I admit that I am not a natural wrapper… my arms have trouble doing what I tell them to do especially when it involves keeping a looong piece of cloth smooth, wrinkle free. You know that quote about Ginger Rogers doing everything Fred Astaire did – but backwards!?! I fee like I can Fred Astaire my way through a front wrap, but when it comes to Ginger Roger-ing a baby onto my back with a wrap quickly and efficiently, forget it! I reach for my Soft Structured Carriers or my meh dais, throw the kid on my back and off we go! Speed is also a key factor to my babywearing success, since I am usually tossing Baby #5 onto my back in order to catch a gleeful and nekkid #4 hightailing it down the street… “Get it on quick” is usually how we roll, however, when Baby and I are feeling more patient, we wrap!

The first hardest part about wrapping to me is deciding which one to choose! Do I pick the one that matches my outfit? Or the one that highlights Baby’s gorgeous blue eyes? Or maybe it depends on the weather! Wearing a heavy wrap on a hot day sounds like babywearing torture, but on a chilly day, a woven sounds just perfect! When #5 was an infant, there was nothing more heavenly than using our stretchy wraps, but now that he is a hefty 25 pound ham with legs, support is the key issue so even a gauze wrap needs to be tied tightly and expertly to keep us both comfortable.

Once I’ve chosen our wrap for the day (who am I kidding! I change baby carriers during the day as often as your daughter changes her fashion doll!) the question is which wrapping technique to use. One sounds stranger than the next, and if you didn’t know I was talking about baby carriers, you might think I was speaking in great detail about an exotic style of massage: Wiggleproof Back Carry, Swedish Tibetan Tie, Front Cross Carry Cradle, Buddha, Sumo, Jordan’s Reinforced-Rear Rebozo Rucksack… They all have their purpose and their time, but how is one, underslept, overworked mommy to 5 supposed to choose? So I usually just go with my standard back carry, the Back Wrap Cross Carry with Rucksack Straps and Tibetan tie.

The third and final tough decision to make is that Baby #5 is securely on my back, children have been rounded up (and clothed – AGAIN), the picnic is packed, do I take baby back out of the wrap to get in the car and drive to a park for lunch or walk to our local park and keep that baby tied up? Only time will tell for today’s adventure! If you see a calm peaceful group of sweet young children and a serene mother with a baby wrapped on her back at the park, that’s NOT us! We’re the boisterous high pitched giggling cluster of little kids and their mom who more often than not is swinging, climbing, racing, and cavorting along with the young’uns, all the while with baby happy and babyworn, whether in a gorgeous wrap, fabulous Mai Tei, or quick ‘n easy Soft Structured Carrier!

And now, just a few more in action shots of our favorite wraps!

The BB Slen Blueberry longie – no wrap stash is complete without at least 1 BB Slen (Fair Trade manufacturing, grippy but so soft, no breaking in necessary for this woven wrap!)

The BB Slen Turkish Delight – it’s this simple: You NEED one!

The stretchy Moby wrap – A stretchy wrap should be handed out at the hospital to new parents! It is the ultimate BEST baby shower gift, and every mom should have at least 1 to wrap their squishy newborn!

And a personal favorite, the Gypsymama wraps – some are gauze, and some are stretch, but you have got to try 1 for the summer!

*happy babywearing*