Page 9 - Babywearing

By definition, a baby carrier is a device used to carry an infant or small child on the body of an adult caregiver. On-the-body baby carriers are designed in various forms such as slings, wraps, and soft structured front, back or hip carriers. Varying materials and degrees of rigidity, decoration, and support are used for carrying the child.  Here are a few common types of baby carriers and some considerations for choosing a baby carrier that best suits your family. Slings Slings are a baby carrying device comprised of a piece of cloth. The ends of the cloth are linked together, sometimes with a metal ring on one end and known as a Ring Sling. It is "slung over the shoulder and a pouch to put the baby in is formed at the wearer's waist. Wraps A wrap carrier does exactly what it sounds like: it wraps itself around you and your baby. A wrap is a long strip of fabric that goes around the wearer's body several times and is tied in a way that creates a secure pocket for the baby

A Ride on Mother's Back - A Day of Baby Carrying Around the World Written by Emery Bernhard and Illustrated by Durga Bernhard 1996 Harcourt, Inc. ($12.00 on Amazon) This is a remarkably beautiful book, simply written with outstanding art work that illustrates Babywearing around the world. It asks the questions: "How do different peoples carry their babies? and "What is it like to ride on mother's back? From Guatemala, Bali, Central Africa, Canada, West Africa, Thailand, Amazon River, Katmandu, Papua New Guinea, to the Andes Mountains of South America, descriptions of how these different cultures all work and play hands free are depicted. It is a wonderful picture book for children as well as adults because it shows family members carrying "their babies all through the day, while planting and harvesting, tending and gathering, cooking and playing. Snuggled and cuddled, jiggled and bounced, bundled and rocked, babies discover the world they live in. Today this practice is called Attachment

Is the practice of Babywearing catching up with history? Is it only something native peoples do? How many parents do you see or know who wear their babies in carriers? Or is it something that celebrities like Madonna, Angelina and Brad, Gwen Stefani, and Julia Roberts are popularizing? The answer to the first question is yes, Babywearing is experiencing a vigorous renaissance. And yes, every country in the world has a traditional baby carrier designed to meet their particular needs such as type of work, climate, and wearing positions: Mexico, the Rebozo; Peru, the Manta; Guatemala, the Parraje; Alaska, the Amauti; Papua New Guinea, the Bilum; Indonesia; a Selendang; Asia, Mei-tai (China) and Onbuhimo (Japan)i. All mothers, African, Welsh, Ethiopian, Maori and European have carriers of their own designs. A beautiful book about this is: "A Ride on Mother's Back, A Day of Baby Carrying Around the World by Emery and Durga Bernhard, Harcourt, Inc. Just look around in airports and shopping