Heart to Heart Stretchy Wrap Available in Our Library

The Heart to Heart wrap is one of the stretchy wrap carriers available to hire from the Babywearing Wellington library. The team at Heart to Heart generously donated this gorgeous wrap to the library last year. Check them out at www.babywrap.co.nz

I have one of these wraps myself, which was perfect for my little lass when she was a newborn. Being cotton, it was very easy to take care of. I just threw it in the wash after one of the many messy incidents involving a number two.

The features that I really like about the Heart to Heart wrap is that it is extra wide, allowing plenty of space for those larger or taller babies such as my bonnie wee lassie. It is truly 'one size fits all': wide, long, with tapered ends, which makes it easy to tie.

Heart to Heart wraps are made from 100% quality cotton milled in NZ (no imported fabric). I love made in NZ!

The advantage of being a stretchy wrap means you can put your baby in and out without taking it off or re-tying. I also found it rather supportive of the baby's weight, especially if you get a nice snug tie and tighten it up rail by rail (come to our March slingmeet on Friday the 3rd and I'll show you how - more details about the next slingmeet to follow shortly).

The Heart to Heart wrap comes with a pocket sized instructions, which is a useful thing to throw in the nappy bag and have on hand.

These lovely wraps are available in a gorgeous moss green, beautiful blue, white or black. The one in our library is blue.

This photo is one of my earliest outings with in the my wee lassie in the Heart to Heart (at just 8 days old). Fond memories of those newborn days!

Natures Sway carriers now available from our library

The team at Natures Sway have kindly donated three carriers to our library. Natures Sway (NS) have recently added to their range - in addition to the NS sling which you probably already know about, they now also make a soft structured carrier (NS Pouch Pack) and a stretchy wrap (NS Carry Wrap).

Here's some information on each of the carriers:

NS sling


The NS sling is available in either 100% cotton or an organic blend of 55% hemp/45% cotton (which we have in the library). The design of the organic sling has been updated to make it easier to adjust and more comfortable for both you and your baby, especially in the hip carry position. The sling is designed to be used from birth till around 2 years old. The slings are easy to adjust between different wearers as they do up with an adjustable buckle, and they are also great for breastfeeding in, as shown below.

NS slings now come with a yellow safety loop which goes around the buckle for added safety. Also, in terms of safety, rest assured that the NS is not a 'bag sling' however it's very important that you place your baby in the sling correctly following the NS instructions. Your baby needs to be lying diagonally along the line of stitching (which indicates the placement of your baby's head and spine). Here's a video from NS showing exactly how to do this:

For more information on NS sling safety, see here.

NS Pouch Pack

The NS Pouch Pack is a soft structured carrier so is more comfortable for extended periods of wearing and can be used from birth to around 3 years of age. It can be used as a front or back carrier, as well as on your hip if desired. Like the organic NS sling, the main fabric of the body is 55% hemp and 45% organic cotton, with a front panel available in several different patterns (we have a fabric sample book available for you to look through). The front panel has a zip to extend the height as your child gets older. The wide shoulder pads are padded with wool for comfort on your shoulders, although, like all SSCs, the waist strap means the weight is largely distributed to your hips. There is also some padding around the the bit where your baby's legs go for added comfort. It's easy to use, and folds up relatively small to put in your bag if necessary.

NS Carry Wrap

The NS Carry Wrap is a stretchy wrap with a woven panel. The woven panel adds extra support around your baby's spine and helps prevent sagging, while the 100% organic cotton knit on the rest of the wrap is comfortable for your shoulders and back. The woven panel (available in the same range of patterns as the panel on the Pouch Pack) also means it's easy to find the centre of the wrap and tie it correctly. The wrap has a built in storage pocket so it's easy to fold up and put in your nappy bag. 

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NS have a great comparison chart available on their website comparing the features of each of these carriers to help you work out which one is right for you. If you'd like to check out any of these carriers, they'll be available to try and/or hire at our slingmeets or you can email our librarian anytime. 

Thanks again to Natures Sway for making these available to us!

Be in to win a Heart to Heart Stretchy Wrap

At Babywearing Wellington we're running a competition for one lucky person to win a Heart to Heart stretchy wrap in natural colour. This is thanks to the generosity of Jackie from Baby Wrap, who has donated this beautiful and comfortable stretchy wrap. Check them out at www.babywrap.co.nz

All you need to do to be in the draw is send us a Babywearing story by 29 April: a short paragraph or few detailing why you think you (or a friend) should get the wrap. You can use email, or send us a message on Facebook. The BWW committee will collate all stories and select by vote which one speaks 'Heart to Heart' to us the most. I can tell already that we have our work cut out for us!

The winner will be announced at our May Slingmeet, so if you enter the comp please make sure you attend on Friday 6 May at 10am at the Southern Cross in Te Aro to be able to claim your prize.

We'd love to hear more stories from our Babywearing community, and this is a wonderful opportunity to do so.

Check out the fabulous specials that Jackie has going this month - only $50 for a beautiful wrap!



I have one of these beautiful wraps myself, which was perfect for Holly as a newborn. Being cotton, it was very easy to take care of. I just threw it in the wash after one of the many messy incidents involving a number two. As Holly grew into a very bonnie baby (aka chubba bubba :)), the extra width was very handy too.

This photo is one of my earliest outings with Holly in the Heart to Heart (at just 8 days old). Fond memories of those newborn days!

Popit wrap - new to our carrier library!

Amy from Popit Wrap www.popit.co.nz has generously donated one of her stretchy wraps in aqua/black to our carrier library. So we thought it would be a good opportunity to review it.

Popit Wraps are 100% NZ designed and made. They're made from 100% light weight cotton knit which only has width wise stretch for more support and safety. They're machine washable and dryable - a big plus with babies, especially newborns! They also come with an instruction DVD (included with your hire) showing different tying methods.

They're the first stretchy wrap I've seen with two sides - colour on one side, black on the other. I really like this, as you can change it to suit your mood. When you have the black side facing out, the colour peeks through at the edges which looks cool. It's also a good way of making sure the wrap hasn't twisted as you're tying it.

Believe it or not, this was the first stretchy I have tried and I was pleasantly surprised when I put Audrey (15 months and around 10 kg) in it. It was comfortable, supportive and not nearly as 'stretchy' as I'd thought stretchy wraps were. Sarah C had one when Holly was born and enjoyed using it with a newborn. The fact it came with instructions on DVD was a big plus, and she liked how many different colourways they come in.

The instruction DVD has well paced video instructions with a voiceover explaining the different steps. I think it would be easy to follow for a beginner wrapper. The DVD contains instructions for 6 different carries, including front carries, a hip carry and a back carry. Because the Popit Wrap only has 2-way stretch it is theoretically safer for back carries, however it is not overly wide (compared to a woven wrap) which means you would need to wrap very carefully to ensure a safe carry. I would recommend only trying this if you are an experienced wrapper and don't have a child who likes leaning back.

The Popit Wrap is available to hire from Babywearing Wellington's carrier library. If you're interested, please let us know at the next slingmeet or by emailing babywearingwellington@gmail.com.

Amy would appreciate any of your feedback once you have tried it out too.

Thanks again, Amy!