Review: Moby Wrap

One of my good friends sent me a Moby Wrap as a new-baby gift when I was pregnant with my daughter.  I had used a sling when my son was very young, and a snuggly-style front carrier when he got older, but had never tried a wrap before.  I remember though that I didn't use the sling for very long because my son didn't fit into it very well, and I had done some reading to suggest that the style of front carrier I had used is actually not that good for baby (go Google infant carrier + spondylolisthesis for some thoughts on that front).  Regardless of how many of those articles were truth and how many were just thriving off the new-mom fear/guilt combo, I wanted to try a wrap carrier because of how comfortable they looked - both for baby AND mommy.

The Moby I received was an off-white shade, perfect for a girl or a boy, and nice for using in the summer when the extra fabric would be warm enough without also absorbing lots of sunlight like a black or navy one might have done.  It is not difficult to put on, but it does take a bit of practice to get it right.  I went to a local store that promotes babywearing (BLISS, located on Oland Drive in Bayer's Lake Industrial Park outside of Halifax) and they were very kind to show me how to put it on, and how to put baby into it.  I even went back when my daughter was just a couple of weeks old because I had previously just practiced putting a teddy bear into it, and wanted an expert hand to show me how to put my tiny new baby in.  (Thank you so much, BLISS!)

I don't want anyone to think it is difficult, there are a ton of YouTube clips out there to show how to do it, and once you do it, it's easy to repeat.  The reason I decided to review it today is because I used it at the grocery store and thought to myself how handy it was, and that every mom with a young baby should have one.  I was able to shop hands-free, my cart was not cluttered up with a heavy infant carseat, and my daughter was able to nap comfortably in the wrap carrier while I shopped.  And it's so nice to have her close enough to be able to look down and kiss her forehead or the top of her head whenever the mood strikes (which, I'll admit, is all the time).

The wrap is made of a stretchy cotton material, can be machine washed (thank goodness, because it gets its fair share of spitup on it...), and thrown in the dryer.  I've also hung mine out on the line to dry, but prefer the dryer since it is a huge piece of fabric and takes up a ton of space & clothespins on the line.  Plus, putting it in the dryer restores the elasticity for the next wear.  My daughter was pushing 15 lbs at her 2 month checkup, and is almost 3 months old now, and she still fits comfortably into the Moby Wrap carrier, and I don't have any strain at all having to carry her.  It's so convenient - I have used it while preparing dinner (not by the stove or oven though!), gardening, walking, shopping... basically anything where you are standing up and moving around.  It's also nice for shopping trips where you are in and out of the car, instead of lugging the carseat with you each time, just put the Moby Wrap on once, then put baby into it whenever you leave the car.

You can buy your Moby Wrap locally at Nurtured (http://www.nurtured.ca) or at BLISS (http://www.facebook.com/pages/BLISS-Natural-Parenting-Resource-Centre-Every-Baby-Deserves-Breastmilk/), and possibly other retail locations, or of course you can visit their website at http://www.mobywrap.com and find out other retailers.  The $40-$50 price tag is quite reasonable especially when you consider the added comfort of the carrier and the fact that they have excellent resale value on the secondhand market.