Whether you’re a brand-new babywearing mum or dad or have been carrying for a little longer... if you look online (especially on Facebook) for information about babywearing, you can’t avoid them: abbreviations and terms related to babywearing! Hedwych from Wrap You in Love has put them all together! From now on, FWCC or DH will no longer be complete gibberish to you!

Because the abbreviations are used in English, their explanations are also in English. If you don’t understand something, you can of course always email us!

Wrap carries:

BWCC = back wrap cross carry

BWCC with CB = back wrap cross carry with a chest belt

CB = chest belt

CCCB = candy cane chest belt – a chest belt where the wrap ends are twisted

CCC = Charlie's cross carry

CHCC = coolest hip cross carry

DH = double hammock

DHDR = Double Hammock double rings

FCC = front cross carry

FFO = front facing out

FWCC = front wrap cross carry

HJBC = Half-Jordan’s Back Carry

HCC = hip cross carry

JBC = Jordan’s back carry

Lexi twist = created by twisting both tails of the wraps one or two times

Pirate’s carry = RRRR

PWCC = pocket wrap cross carry

Rebozo = Traditional piece of cloth, but this term has been used for a pass (now referred to as sling pass) and carry too (now referred to as traditional sling carry)

Reinforced = spread out cross passes (opposite = bunched)

RR = reinforced ruck

RRRR = reinforced rear rebozo ruck

RTAS = ruck(sack) tied at the shoulder

RTIF = ruck(sack) tied in front

RTUB = ruck(sack) tied under the bum

SBCC = short back cross carry

SCC = short cross carry

SHBC = secure high back carry

Tandemwearing = wearing two children at the same time

TUB = tied under bum

T2T = Tummy-to-tummy

TAS = tied at shoulder

TC = Taiwanese carry

TIF = tied in front

TT = tied tibetan

TUB = tied under bum

WCC = wrap cross carry

WPBC = Wiggle-proof back carry

Wraps:

Blend = the materials used, mostly written down in percentages

Blunt = the tails of the wrap can finish with a straight end, this is common with handwoven wraps

Broken thread = snagged thread that broke

Felting = Due to improper washing or treatment a wool wrap can felt. Heat and agitation when wet can cause this damage. The wool will shrink and look/feel fuzzy. There are different degrees of felting, mostly a wrap isn’t safe to be used for babywearing anymore after felting.

FWW = full wrap width

Hemmed = the rails are sewn

HW = handwoven

HWW = half wrap width

ITW = in the works

LE = limited edition

MM = middle marker

MW = machine woven

Natty = Natural (white/creme/undyed)

Nub = thick lump in the yarn, common in linen/hemp but can also occur with other yarn materials. Doesn’t influence safety.

OTL = on the loom

Permacrease = Permanent creasing in a woven wrap. Especially linen and hemp wraps are affected by this. Ironing and folding your wrap differently every time after wearing can help to prevent perma creasing

Permastash = part of the stash that the owner wants to keep ‘forever’ (at least the owner doesn’t plan to sell or trade it in the near future)

Prima = classic design from Didymos, available in a lot of colours and blends, previously known as 'Indio'.

Pull = sometimes a thread gets snagged, by jewelry, nails, keys…. (mostly) these loops are easy to fix, but if you don’t fix it, it can break

Selvedges = common term in the handwoven world, the top rail and bottom rail are the edges that run parallel to the warp, and are created by the weft thread looping back at the end of each row. The selvedges keep the fabric from fraying/unravelling and don’t need to be hemmed (mostly)

Slub = similar to nubs, this means an irregularity in the yarn/weaving. doesn’t affect safety. (often nubs and slubs are mentioned together or for the same weaving flaw)

SSS = stash shot sunday / saturday (showing your stash on this day)

Stash = your complete collection of wraps and/or carriers

Stretchy = jersey / stretchy wrap, mostly not very supportive but great with a newborn

Tapered = the tails of the wrap can finish diagonal, this makes it easier to tie a small knot

Threadshifting = when different yarn materials are used, or a wrap has a very loose weave the threads can shift. You can easily push the threads back in place, severe threadshifting can create holes.

Warp = the longitudinal threads that run the entire length of the fabric

Weaversknot = Yarn is not endless; sometimes there are knots in the cones of yarn used for a wrap. You may occasionally notice these little knots in machine-woven wraps.

Weft = The horizontal threads woven through the warp

Carriers:

FB = Full buckle, a carrier with buckles on the waist and shoulder straps.

Fergo = Fake Ergo (try to stay away from those counterfeits)

HB = Half buckle, a carrier with a buckle at the waist and shoulder straps that need to be tied like a Mei Tai. I love the option of finishing with a Tibetan finish or a candy-cane chest belt

MT = Mei Tai, a carrier that needs to be tied. Bodypanel with (long) straps at the shoulders and waist. One size fits (almost) all wearers; you can try different ways to tie it off.

NBC = Narrow-based carrier, not ergonomic for the baby; a lot of popular carriers fit in this category.

Onbu = Onbuhimo, a carrier without a waist strap. Mostly with two rings at the waist. Great for bigger kids and/or pregnant babywearing mamas.

Pod = podeagi, similar to a Mei tai, a bodypanel with straps. This one doesn’t have a waistbelt and the bodypanel is much bigger because you tie the tails over the bodypanel to create the cross under your child’s bum.

Pouch = non-adjustable sling; make sure to get the right size for you

Reverse HB = half buckle with buckles on the shoulder straps and a waist belt that needs to be tied

RS = ring sling, a piece of wrap fabric with two rings. Asymmetrical, great for quick ups or hot weather. Easy to adjust, you can use this from the very first day.

SSC = soft structured carrier = full buckle

WCMT = wrap conversion mei tai, a mei tai made from wrap fabric