Robin’s Hip Carry is a wonderful beginner hip carry. This carry is quick and easy. You can mostly pre-tie the carry and then put the baby in. I like to tie this carry before I leave the house, put baby in her carseat, and then pop her into the carry when I arrive at my destination. This carry can also be done as a front carry by putting baby on the front, instead of the hip. I recommend waiting until you are naturally carrying baby on your hip (usually between 4-6 months) before doing a hip carry.
Click here to view this tutorial in Spanish.
To wrap a Robin’s Hip Carry, start by putting on the wrap:
Step 1: Locate the middle marker on your wrap. This is usually a small tag in the center of the wrap. Place the middle marker on the back of your neck.
Step 2: Bring one tail over one shoulder and one tail under one shoulder. If you want baby on your left side, bring the tail over your right shoulder and under your left shoulder. If you want baby on your right side, bring the tail over your left shoulder and under your right shoulder.
Step 3: Make sure that the back is well spread and not twisted. Neatly gather both tails. Bring the tail that is coming from under your arm across your chest.
Step 4: Bring the tail that is coming across your chest OVER the tail that that is hanging from your shoulder.
Step 5: Holding the tail that is coming across your chest in one hand, use the other hand to flip the tail that is hanging from your shoulder behind you.
Step 6: Bring the tail that you just flipped over the shoulder across your back at a diagonal, so that there are now two layers of wrap going at a diagonal across your back.
Step 7: This step is the secret to this carry! After bringing the tail across your back, bring it to the front and pin it between your knees. With the wrap pinned between your knees, it will be much easier to put in the baby without losing any tension in the carry. It will also be easier to tighten the carry with one tail pinned between the knees.
Now, the wrap is ready for you to put in your baby! If your baby doesn’t want to go up right now, you can tie the two tails in a loose half knot and finish the carry whenever your baby wants to be worn.
Put your baby into the carry:
Step 8: The bunched part coming across your chest is where you are going to put the baby. Pull this bunched part slightly so that you will have some room for the baby. Pick up your baby and hold baby on your shoulder as if you are going to burp the baby. Supporting baby with one hand, bring your other hand under the bunched part to guide your baby’s legs through the wrap.
Step 9: Bring the top edge of the wrap up to baby’s shoulders as you gently lower baby into the wrap.
Step 10: Pull the bottom edge down tight and then bring the bottom edge from knee to knee on baby, making a seat. In a good seat, baby is seated with knees slightly higher than bottom. The bottom edge of the wrap will make a straight line from knee to knee. To make sure the wrap goes from knee to knee, bring your hand under the leg closest to your belly. Bring your hand to the knee that is closest to your back. Pull any slack that is caught behind you forward. Then slide the slack from the back knee toward the front knee. It will be easiest to remove the slack in the next few steps if the slack is pulled toward the front.
Step 11: Check that the wrap is nice and high on baby’s back. If baby wants arms out, the wrap should go up to baby’s shoulders. If the baby has arms in, the wrap should go to the base of baby’s neck. As you are making sure the wrap is high on baby’s back, pull any slack that is caught behind you forward. This will make it easier to tighten in the next step!
Now baby is in the wrap and you are ready to tighten!
Step 12: Supporting baby with one hand, tighten the top third of the wrap. Pull the top third of the wrap out to the side so that it slides through the anchor point. It can help to lift out your opposite elbow a bit to the side so that any slack that is caught behind you will slide forward.
Step 13: Use one hand to keep tension on the top third of the wrap and use that arm to support baby. Use your other hand to pull the middle third of the wrap tight.
Step 14: Pull the bottom third of the wrap tight. It can be easiest to tighten if you pull the wrap at a diagonal toward the side (rather than down).
Step 15: Now the wrap should be very well tightened. Baby should be held snugly against you and you should feel that baby is very secure. If you do not feel like baby is secure, tighten some more. Now, you can remove the tail that you pinned between your knees.
Step 16: Tighten the tail coming across your back by pulling it out to the side. If your anchor point is too low, at this point you can bring the anchor point a bit higher and then pull the tail out to the side. Most people prefer the anchor point on this carry to be just below their collarbone.
Step 17: Bring both both tails over baby’s legs so that the tails are at the bend of baby’s knees and tie a double knot under baby’s bottom.
You did it! Robin’s Hip Carry is a beautiful and very comfortable hip carry! Share your pictures and tag #wrappingrachel and #cercademi. 🙂
If you prefer video instructions, this video shows how to do the carry. But before you watch the video, go back and read step 7! That really is the key to wrapping this carry and I didn’t know that trick when I made this video a few years ago!
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Post a photo of your carry on Instagram with the hashtag #wrappingrachel and #cercademibebe. We are happy to offer feedback on your carry or answer questions that you have. We will repost some of the pictures in our hashtags as well! Happy wrapping! 🙂