Leap Into Spring! Carry of the Week: Double Hammock

The Carry of the Week for week 3 is the Double Hammock (DH).

The double hammock is a beloved back carry for older babies and toddlers. The pass that is spread across your chest distributes the weight evenly and helps in keeping all of the weight from being on your shoulders. That makes this a great option for when you know you will be wearing your baby for longer periods of time. This carry is done with a wrap that your base size.

Practice all carries, especially back carries with a spotter, over a bed or couch, or low to the ground until you are completely confident. A BWI meeting is the perfect place to learn new skills with the assistance of a Volunteer Babywearing Educator. In most cases it is best to be comfortable with front carries before attempting back carries. (BWI Babywearing Safety) We recommend waiting until your baby can sit unsupported to begin back carries. You should always try your first back carries with a spotter or over a soft surface such as a bed. However, if you have completely mastered front and hip carries and have successfully back wrapped another baby, it is safe to do back carries in a woven wrap with a baby who isn’t sitting unsupported yet. (BWI Back Wrapping Infants).

First up is a video tutorial with Maddy. She's using a wrap from our lending library, the Girasol Symphuo Columbia in a Size 6.

Please welcome back from vacation our photo tutorial VBE, Lauren!

Double Hammock back carry is a carry that uses a base size wrap and starts off center (usually about 18" from the middle marker).

Get your baby onto your back using any method you feel comfortable with, Superman or Hip Scoot are the most common.

Create a seat by tucking the bottom rail all the way to baby's knees and use strand by strand tightening on the wrap to remove any slack from the whole width of the wrap.

Once baby is on your back and you've made a seat, create a rebozo pass with the long tail coming under or arm and the short tail coming over the opposite shoulder. Pin the short tail between your knees as we will be working with the long tail first. 

With the short tail pinned between your knees, use both hands to use the long tail to make a nice, tight chest pass. You can strand by strand tighten to remove the slack throughout the width of the chest pass. 

After bringing the chest pass across the front of your body, spread it under your arm, across baby's back, and over your opposite shoulder to make the second pass. 

A nice L-pull will help to remove slack from the second pass. You can also strand by strand tighten here to get your chest pass nice and smooth.

Bring both tails down under your armpits, creating ruck straps.

Cross the straps behind your back. They should go over baby's first knee, then tuck under baby's opposite knee to pin the seat in place.

Tie a double knot in front.

Double hammock is a very supportive and popular back carry. There are many variations and finishes that give a different look and feel to the carry, including variations for shorter wraps!

Check back next Monday for a new Carry of the Week!