Stretchy Wraps: an ideal baby carrier for the newborn stage

When our children were wee, the one parenting tool I could not do without was a good baby carrier.  Of course, I didn't have 'just one', I had a number of carriers because I felt that different carriers were better-suited to different stages and situations.  With our first two children, I relied on ring slings and SSCs to tote them around at home and when we were out and about.  I eschewed a stroller in favor of a carrier because babywearing was just so much more convenient. With our last two, I branched out into the world of wraps, both woven and stretchy.

Quite often, when new or expecting parents come into the store looking to purchase a carrier, they will ask for a carrier that they can use from day one through toddlerhood. While I can appreciate the appeal of buying one thing and using it through many stages, the reality is that even though many carriers, particularly SSCs, will claim to be a 'birth until 40 lbs' carrier, the reality is that even though you *can* carry a newborn in a SSC, they are not as well-suited to this stage as other types of carriers.

We often recommend that new parents consider a stretchy wrap as a newborn babywearing option, because it is a carrier well-suited to this stage for a number of reasons.

A stretchy wrap is supportive.  Newborns are born with low muscle tone, so they need lots of support, whether it's in-arms, or in a baby carrier.  A stretchy wrap offers great support to a newborn, particularly to their head and neck, which can be tucked snugly into the carrier.

A stretchy wrap allows  for skin-to-skin time while baby wearing.  Skin-to-skin time offers new parents a multitude of benefits, in particular, it provides fathers  with a wonderful opportunity to bond with their new baby.  If you aren't wearing a shirt under a stretchy wrap, it will provide as much coverage as a tank top, and due to its one-size nature, stretchy wraps provide both parents with an opportunity for skin-to-skin time (as opposed to a 'skin-to-skin' shirt which is sized).

A stretchy wrap can be pre-tied. When your newborn is unhappy, she will let you know IMMEDIATELY.  Your baby can go from quiet and content to a raging maniac in less time it takes you to blink. A pre-tied wrap means you can have your carrier tied on, and you just need to pop your baby into the carrier as soon as she wants to be held (and your baby will want to be held!).  A pre-tied wrap also means your carrier is ready to go when you're out of the house, no need to worry about tails or straps touching a dirty floor when you're out and about.

A stretchy wrap is machine-washable.  For the first six to eight weeks for your baby's life, he or she will be leaking out of every orifice (I am not kidding!!).  Ideally, SSCs are spot cleaned as needed, and machine washed sparingly.  If you have a baby who is prone to spit up after every feeding (and by 'spit up', I mean somehow regurgitate twice the volume of liquid she consumed), using a carrier that can be machine-washed and dried frequently is important.

A stretchy wrap is easy to use.  I know when you look at that pile of fabric, it seems confusing, but the beauty of a stretchy wrap is that there is ONE way to tie it on.  And?  You can tie it on, *then* put your baby in the carrier.  Other carriers that 'seem' easier (like a ring sling, for example), have a higher learning curve because you have to learn how to put the carrier on and adjust it while you're holding your baby.  Of course, it only takes some practice and patience to master this, but a stretchy wrap is an easier-to-use carrier right out of the box.

Although stretchy wrap manufacturers suggest their carriers can be used from birth up to 35 lbs, they are really only suitable to use until your little one hits the 15-20 lb mark, which is generally between four and six months of age. At this point, most babies can sit 'legs out' in a soft-structured carrier, and they are sturdier, so a lot of parents transition out of their stretchy wrap to a SSC at this stage. 

If you really want to explore the idea of using a SSC with your newborn from day one, we can certainly help you with that (and certain brands are suited to this purpose better than others), however, a stretchy wrap is a great newborn babywearing option that won't break the bank. 

Woven wraps update!

OK, so it took a while.  A long, long while.  I have been intending to restock woven wraps for years, for over three years, to be exact.  We previously stocked Didymos woven wraps, perhaps considered the grand dame of the woven wraps, this brand has been established for over 30 years.  When I started carrying Didymos, we stocked a small selection of colorways and sizes, however, I quickly learned that woven wrap enthusiasts can be a hard crowd to please.  Anyone who appreciates the value of a woven wrap simply wouldn't be happy purchasing whatever we may happen to have on our shelf, and given that Didymos currently offers approximately 100 colorways (I shit you not) in seven sizes, pleasing everyone is a difficult (actually, impossible) task.  

In terms of stocking a woven wrap, I have been looking for something that would be a great entry level woven wrap, a brand that is well-established, but competitively priced.  My goal is to stock something that will appeal to anyone who is interested in babywearing, and considering their options.  Some people may be aware of what value a woven wrap offers, however, many new parents do not, the cost of some brands may induce sticker shock that will see customers' jaws hit the floor.

For the past three years, I have been approaching various wrap manufacturers to gather wholesale prices.  Most woven wrap manufacturers are located in Europe, meaning when I determine our cost, I have to factor in duty, brokerage fees, and high shipping rates.  Many woven wrap manufacturers are not really set up to accommodate wholesale clients, offering a marginal discount that is eaten up once the cost of importing the wraps is factored in.  What that means is that I would basically pay the equivalent of their retail price to stock their wraps.  As a business, I need to mark products up sufficiently in order to make it worthwhile to stock them.  I have to pay rent, staff, and utilities to keep our doors open. 

The phenomenon of 'showrooming' is one that has forced me to be keenly aware of how we price the products we sell.  If what we stock is deemed 'too expensive' by customers, we run the risk of paying thousands of dollars to have stock sitting on our shelf that will be treated as a library.  People will come in, take a look, ask us questions, then go home to order online.  As much as I personally loved using a woven wrap with our children, I have been apprehensive about taking the plunge again because of the fact we would essentially be competing with manufacturers to stock their carriers -- if we can't be competitive pricewise, it's a pointless venture (one manufacturer retails their woven wraps for the equivalent of $70 CAD, yet they have established a SRP within North America of $125 USD -- this would lead to showrooming of epic proportions!).

Enter Girasol, a well-respected German brand that has been in operation since the mid-1980s.  Their wraps are woven in Guatemala using weaving methods that have been around for hundreds of years.  Their wraps conform to European safety standards, and they are woven employing fair trade practices.   They offer a selection of beautiful colorways that should please most palates, and as an added bonus, they offer custom colorways -- we can design our own colorways that would be produced in a limited run.

Our opening order includes the following colorways in sizes 3.6 m, 4.6 m, and 5.2 m, which will accommodate all carries up to a woman's size 22:

Rainbow Herringbone	Graphite Diamondweave
Red ChiChi	Fireworks (lemon weft)
Colorway #25	Forest Diamondweave

Pricing for Girasols is as follows:

twill 3.6 meters	$125.00
twill 4.6 meters	$135.00
twill 5.2 meters	$145.00
diamondweave/herringbone 3.6 meters	$135.00
diamondweave/herringbone 4.6 meters	$145.00
diamondweave/herringbone 5.2 meters	$155.00

We are really thrilled to have Girasol on our shelves, we you hope you're as excited as we are!