My Go-To Secret as a Mom: The Boba Baby Wrap

When I found out that I was pregnant with my fourth baby—bringing my grand total of kids up to four in six years—I’m not going to lie to you: I cried a little. How on earth would I manage four kids six and under?!

I spent the first half of that pregnancy convinced I couldn’t handle another baby and fortunately, like most things with parenting, I was 100%, absolutely dead wrong. That little baby turned out to be the sweetest babe you could ever ask for and having her was one of the greatest gifts of my life. But that doesn’t mean that the first year with a baby and three other kids was easy; it definitely had some challenging moments.

And I soon realized that if I had any chance at all in surviving in a world where it was one mom against four kids, including a newborn and a toddler and a four-year-old and a first-grader, I’d need a secret weapon. My weapon of choice? The Boba wrap.

What is the Boba Wrap?

A Boba wrap is essentially a long, stretchy piece of fabric that you tie around your baby to wear your baby on your chest. There are a lot of different kinds of baby wraps out there and most of them differ by their fabric—some are more structured, others are more stretchy. The Boba is one of the stretchier kinds and I personally found it the most comfortable for both me and my baby to use and as a bonus, it’s known to be a great wrap for beginner baby wearers (which I was!)

Here are some of the key features of the Boba:

• Material. The Boba is made of 68% Vicose from bamboo, 25% cotton, and 7% spandex, a combination of fabric that I found to be the perfect mix of stretchy, supportive, and breathable. I had summer babies that I baby wore constantly and I never felt overheated in the Boba.
• One-size fits all. The Boba is a one-size fits all fabric that’s 16 feet long and can hold babies from birth all the way up to 35 pounds.
• Machine-washable. I’ve owned by Boba wrap for over six years now and it’s still going strong, even through washing!
• Certified Hip Healthy by the International Hip Dysplasia Institute. Just be sure you follow all instructions for wearing your baby properly to ensure hip health.

What you really need to know about the Boba wrap, however, is that the thing is a lifesaver. I used it nearly every single day to wear my baby at some point if she was being fussy, wanted to be held, or if I just needed to keep her near me while I got something else done. Plus, I loved that the Boba wrap is completely portable—it’s fabric, so you can just roll it up and toss in your car, diaper bag, or stroller, easy to use, and it was the only way I managed to get anything done with a baby and three other kids.

My babies always liked to be near to me and of course, I loved holding them, but sometimes, someone has to do the dishes and make dinner, you know what I’m saying? The Boba allowed me to do so much. Heck, I even took my daughters on a trip to Chicago and walked for miles with my baby in the Boba wrap when she was only four weeks old and lived to tell the tale.

I did everything with the Boba—used it for taking walks around our neighborhood, used it for outings with the kids, going to dinner, once at the movie theater (she slept the whole time), while grocery shopping, taking the big kids to the park, and non-stop around the house. I also work from home so baby wearing was essential to me as a work-from-home mom because it allowed me to keep my baby close and happy while still, you know, paying my bills. And although I never used the Boba wrap for nursing in because I just wasn’t that talented, you can also totally breastfeed while wearing your baby in the Boba if you are so inclined. It really would be super convenient, especially when you’re out in public.

How to Tie a Boba Wrap

First of all, I promise using the Boba wrap is not complicated, so don’t get intimidated. I am probably the least technical or coordinated person I know and I got the hang of it in a few tries, so it can be done, promise. I definitely recommend watching some of videos on the website for Boba wrap instructions to get you started, but here are the basic steps for how to tie a Boba wrap:

1. Position the wrap in front of you so the fabric is facing out. I used the Boba logo as my marker—just make sure the logo is in the middle, then wrap both sides behind your back.
2. Next, cross the sides behind your back and wrap each side over your shoulders, kind of like you’re wearing a shawl. You’ll now have two long pieces of fabric flung over each shoulder—they’ll be long enough to hit the floor and that’s normal.
3. Take those two long pieces and bunch them up so you can fit them underneath the middle piece (remember the logo?). Make sure you pull the pieces snugly through, because this is the part where you’re really creating your support.
4. Lastly, cross those pieces around your waist and back, and if there’s enough fabric, back around your front again.
5. Tie off the Boba and you’re good to go! To fit your baby in, you’ll fold down the middle panel, then fit your baby through the crisscrossed pieces, spreading the fabric over their bottom and back. Next, fold back up the middle panel to secure.

A few safety notes: Using a baby wrap is safe, but you have to ensure you’re doing it correctly. It’s important your baby is high enough on your chest that you can see their face and that they are not restricted in any way. It’s also important that you check that their leg alignment is correct anytime you use a baby wrap and that they are fully supported. Again, I’d recommend reading and following of the Boba wrap instructions on their website and any resources that come included with your wrap.

Who Should Use a Boba Wrap?

In my opinion, everyone should use a Boba wrap! I absolutely loved mine with my babies and not only did baby wearing quite literally free up my hands so I could multi-task with a baby in tow, but it provided such special memories and bonding time. To this day, despite the fact that my youngest baby is now a full-fledged busybody toddler, I keep my Boba because just seeing it brings back the rush of those sweet days spent nestling them close to my chest.

As much as I love my Boba wrap though, I will say that I did find it most helpful in the early days of having a baby. I used it the most during the first three months, but once my baby got a bit bigger, I preferred switching over to the more structured baby carrier, which offers added support for larger babies.

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