Remember my lamentations about wearing my trio? Well, I’ve gotten better at wearing them.
Just like I said, I didn’t give up.
And just like you said, it got easier.
Or I made it easier.
My trio just love being worn so much that I didn’t have the heart to quit. Some naps turn unsuccessful, and if I strap them into some device that allows them to snuggle and me to be up and doing things – it’s a huge win for everyone.
The begin of my rise against Babywearing Turmoil came when I met the gorgeous Mandy (who writes TempestBeauty) for coffee one night … was it last week? The week before? Hell, I don’t even know.
ANYHOW.
I walked in, and she was wearing her sweet Ruby girl in a Sleepy Wrap. Huh. Never heard of that one. But my instant thought was, “WOW. Ruby looks COMFY!” Talking with Mandy, I found out it’s made of a stretchy jersey knit, making it super comfy but also rather droopy after some wearing.
Interesting.
Then Mandy demonstrated how she wears Ruby in the Ergo, a toy I have but hadn’t broken out yet. Folks, it was awesomesauce. It looked so easy, and Ruby again looked super comfy.
So I left our coffee date that night re-energized about babywearing. Mandy, thank you for that. The next day, I strapped Toby into the Ergo. I’m pretty sure I heard a chorus of angels. That thing is a dream. It’ll be even better the more the babies grow into it. And readers, guess what. Rob’s even worn fussy babies in it a couple times now. Woop!
I didn’t stop there, though. I wanted something like Mandy’s Sleepy Wrap, but I didn’t want to spend the money on one – even a used one I found for $20 on Craigslist. If it was just jersey cotton, I thought, I can surely make one.
And so off to Google I went. Apparently jersey cotton doesn’t fray, and the dimensions for the Sleepy Wrap were small enough to allow not one but two extra wraps to be cut from the width of a fabric bolt. And holy crap. Hobby Lobby had jersey cotton on sale for $3.99 a yard. Woop woop!
My mom and I packed the babies into my car and went off in search of my new, homemade wrap material. $20 later (yes, the same price as the Craigslist Sleepy Wrap, but now I have 3), I was washing and hanging my lime green project.
I bought 5 yards of jersey cotton. Hobby Lobby had a whole rack of prints and solids to choose from, but I ended up with solid lime. I may make more later – who knows?
Once washed and dried, we stretched out the fabric to its full length and measured – 67 inches, enough for two 20″ wraps and one 27″ wrap (SWs are 20″, and other wraps can go up to 35″). Some patient snip, snip, snipping and remeasuring along the way, and dunzo! Three new wraps!
We attached buttons at the halfway point where manufactured wraps normally have tags attached as a guide showing you where to start wrapping, but I honestly don’t need the buttons. I always have to shake out the fabric before wrapping to get it all flat, so I usually just find the middle while I’m holding it and start there.
I love the 20″ wraps more than the 27″ one. They’re nice and light. I think my biggest issue with the Moby was its bulk – I just always felt tangled in masses of fabric. Five yards is also shorter than the Moby, which means less wrap around, which is also nice. The fabric isn’t nearly as stretchy as Mandy’s Sleepy Wrap, but it does have more give than the Moby.
The best part? My trio love it. Here’s Eleanor (can you spy her?) wrapped up with me, doing Kangaroo Care/skin-to-skin last night.
Toby’s snuggled in the wrap as I write this.
Babywearing, I heart you. I especially heart you when you’re super inexpensive.
It is awesome… I love it- and mine are 19mo and over 50 pounds combined!
Are you serious you got 3 wraps out of the fabric?? That’s amazing! You should go into business.
I just got a SleepyWrap as a gift and finally figured out how to do the cradle hold. Love it and so does my little girl! Yay for baby wearing.
yay for you, jenny!! you’re not a quitter, and look where it got you. happy and loving on your babes.
Yay! That’s fabulous that you made three for the sale price of one. & that the triplets love it so much
How fantastic!!! You absolutely have to post a video of how to put it on!!! Plus we get to see more of PB&J who are awesome cute.
This is SO awesome!!! I love how dedicated you are to all the “crunchy” parenting techniques (from one crunchy mom to another). I see so many moms of multiples just kind of give up on the babywearing and breastfeeding – it’s just awesome to read your stories! It probably seems overwhelming at times, but seriously – you ARE supermom!
I made one, of course it’s pretty much the same thing as a moby. But I did the same thing. I just went to hobby lobby and got the fabric on sale. It was like a huge baby wearing win!
N lived in my Sleepy Wrap when she was teeny – I love that thing! We’ve moved on to its’ sister, the Boba (a soft structured carrier) and love it, too. I never thought to make my own SW – when #2 happens, I might just do the same thing you did! It looks awesome!
Awesome for you and your momma that you figured out how to do it better and cheaper!
I also heart baby wearing! When we’re out and about, either me or my hubby will often have the Tuckster in a bjorn (not sure how it compares to the ergo), and we have a moby at home. Not realizing all the wrap options, I just registered for the moby having it be the only one I was aware of! I too have gotten frustrated at it’s bulk. If I had only known it would be so easy to make one…
I worry I don’t do the wrapping correctly. How do you do yours?
Kate, this is the wrap/hold I currently use with my homemade wrap: http://www.sleepywrap.com/instructions/classic-hold/
Not sure how well it works with the Moby, though.
Hi!! This is the first time I’ve ever commented on your blog, but must admit I sometimes stalk (but not in a creepy way, I promise). I just wanted to say that you and your kiddos are adorable. I only have one, and imagine three to be three times everything, including the love and happiness. Anyway, on to the real reason for thus post…I have a wrap n wear and used it constantly when my guy was small, he’s a year in two weeks, so he likes walking more than rising now. The wnw came with a video and they show how to do a hold with twins!! I think it would be awesome to have two snuggled up in there. I think it requires two wraps, but no worries on that, eh?? I know it leaves the third out of the loop, but could be nice while one is sleeping or while the hubs is around to hold/wear the third. You can watch the video on their website. Might be worth a look.
Sorry for the short novel. Good luck!!
As a fellow babywearer (of only 1 babe though) I wanted to share a great website, http://www.thebabywearer.com. Awesome site dedicated to babywearing – tons of info on safe positioning, different carriers, even wearing multiples! There’s also a GREAT forum with lots of super supportive, helpful, like-minded mamas. My fave part of the forum is the for-sale-or-trade (FSOT) thread… used carriers, lots of great deals to be found, and they are all broken in and cuddly when they get to you! And if you are into wrapping, you might want to look into woven wraps – they are much more supportive than a stretchy once your babes get bigger. This sounds like an informercial (lol!) but babywearing literally saved my sanity and our breastfeeding relationship, and thebabywearer.com was a big part of it too. Enjoy wearing those babes!!