Tight: How to make your stretchy wrap fit well

A stretchy wrap is a great introduction to babywearing. By getting the fit right, you and your baby will have a safe and comfortable experience right from the start.

Because the fabric used in these carriers is elastic and moulds around your bodies, you and your baby will embraced by the fabric. To achieve this embrace, you need to maintain the tension of the stretch by fitting the wrap more tightly than you might expect. Often, when people are struggling to get the fit right we find there is too much slack, allowing the baby’s body to move away from the adult body.

Practice makes perfect and you will find each time you tie the carrier you will get a better result. A babywearing educator or consultant can show you how to tighten the wrap at each stage of the process but if you can’t connect with someone face to face or via video, this is an excellent instruction video from Carrying Matters:

You might be worried your baby will be uncomfortable if the carrier is tightly fitted. It helps to remember the womb at 40 weeks gestation is a tight band of muscles enveloping a baby and restricting movement. This is familiar and comfortable for newborns and more reassuring than being held loosely against your body. You will know it is tight enough if there are no saggy areas of fabric gathered around your bodies. You will be able to remove your hands from your baby and they will remain firmly against your body, even when you move.