Babywearing: the "art" of carrying your baby
The art of the cuddle
Babywearing is the "art" of carrying your baby, very close to your body, in a fabric baby carrier (sling).
When we carry our baby, it feels our embrace, it is up high, it is at the centre of the action (but not the centre of attention!), it feels our heart beating, it feels the warmth of our body and our movement as we walk.
As we kiss it, hold it and it watches us talk, we offer it a wonderful environment that nurtures its psychosomatic development. And while it is comfortable and secure in our arms, for us it feels lighter and we can keep our hands free!
This is nothing new! The idea is not original, just as the need isn’t either! Long before strollers were invented, babywearing was very common. Mothers have always done it, in every part of the world, in every society. They tied their children onto themselves and worked in the fields or at home.
In many countries around the world, even today, carrying your baby is not only common but essential. The knowledge of this method was passed down from generation to generation. Unfortunately, part of this "knowledge" was lost with the introduction of strollers into our children’s lives, but not entirely.
In the modern Western world, for some years now, parents have been rediscovering babywearing, taking into account both maternal instinct and modern medical views, and are once again starting to carry their babies, something that is natural, simple, easy and enjoyable.
The baby in the photo beside this text (carried by her nanny in Africa in a torso carry with a pareo) is now a mum who carries her own baby with a sling and a pouch! I thank her so very much for giving me this photo, which dates back to 1974 and shows the little one at about 7 months old! I’m so happy that she is among the mums in this site’s photo collection, with her "asteraki"!
read more:
Traditional babywearing in Greece
Read about:
- Why is it good to carry my baby and how is it different from the carriers we already know?
- When can I start carrying my baby and until when?
- Will my baby want to be held all the time, or be late to walk?
- How do I put on my sling? (instructions for use!)
Images and videos about the art of babywearing
Watch videos about baby carriers and babywearing:
Video instructions: “How to put on a baby carrier”
Video with instructions for the Asteraki ring sling :
Video with instructions for the Asteraki mei tai :
