) and I could not quite manage a back carry with it (You can do them, I just could not) when i swapped to a mei tai. I still have them actually...can not bear to part with them!

I used a Storchenwiege and loved it, though it is very long - with the next one (trying...) I'll be going to my local sling library and trying some shorter woven wraps.

I have the Ellaroo wrap which I get on with fine. You can get them in different lengths.