Woven Wrap Carries

Be sure to expand each of the sections below to learn more!

Explanation of Wrap Sizes and "Base Size"

The length of wrap you and your baby personally need to do full length carries, like the standard beginner carry Front Wrap Cross Carry, is considered one's "base size." Different methods of tying a wrap are called different "carries" and the size of wrap each carry needs is referred to as the size in relation to how much bigger or smaller than one's "base size" is needed. So, the short version of Front Wrap Cross Carry that ties under baby's bum typically uses a wrap two sizes smaller than your base size, and is therefore referred to as a "base-2" (or "base minus two") sized carry.

With a few exceptions, almost any size wearer can use any size wrap. What changes is what you can do with each size. The first step is to determine your "Base Size." For most people, this is the size needed to comfortably do a Front Wrap Cross Carry and tie off in the back with a double knot. (If your wrap is tapered, this means tying without tying in the tapers.) For most wearers, this will be between a size 5 and 7, but it could be as short as a 4 and as long as a size 9 or longer. The most important thing is to find a wrap that works for you! A "base size" wrap is considered the standard size for a beginner to learn on, but if you end up with a wrap that is shorter or longer than your base size, don't panic! You can still use it; you'll just do different carries.

While this can vary based on bust size, height, wrapping skill, wrap thickness and grippiness, child's age/size, etc, a very general guideline uses what size unisex t-shirt you most comfortably fit into. For most medium-sized women, a 6 is a great place to start. If you are in between base sizes, it is better to work with a size up while learning. As you learn to tighten more efficiently, you will be able to do more with shorter wraps and you may find your "base" size changes to a smaller size.

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Where and How to Learn

One great way to learn, if possible, is in person at your local babywearing group with the hands-on assistance of a babywearing educator. In reality, though, you may or may not have access to such a group. It is possible to learn without such help by watching YouTube videos, although it is best to do so with the guidance of an educator since there are plenty of videos online that show poor technique or even risky methods without any kind of disclaimers. Expand the section below with information on how to practice.

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Why are there so many carries? What are the different passes for?

The different carries are made up of different combinations of "passes" - that is, ways to pass the wrap over baby's back from one side of the wearer to the other. On top of that, the way the wrap is passed over the back of the body (for a front carry) or the front of the body (for a back carry) changes where the weight is distributed. Different carries can be good for distributing the weight higher or lower based on the wearer's comfort, wearing baby higher or lower based on baby's age and preference, and may have more or fewer passes (fewer passes typically being better for a small baby and more being more supportive for a toddler.)

Expand the section below for an explanation of different pass types and what they are and aren't good for.

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Front & Hip Carries

It is typically safest to master several front and hip carries before moving on to back carries. The carries marked as "good first carries" are the best place to start, depending on your wrap size, and will work with newborns or toddlers.

Expand to see list.

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Protip: Once you've learned the basics, I find that Kangaroo or Reinforced Kangaroo are great carries to learn leading up to back carries, as they will teach some of the same seat-making tips that you will use for your first back carries.

Carry Name	Short	Size	Beginner Friendly?	Pre-tied/poppable?
Front Wrap Cross Carry	FWCC	Base	Good First Carry	Partially
Front Wrap Cross Carry with Pond Finish		Base	Yes	Partially
Front Cross Carry	FCC	Base	Yes	Yes
Semi Front Wrap Cross Carry with Poppins Finish		Base
Front Double Hammock	FDH	Base
Pocket Wrap Cross Carry	PWCC	Base	Yes	Yes
Anne's Front Carry (Anne's FWCC)		Base		Yes
Reinforced Kangaroo		Base	Yes
Popparoo		Base
Hip Wrap Cross Carry	HWCC	Base
Reinforced Robin's Hip Carry		Base
Front Torso Carry (Pond Finish)		Base
Front Pocket Double Cross Carry		Base
Anne's Unicorn Front Carry		Base
Forward Facing Pocket Wrap Cross Carry *Forward facing should be reserved for babies with good trunk and neck control		Base
Forward Facing Front Wrap Cross Carry ("chair" variation) *Forward facing should be reserved for babies with good trunk and neck control		Base
Forward Facing "Chair Carry" *Forward facing should be reserved for babies with good trunk and neck control		Base
Front Wrap Cross Carry Tied at Shoulder	FWCC TAS	Base - 1
Front Wrap Cross Carry Tied Under Bum	FWCC TUB	Base - 2	Good First Carry
Short Front Wrap Cross Carry Tied at Shoulder		Base - 2
Short Anne's Front Carry		Base - 2
Front Reinforced Torso Sling or Hip Reinforced Torso Sling (FKA Front Reinforced Torso Rebozo)	FRTS (FKA FRTR)	Base - 2	Yes	Yes
Short Cross Carry	SCC	Base - 2		Yes
Short Cross Carry with Ring		Base - 2
Inside Out Front Pirate Carry	IOFP	Base - 2		Yes
Front Torso Carry		Base - 2
Hip Cross Carry	HCC	Base - 2		Yes
Coolest Hip Cross Carry	CHCC	Base - 2		Yes
Reverse/Inside Out Coolest Hip Cross Carry	RCHCC, IO CHCC	Base - 2		Yes
Hip Kangaroo		Base - 2		Partially
Semi-Pocket Wrap Cross Carry	Semi-PWCC	Base - 2	Yes	Yes
Robin's Hip Carry	RHC	Base - 2		Partially
Forward Facing Robin's Hip Carry *Forward facing should be reserved for babies with good trunk and neck control		Base - 2
Robins Hip Carry with Ring		Base - 2		Partially
Half Front Wrap Cross Carry	HFWCC	Base - 3	Yes
Semi Front Wrap Cross Carry	Semi-FWCC	Base - 3	Good First Carry	Yes
Semi Front Wrap Cross Carry with a Poppins Finish		Base - 3
Kangaroo		Base - 3		Yes
Poppins Hip Carry		Base - 3
No No No Hip Carry		Base - 4		Partially
Traditional Sling Carry (FKA Rebozo Carry)	TSC	Base - 5	Good First Carry	Yes
No-Sew Ring Sling		Base - 5	Yes	Yes
Anne's Knotless Front Pocket Double Cross Carry		Base+1
Pocket Wrap Cross Carry Tied at the Shoulder	PWCC TAS	Base+1		Yes

Back Carries

Do not attempt back carries with a woven wrap until you are proficient at several front carries and understand making a deep seat and strand-by-strand tightening. While back carries can safetly be done with newborns by experienced wrappers, it is best for first-time-wrappers to wait until their child has strong trunk control before attempting. Begin by practicing with a mirror and a spotter over a soft surface like a bed.

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Tandem Carries

Wearing two babies at the same time can be a game changer for parents with multiple children, especially twins. Be sure to master wrapping one child at a time before attempting to wrap them both, however.

In general, carries with both babies on the front will be easier with twins or babies of equal size. Carries that have one on the front and one on the back can be done with children of different ages.

Expand for a list of carries.

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If you are wondering what happened to the terms "Rebozo Carry" or "Rebozo pass" and why some carries' names and acronyms have changed, click here.

For a great video on nursing-friendly carries, click here.

-- Alyssa Leonard - 2016-08-16

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