Wrap in Style

Three's a charm.

In year 2010, despite our best efforts my husband and I resigned to the fact that God had made up his mind. He must have seen how we were struggling to keep up with two kids, so another baby was out of the question.

One early morning in 2011 when I discovered that I was pregnant, it was hard to digest. I still remember the day like it was yesterday.

I was surprised and it became very hard to think straight because it was something that I had forgotten about. I knew then it was best I postpone my class and made an innocent call to inform the parents.

Little did the mother of that child know that the call was anything but unusual.
Instead of a simple apology it became an hour long call with me sharing my shock and unreadiness for this pregnancy.

Start over new

You would think it's a walk in the park and mummy ought to be a pro in caring for baby after going through it twice before, but it's a big NO and I had to relearn everything.

In the process of learning I discovered the joys of breastfeeding, bed-sharing and baby wearing.
Life is so much simpler when you practise these three B's

Babywearing

My first experience was with a ring sling and then I graduated to a wrap.
Oh the joys of wrap. It is such a beautiful and simple way to carry my baby securely and snug. With practise you could do so much with just one carrier.

I would do my house chores, breastfeed, go grocery shopping and even an evening stroll while wearing her. My hands would be free allowing me to do so much and I didn't have to keep running to her crib or the baby rocker each time she cried. She was rocked to sleep while listening to my heartbeat. There are tons of benefits to babywearing and this is just the tip of the iceberg.


If you are a newbie to wraps who don't have a lot of patience and time to learn the tricks using it, I would suggest the  Hana Baby Wrap. It's a cool and light wrap made of bamboo (68%), organic cotton (28%) and elastane (4%). It is a very 'moldable' piece of cloth which doesn't require a lot of adjusting.

This would be my first experience with a 'stretchy' wrap. I have heard and read about these wraps and how they are the best choice for newborn, which I agree to now.

I have a teal Hana baby wrap which is so soft to touch and much lighter compared to my 100% cotton wrap.

The day this wrap arrived, I was like a kid with a new toy. Everything stopped in my house even the mountain of laundry stayed where I last put them.
Although it's stated on the box 'wash before use' but it's beauty gently beckoned me, gradually cajoling me and finally forcefully thrusting itself onto me like a lustful lover. *ahem, let me compose myself.

I could not resist it. I had to give this a try.

Day 1 - Endurance test

Day 1 test would be in a cool and well lit place, Sunway Pyramid.
It's been a while since we had dinner there and I needed an excuse to give this wrap an endurance test. So off to Sunway armed with my new wrap.
The results, a happy evening despite being in a crowded place. It was a good thing too I decided to carry my baby in Hana baby wrap because it made moving around so easy even with my other two little sidekicks.

I managed to carry my 8+ kg baby in it for more than an hour and didn't need any readjustment. The trick is to make sure your pre-tie is tight, very tight. It provided enough support and the weight was distributed evenly on my entire back and shoulders. I felt good wearing it, we didn't feel too hot or cold, it was just right.

Hana wrap is very easy to master but allows only one type/style of carrying, that is front carry.
The best thing about this wrap is that it very light and comfortable thanks to the bamboo and organic cotton used to make it so soft yet robust.

Day 2 - Heat test

After a successful Day 1, I needed to do more test and under different circumstances to be certain I have with me a very good wrap. Most wraps come from countries with a very forgiving summer, unlike ours. Just because it says Summer Wrap, does not necessarily mean our Malaysian hot days.

Both baby and I don't like being out in the sun too long. We sweat profusely and become very agitated. So this is a very important test and I decided to braze the afternoon sun at the International Youth Centre (IYC), Cheras during a Vasakhi programme.

To my amazement (seriously, I kept asking each person I met,"are you feeling hot?") I didn't  feel like removing the wrap. I wasn't sweating to the point of wanting to run into an air conditioned room.  In fact, whenever my baby decided she wanted to walk I did not bother to untie the wrap and left it wrapped on me (which makes more sense as you can easily pop your baby back in).

She's all smiles even after being in the wrap for over half hour

Day 3 Have fun

While at the IYC a friend commented that I had on a very beautiful designer top. That's how gorgeous Hana wrap is. So for day 3 I decided to pair this wrap with my breastfeeding top.

The result...

My fashionable top before popping her in the wrap

My fashionable top after taking her out of it

Now I have a very unique top that I needn't remove when my baby wants some freedom-she loves showing off with her new acquired skills-walking and running about.

One Hana baby wrap, three functions;
1) use it to carry my baby
2) use it as a breastfeeding cover
3) turn it into a, fashionable enough to be worthy of a designer's label top.

What more can you ask for?

Some things to note:

There is only one carrying method for Hana baby wrap which is easily mastered and the box comes with clear pictured instructions.

It is a light and comfortable wrap (thanks to it's super soft bamboo fabric) which I suggest you pre-tie in the comfort of your home. It can be rather intimidating to handle the length of this wrap when you are new to wraps and are trying to tie it in unfamiliar places (I don't like my wrap touching the floor).

Hana baby wrap has a 4% elastane which help makes this wrap very moldable and easy for you to put your baby in. The stretch after putting my 8+kg baby in was fine but I cannot ascertain how it would be once she is much heavier. It is stated on the box it's suitable from birth to 12.5kg.

I have yet to pick 'the one and only carrier' suitable from birth right up to toddlerhood even after my extensive research on baby carriers. I have come to realise it's a little tough (not impossible) to pick just one because with time baby's needs and likes change.
My baby was fine in a ring sling up to 8 months but nowadays my shoulders ache after 30 minutes. I tend to reach for my wrap more often now.


Tis time for my cuppa in a cafe with my fashionable top...



Disclosure: I received the wrap photographed in the post for review purpose. 

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