 Our fourth Carry of the Week is the Reinforced Rear Rebozo Rucksack. This is a variation of the standard Ruck back carry we did for Carry #3. This back carry is a little bit trickier than a standard ruck, but after a couple tries, it gets easier! The difference between the Pirate Carry and the Ruck is an extra pass that reinforces the carry and adds extra support under baby's bottom and around baby's back. This carry can easily be done using a shorty wrap (size 2 or 3), but you can practice it with a longer wrap if that's all you have. We will add some variations over the next two weeks, some of which will help use up that extra tail you'll have hanging down if you use a longer wrap. If you have never done a back carry with a wrap before, please start out with the basic version of this carry, the Ruck, which can be found here: http://weecarry.weebly.com/2/post/2013/01/carry-3-ruck.htmlAlso, remember that stretchy wraps are NOT ok to use for back carries. You should always use a woven wrap when wrapping baby up on your back.
Wee Carry Video Tutorials
Wee Carry Written Tutorial
Coming Soon!
Wee Carry Photo Tutorial
Coming Soon!
RRRR Variations
Coming Soon!
 Our third Carry of the Week is the Ruck. This is essentially the same thing as the Kangaroo Carry we did for Carry #2, only on your back. Ruck is the simplest and quickest back carry to do, so it's an excellent first back carry to learn.
Although it is a simple back carry, that doesn't mean it will always be easy for a first time wrapper. Back carries are very different from front carries as well, so even if you have mastered the Kangaroo Carry, the Ruck may still challenge you.
The best advice we can give to anyone new to back carries, or new to wrapping in general, is that practice makes perfect. If you don't get it the first few times, don't be discouraged. Back carries have a learning curve all their own. If you are nervous or tense, baby may sense this and fuss or squirm. The more comfortable you get with wrapping, the more comfortable your baby will get as well.
If this is your first time doing a back carry, our best advice is to make sure baby is fed, not sleepy, has a clean diaper, and is in a good mood. Trying to wrap an emotional baby is difficult even for the most talented wrappers. Also, try giving your baby a toy or a small snack (depending on age) to occupy him/her while you are learning. For safety reasons, newbies should also back wrap over a bed or couch, and in front of a mirror (or your reflection in the window, tv, etc) so that you can see what you are doing. Even using your computer or iPad's built-in camera as a mirror can help.
Wee Carry Video Tutorials Wee Carry Written Tutorial The Ruck carry starts with the middle marker in the center of your baby's back. Placing baby on your hip, hold the center of the wrap at baby's neck, and pull the fabric down and between baby's legs to make a seat. You may even want to tuck that fabric down into baby's pants to create a sturdier seat. Take the wrap tail that is behind your back and bring it over the shoulder opposite the side you are holding baby on.
Now, you will hip scoot baby onto your back, keeping the wrap over baby's shoulders and arms, and bouncing him/her up nice and high so he/she can see over your shoulder. It is important to maintain that seat you created in the beginning. Bring the second tail up over your other shoulder, keeping baby's arms and shoulders tucked in.
Next, tighten the top rail to keep baby's shoulders against your back. You may now hold the top rail in your teeth or under your chin. If your seat has come loose, or you chose the superman toss method of getting baby on your back, you will now make a seat.
Pull the bottom rail of the wrap down nice and tight while still holding the top rail with your chin or teeth. Now, pull it up between you and baby, nice and high, reaching your arms under baby's legs and between your bodies to do so. Make sure the fabric goes from knee to knee, and gives a nice bottom lower than knees position.
Now grab the tails and bring them down under your arms, over baby's legs. Cross under baby's bottom, then pass under his/her legs and bring the tails to your front. Tie off in front, and you have just completed a ruck! Wee Carry Photo Tutorial Coming soon! Ruck Variations Ruck Tied at Chest
Tandem - Ruck Tied Tibetan and FCC
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Ruck with Chest Belt (w/ a big kid!)
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 Our second carry of the week is Kangaroo Carry. This is a front carry that you can do with a shorty wrap (size 2 or 3) or with a longer wrap, depending on how you tie it off. Kangaroo carry is great for babies that fall asleep when worn, because it is very easy to unwrap the baby and lay them down to sleep from this carry.
If you have "mastered" the FWCC, Kangaroo Carry is a great next step. Still a front carry, it's not so intimidating as a back carry, but is very similar to a ruck back carry. Once you perfect the technique of the Kangaroo Carry, moving on to a ruck should be much less intimidating, as it's essentially the same carry with baby on your back rather than on your front.
Below you will find our video tutorials, a written tutorial, a photo tutorial, and variations of the Kangaroo Carry. We will be adding to this page throughout the duration of this COTW, so check back often for more tips and tricks!
Wee Carry Video Tutorials Wee Carry Written Tutorial Kangaroo Carry begins with the middle marker of your wrap in the center of your chest. You then take the right side of your wrap and drape it over your right shoulder, and take the left side of your wrap and drape it over your left shoulder. You have now created a pouch in the center in which to place your baby.
Pick up baby and place him/her high on your shoulder and put his/her feet in the pouch and through the bottom. Bring the bottom rail up between your stomachs to create a "seat" for baby. Pull the top rail up to baby's neck.
Now, put your hand under the wrap on your left shoulder and grab the rail closest to your neck. Pull that rail out to your shoulder, bringing the outside rail in towards your neck at the same time. This creates a twist in the wrap. Repeat this step with the wrap tail over your right shoulder.
