This article was originally posted on our WordPress account on May 7, 2017.
The similar names mean this carry is often confused with last week’s Front Wrap Cross Carry (FWCC). However, unlike the FWCC, this carry doesn’t have a horizontal wrap pass.
This means:
- This carry should never be attempted with a stretchy wrap as it is secure only in a woven wrap or sturdy hybrid with minimal horizontal stretch.
- This carry is extremely “poppable” (meaning easy to take baby in and out) and easy to tighten on the go.
- The easy up way in which this carry loosens and tightens makes it an excellent carry for nursing a baby with trunk control (sitting assisted, about 4 months) in an upright position.
- This carry can be performed with your base size minus one (base -1), so if you usually use a size 6 for FWCC you could probably do FCC with a size 5. However, it also works with your base size, so don’t go running out to buy a new wrap!
Important Safety Considerations:
- All the usual safety principles apply – keep baby Visible and Kissable!
- This carry is theoretically suitable for a newborn if correctly executed and tightened. However, with no horizontal pass, it is more difficult to tighten precisely than some other carries – especially for a beginner. New wrappers should probably stick to other carries until baby has some trunk control.
- Exercise care in keeping the passes clear of baby’s face when sleeping. Flipping the wrap to cap your shoulder can help keep fabric from crowding baby’s face.
- If nursing in a wrap, monitor baby throughout the feed, especially a young baby. Before wrapping and nursing, wait until nursing is well established and you are confident in your wrapping skills. Keep baby in an upright position to nurse and make sure to re-position baby high on your chest with face visible and kissable once nursing is finished, even (especially!!!) if baby has fallen asleep.
A Helpful Photo Tutorial and Videos:
Here is a photo tutorial and some videos we find helpful for learning to do Front Cross Carry. If photo tutorials and/or videos are not sufficient to meet your needs, please do not hesitate to seek out one of our events for help.
[When we share photo and video tutorials, we believe they represent good technique and relevant tips. We cannot vouch for every tutorial shared by the educators we feature. When in doubt, use your own judgement about whether a particular practice is safe – or ask a question in our Facebook group for clarification.]
Here is a photo tutorial from BWI’s South Maryland chapter, using stills from Wrapping Rachel’s video tutorial.
This is Wrapping Rachel’s FCC video tutorial with a brief explanation at the end of how to use the FCC to nurse on the go. This can be particularly useful for busy babies between 4-8 months who just can’t focus on nursing when they are out and about without some extra help.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJtmL1DAUF8]
This video by Wrap You In Love demonstrates some useful modifications, flipping the wrap to allow you to spread the back pass further up your back and create a more comfortable weight distribution. It also demonstrates capping your shoulders, which can keep little faces clear of excess fabric.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBLCy3qyWD8]
How do you like the Front Cross Carry? Where and how to do use it?
For other posts in this series, see here.
