Baby wearing

Here's me with Rohan wearing my Snugiwrap.

I was sent a stretch Snugiwrap to review after replying to a Facebook request for reviewers and have been putting it through its paces the past couple of weeks. I chose purple, but they have them in a whole rainbow of colours. When it arrived the package was small enough to fit through the letter box, believe me I never knew how grateful I'd be that parcels fit through a letter box when having a new baby and not having enough arms to answer the door! It comes with its own drawstring bag to keep it in and a full colour booklet of instructions on how to tie it, insert and remove baby, and safety check information. I had a practice run and realised that when the instructions say 'pull as tight as you can' it really means it as I hadn't pulled it tight enough the first time. Practice with a doll or teddy bear to build up confidence and get faster at tying it, when you know your baby will stop crying if you pop them in the wrap you want to be able to tie it fast to soothe baby and your ears!

I've had a couple of excursions with it, to the garden to peg out washing several times, not exciting, but necessary! And to the park using my Boba fleece over it to keep me and baby warm, so it's compatible with that as its thin enough to fit easily underneath. I've also just used it as a calming technique as my baby loves being cwtched in tight when upset and falls asleep. My husband has tried it too and was surprised at how simple it is to wrap and how quickly it calms our baby to be carried in this way.

I'm impressed with how light the two way stretch jersey is and how easy it is to tie and store. I already have a Moby wrap and find it heavy and cumbersome to tie as it's a lot thicker material and less malleable than the Snugiwrap. It also came in a cylindrical bag so not only did I have to answer the door to the postman but it is impossible to get back in the bag. Having a wrap that's easy to tie is important to me as I have RSI in both arms and various back issues, so mobility can be challenging at times. Tied properly, wraps help distribute baby's weight taking pressure off your arms and back.

I highly rate the Snugiwrap and have already recommended it to friends. I'm also impressed with their website as it gives you a side by side comparison of different types of carrying options and what each one can do for you and baby. If you sign up for their newsletter you get a free downloadable booklet on the beginners guide to baby wearing which includes the table of comparisons.

I know I could have probably made one, but being a new mum I'm uber paranoid about safety so knowing that the material has been specifically chosen for wrapping babies and not some random bit of jersey I had in my stash is comforting.

If after consulting the website you're still unsure as to which sling you want, check out your local sling library as you can try them on and even loan them to make sure you're getting the right one for you and baby. I'm already considering what my next baby wearing sling will be and am consulting the Snugiwrap website for the right choice for me. Go on, get a carry system and see how easy it is and how much you and your baby love it!