Now grab the right tail behind your back with your left hand and bring it around to the front over baby's leg and under baby's bottom. Grab the left tail behind your back with your right hand and bring it around to the front over baby's leg and under baby's bottom.
Tighten strand by strand, remembering that the wrap has a twist in it at the shoulders so the bottom rail will tighten the top and the top rail will tighten the bottom.
Once baby is snug and secure, you are ready to tie off. If you are using a short wrap you will tie a knot right under baby's bottom. If you are using a longer wrap you will cross your tails under baby's bottom and under the legs, bringing the tails to your back to tie off. Wee Carry Photo Tutorial Pinterest Board - Carry of the Week #2: Kangaroo Carry http://pinterest.com/weecarry/carry-of-the-week-2-kangaroo-carry/
Kangaroo Carry Variations Coming Soon!
 Our first Carry of the Week is Front Wrap Cross Carry, or FWCC. This is a great beginner carry, and has multiple variations so you are sure to find a variation you love. These variations also allow for different sized wraps to be used, which is great if you are a beginner with only one wrap, or an expert with a variety of wraps in different sizes. If you have never used a woven wrap, FWCC is a great place to start.
Below, you will find our video tutorials, as well as a written tutorial, along with photographs of our babies wrapped in Front Wrap Cross Carry. Hopefully all of these together will help you to become more comfortable doing a FWCC over the next two weeks. We know you will find a variation of FWCC that you love! We hope you will try them all over the next two weeks! Please post pictures of your FWCC on Instagram and Twitter using #weecarrycotw so we can see your progress!
Please subscribe to our RSS feed to receive Carry of the Week updates, and to be notified of new Carry of the Week posts every two weeks! Please feel free to add questions and tips in the comments at the bottom of the page! Every babywearer appreciates tips and tricks to improve their carries!
Wee Carry Video Tutorials
Wee Carry Written Tutorial
 FWCC begins with the middle marker at the center of the wrap at your chest. You then take the right side of the wrap and cross it under your arm, behind your back, and over your left shoulder.
Take the left side and cross it under your arm, behind your back, and over your right shoulder. You should now have two long tails hanging down over your shoulders with a pass running horizontally across your chest/stomach underneath the tails.
Putting your baby high onto your shoulder, place his/her feet into that horizontal pass and pull them through the bottom, then pull the top of that pass up over baby's shoulders.
With baby's feet hanging out, you can now pull the excess fabric up between baby's legs and sandwich it between your bellies, creating a "deep seat" to hold your baby. This seat should extend from knee to knee, pulling baby's knees up higher than his/her bottom and wrapping baby's legs around your body (Younger babies will keep their legs more in front of their own body rather than wrapping around. This is okay.).
Now you will tighten the wrap around your baby. Pulling the inside rails, closest to your neck, will tighten the top rail around baby's neck and shoulders. Pulling the outside rails, closest to your shoulders, will tighten the pass under baby's bum and will help to raise the knees above the bottom.
I like to tighten "strand by strand" which means pulling the top rail tight, then the center section of wrap, followed by the bottom rail. I also tighten one side completely and hold it in my hand, then move to the other side.
Once both sides are tight, you can grab the tails and stretch your arms above you making a Y shape to pull everything just a little tighter, bouncing to get baby seated well. If you have a short wrap, you can tie under baby's bottom securely, and you are all finished.
If you have a longer wrap, you then cross your tails under baby's bottom, and then pass them under his/her legs, pulling the tails around to your back. You may tie at the back, or if your wrap is long enough you may cross the tails behind your back bringing the wrap back to the front and tie there.
Variations include the three different ways to tie off mentioned in the tutorial. You can tie a short wrap directly under baby's bum once the wrap is tightened snugly around baby.
This is a great carry if baby is going to sleep because you can very easily pull a fabric pass over baby's head for extra support and carry on with your daily tasks, or untie and lay baby down without disturbing him/her much.
You can tie a medium length wrap at your back, and you can bring a long wrap back around to the front tying at your belly.
Other variations include:
~Newborn baby modifications: With a newborn you may want to keep baby's legs tucked in the wrap and "froggied". Also, for extra head support you can take a burp cloth or any towel and roll it up inside the top rail behind baby's head. This extra padding gives the needed support a young baby lacking adequate head control needs to safely be carried.
~Sandwiching your wrap at your shoulders - Pulling the bottom rail underneath the wrap to meet the top rail so it is now folded in half. This makes for a thicker, less "diggy" carry.
~Twisting the wrap just below your shoulders -Twisting your wrap, just below your shoulders, at chest level, is a great way to ensure that baby is getting proper ventilation. It neatly keeps the wrap away from baby's face.
~Spreading your cross passes - Rather than just crossing your bunched wrap under baby's bottom, you can spread the wrap out to completely cover baby for extra support. For this method, once you have tightened the wrap around baby, you can hold one side in your hand to maintain tension, then take the other side and spread across baby from knee to knee, tucking any excess under baby's bottom for extra support. Pull nice and tight and run it under baby's opposite knee. Take side two and repeat. Then pull around to your back and tie, or cross in back and tie in front.
Wee Carry Photo Tutorial Click on the images below to see the full size photos with step-by-step instructions. Pinterest Album - Carry of the Week #1 - FWCC
FWCC Variations FWCC Tied Under the Bum FWCC Tied at the Shoulder Front Carry With a Ring Waist Wrap Conversion Mei Tai | FWCC with a Mei Tai FWCC with a Stretchy Wrap |
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