Just getting started with your babywearing adventures? The Front Wrap Cross Carry is the simplest carry you can tie, and the one most people start off with. This carry is sometimes shortened FWCC and you’ll find tons of different videos on youtube if you need video guidance.
Below is our (admittedly) quite elaborate guide, on how to tie the Front Wrap Cross Carry correctly. The web is full of tutorials that simplify the process, but we chose to (for now), break the process into 35 smaller steps and tried to cover all the details you and little tips and tricks that you may find useful.
Should you have any questions, never hesitate to reach out!
Gather the fabric in front f you. Find the middle marker of your wrap Position the middle marker on your chest While holding the wrap in place on your chest with one arm, use your other arm to bring one end of the wrap across your back and over the opposite shoulder, such that one end of the wrap now rests on your shoulder and falls in front of you. Gather the fabric nicely on your shoulder. This is where you’ll carry your child’s weight so wrinkles here can be annoying later. Repeat the last two steps for the other end of the wrap. The fabric should now make a X over your back and both ends of the fabric should fall from your shoulder and in front of you. Now gather the fabric that runs across your chestin front of you. Make sure it’s loose enought to make a good pouch for your baby to sit in. Now it time to pick up your baby. A pillow or doll will also do if you’re practicing. While supporting your baby’s bottom with one hand, guide your baby’s feet through the fabric that runs across your chest, with your other hand. Position your baby high enough on your chest such that your baby’s forehead can be kissed. While still supporting your baby’s bottom with one hand, drag the upper rail of the fabric across your baby’s back. This part of the fabric supports your baby’s back.
For newborns: pull the rail to your baby’s earlobes, but make sure not to put pressure on the neck.
For babies with good head control: pull the fabric at least up to the top of the spine, and no higher than the earlobes.
For babies that walk: pull the fabric at least to your baby’s armpits, and never higher than the earlobes.While still supporting your baby’s bottom with one hand use your other hand to adjust the seat such that the fabric supports your baby’s bottom from popliteal to popliteal. While you still support your baby’s bottom with one hand: grab the lower rail of the fabric in front of you and try to squeeze it up, and inbetween you and your baby. This step prepares a nice seat for your baby. Your free hand can now grab one of the two ends of the fabric that still hang from your shoulders. It may be a good idea to grab the rail that is the inner part of the X on your back. If you feel comftable, you can now move your supporting hand from your baby’s bottom to your baby’s back. Start tightening the rail that you’ve grabbed and pull it towards the hand that supports your baby’s bottom. You can support your baby with the back of your hand and have your fingers free to hold the fabric in place as you tighten. Tighten the rail a few times across the width of the wrap. Start closets to your neck and work your way across the width of the wrap. You should feel that the wrap start to take some of the weight of your baby already. Swap hands on your baby’s bottom and tighten the other rail. One of your hands now has to hold one end of the wrap in place while supporting your baby. You should fell that you now have one free arm to tightening of the other rail. Start the tighteing of the other rail. Start with the rail that is closest to your nack. Tighten the wrap from your neck towards your shoulder. The hand that you do not use for tightening should now hold the other end of wrap while holding the newly tightened fabric in place. This will naturally also support your baby’s bottom. Finish the tighteing. Avoiding rinkles on your shoulder is a key factor for your comfort as this is where you carry your baby’s weight. Take your time to get a nice and tight wrap. It’ll be worth it not to rush this part. After you’ve tightened the wrap over your shoulders, one hand should now hold both ends of the wrap underneath your baby’s bottom. Well done: Already one hand free. Cross the ends of the wrap underneeth your baby’s bottom. Make sure to keep the ends tight. You can now have each end of the wrap in each of your hands. The ends should cross below your baby’s bottom. An important step is now to bring each end of the wrap across to your back. make sure that you pass the ends UNDER your baby’s feet. This will create an ergonomic and safe carrying position for your baby’s pelvis. Do the same thing on the other side with the other end of the wrap. Bring the wrap end to your back, while you make sure the fabric runds under your baby’s leg to support to the popliteal. On your back you’ll now create a knot. You can make any knot as long as its not slipping. In the following steps we demonstrate how to make a simple double knot. Tie first a simple knot with both wrap ends on your back. Give the knot an extra tightening to keep it in place. Make another knot on top of the previous to make a double knot. Congratulations! Your baby is now safely supported by your Levate wrap. Check that both leg passes run under your child’s legs. Do you feel comfortable to let go of your ends? If not: then something is wrong and we suggest you go back to correct whatever feels wrong. Ready for a world of free hands and hour-long hugs? Well done!
