which wrap for winter and which cover? - please help

[sarah]

I've been using a passed down baby bjorn for outside and its hurting my back. I have a Tinokis wrap - a stretchy wrap, i bought from the November sling meet. Its great, but i havent worn it out, as not confident it is robust or warm enough. In the bjorn my baby wears a warm coat, but this doesnt seem practical in a wrap. My baby is 9 weeks.

My question is - What is the best wrap for winter and how to keep baby warm when wearing it. should i change to a wovern wrap soon, especially for using outside, as in one of threads it mentions stretchy wraps only good for newborns. If yes can anyone recommend me a good budget make. Also can anyone recommend a warm and/or waterproof cover for the wraps. A lady at the Nov meet recommended hers to me, but i didn't take the name. It was about £25.

THanks

Sarah (newbie)

[kaismum]

Hi Sarah,

Yes, stretch wraps are great for little babies but not forever. It's just when babies get heavy, you can really feel the weight.

However, you can use any kind of wraps for winter. You just have to dress your baby a little more when you are using thinner wrap.

At the moment, I have two babywearing jacket/cover.

One is mama jacket (about £120), and the other one is MOM cover, £28.

I use both of them a lot depending on the day, and the mood. Yes, mama jacket is expensive but I used so much that, it is a good value for money.
I don't know if Stephanie is still selling these, otherwise you can get it at http://www.bigmamaslings.co.uk/

Ok, MOM cover!
I think this is super good value for money.
The best thing about it is that your partner can use it as well. You can get it at http://www.naturalmothering.co.uk/
It's very easy to use, and it folds up very nicely.
Highly, highly recommand!!!!

For wooven wraps....
I think with all the slings you can get all technical, but to be honest just go with the colour you like.
Unless you are super picky, the difference is very little.
Some wraps will take longer than others to soften up but not too long. I think with more well known wraps, it will be easier to sell when you get tired of it.

HTH.

[Becklesfield]

HI Sarah

You can use your stretchy wrap for some time to come. I was still using my hug-a-bub when Mila was 5 months. It's just that it will start to stretch a bit too much when baby is heavier and you will need to keep tightening it, which can be annoying. You will probably find that a woven wrap will keep her in place very securely and she will feel lighter as a result. However, at 9 weeks a stretchy is an excellent wrap.

Layers are key for baby for warmth but remember that she will be much closer to your body than in a BB so she'll be kept really warm from your body heat. A body suit, jumper or cardigan and then a fleece top with trousers, a couple of pairs of socks and some babyleg's are what I put Mila in. I then use a cover depending on the weather. I tend to use a cover if it's windy and/or cold.

I reckon the person at the meet recommended a MaM BabyWearing cover. You can get them from www.naturalmothering.co.uk.

Good luck!

xx

[shamu]

Hi Sarah :D
At 9 weeks I'd have thought a stretchy wrap would be ideal - easy to get baby in and out of, snuggly and comfy for both of you. I still use one of my stretchy wraps occasionally with Bea and she's 7 months next week....
Jin-Hee gives some great advice about trading up to a woven wrap - find one you like the colours of and go for it! FWIW I'm using my calin bleu gauze even now (took her out for 3 hours in it today) and she seems warm enough.
As far as what to put your baby in/wear I think it depends on what you want to invest in. I have a MaM Coat http://www.mamdesign.net/carrying/clothes/mamcoat.html which I LOVE as it means I hardly have to think about what else to put on Bea. I needed a winter coat anyway so it was ideal (it can be worn without baby too). I don't think anyone is selling them in the UK though :( The MaM Cover looks lovely too - nice and snuggly for baby.
I tend to put a cardigan and babylegs on with both dresses and trousers and a wee hat too. As Becky said, they do get a lot of warmth from being close to you so you don't need to dress them as warmly as if you were taking her in a pram/car seat.
HTH
Shamu
;)

[Mia]

I dressed my baby only with a hat and a fleecescarf (just to protect its neck) in a stretchy wrap and then the MaM cover and then i wore my normal jacket. Nothing else needed most days here and you can easily take of warm cloth when you get inside without taking tha baby out, perfect! Its not good for newborns to be to warm, it can make them sleep too deep and then they dont wake up to eat and can even "forget" to breath so i would never wear thick cloths on a newborn under a sling indoors.

[baretrix]

I think you may be able to get hold of a Mam coat through www.babyarmadillo.co.uk/

[Becklesfield]

Originally posted by Mia
I dressed my baby only with a hat and a fleecescarf (just to protect its neck) in a stretchy wrap and then the MaM cover and then i wore my normal jacket. Nothing else needed most days here and you can easily take of warm cloth when you get inside without taking tha baby out, perfect! Its not good for newborns to be to warm, it can make them sleep too deep and then they dont wake up to eat and can even "forget" to breath so i would never wear thick cloths on a newborn under a sling indoors.


Oh yes, good point. I was describing what I dress Mila in when I go out, not when indoors!

xx

[Mia]

Originally posted by Becklesfield

Originally posted by Mia
I dressed my baby only with a hat and a fleecescarf (just to protect its neck) in a stretchy wrap and then the MaM cover and then i wore my normal jacket. Nothing else needed most days here and you can easily take of warm cloth when you get inside without taking tha baby out, perfect! Its not good for newborns to be to warm, it can make them sleep too deep and then they dont wake up to eat and can even "forget" to breath so i would never wear thick cloths on a newborn under a sling indoors.


Oh yes, good point. I was describing what I dress Mila in when I go out, not when indoors!

xx
Of corse you were.
I just mentioned it because i often had to or wanted to go indoors sometimes when he had fallen asleep outdoors.

[sarah]

thanks for advice. have been carrying him in stretchy wrap outside. will try and trade up to a woven one as he gets heavier.

[GingerKatieSparkles]

Just to say that for front carries, so far I've just used a man's fleece (£25 from Millets) that's big enough to go round both of us and put it on over the wrap (or other sling). Because she's so close to me I can check on her temperature and either undo the fleece or put a hat on her as necessary - even in really cold weather I tend to find she's hotter than I expect more often than she's cold!

I'm getting a Suse's Kinder Coat as soon as they're back in stock though, mainly so I can have a coat to go over her for back carries that will also go over my growing bump!

Katie xx

[Helen]

I've been carrying my daughter (3m) in a stretchy wrap outside since she was 3 weeks. Initially I was worried about how I'd keep her warm. But she turned out to be so warm-blooded, and the winter in London has been so warm, that I put no extra clothes on for her at all when we go out. (Well, actually she gets a hat if she's awake and her head is outside the wrap.) I grab a windproof jacket for myself that I don't close in the front, just to keep my arms and back warm, put on my shoes and off we go. She keeps my chest and tummy so warm that there's no chance she herself can be cold! In fact I'm more worried that she's too hot in the sling.

[MoominHannah]

Originally posted by Helen
I've been carrying my daughter (3m) in a stretchy wrap outside since she was 3 weeks. Initially I was worried about how I'd keep her warm. But she turned out to be so warm-blooded, and the winter in London has been so warm, that I put no extra clothes on for her at all when we go out. (Well, actually she gets a hat if she's awake and her head is outside the wrap.) I grab a windproof jacket for myself that I don't close in the front, just to keep my arms and back warm, put on my shoes and off we go. She keeps my chest and tummy so warm that there's no chance she herself can be cold! In fact I'm more worried that she's too hot in the sling.

Exactly! The warmth from your body is a far more efficient and healthier way to keep a young baby warm in the winter.