Ethnic babywearing.

[kiskidee]

Women all around the world carrying their babies.

[ajm200]

I've got a kari-me that I tried for the first time a few weeks ago using my 21 month old as guinea pig. I managed to put it on correctly and put him in it. Even with the extra stretch he seemed very light.

I should add that I'm 32 weeks pregnant and had him hanging on my front along with my bump. Should be very comfy with a newborn.

[kiskidee]

The thing with babywearing in a lot of societies is that it is done by those in the lowest strata of the societies. Mainly rural peasants. As the country itself becomes more 'affluent' or peasants move to cities to find work, they see this part of their culture (and others regard it too) as something that only backward rustics do and they would rather aspire to a cheap and nasty pushchair.

[FAQ]

kiskidee - not in my experience - I saw only a handful of pushchairs in 2 1/2yrs living in Zimbabwe - and they were all used by whites or tourists.

[kiskidee]

Wow. that is great FAQ. It isn't like that in Mexico I can assure you.

Latinos (mix-race Mexicans) look down at the indigena population and the Latinos would never ever think of using a rebozo. When you point out how much sense it makes, they look at you like you are from some other planet.

In Los Angeles for example they would rather use pushchairs or babybjorns which imo is a poor western imitation of a cloth carriers.

[AnnVan]

Kiskidee - Echo what FAQ says. I can't vouch for other tribes, but the zulu ladies carried on wearing babies on their backs even in the cities. I was born there, so that was normal for me. I can't recall everhaving seen a black lady with a pram.

[foxytocin]

It's great to hear that in Southern Africa not everyone is in a rush to catch up with modernity.

I taught a huge strapping lad from Zimbabwe and he told me that his mum carried him till he was 4. Even some African women were telling her he was getting too big to be carried but she carried him anyway till he was no longer interested.

[foxytocin]

oh, that was really kiskidee who is having a namechange evening.

like it?

[belgo]

foxytocin sounds like an antibiotic sorry!

[misdee]

is it easy to do the back carries? i nwever really got the hang of it with dd3, but loved carrying her in a moby wrap sling, as well as the ringsling.

[foxytocin]

{grin] no belgo, it sounds like oxytocin with an F stuck on the front! I thought it can be my new name till go I pop.

[belgo]

not long to go now foxytocin!

Misdee - it's so comfortable carrying a child on your back, once you've got the hang of it!

I carried dd2 until she was two and a half in an ergo, and it was more comfortable then a rucksack!

[BabiesEverywhere]

misdee, Back carries are easy once you are use to doing them I practise with a sling standingnext to or on a double bed/sofa to give me confidence throwing DD on my back.

Try your nearest sling meet to get real life sling help here

[AnnVan]

Foxytocin I need some of that special hormone I think - am due tomorrow, and no sign of any action as yet
MIL has a panic attack every time I phone, in case she needs to spring into action!
Still can't make up my mind about which sling to get. There don't seem to be many sling meet people near me sadly, and travelling to Maidstone is just not possible with my horrible pregnancy issues.

[foxytocin]

any stretchy wrap on this page are very good. If you have never wrapped before and will be wrapping a newborn then a stretchy wraps are the way to go, imo.

the owner of bigmamaslings will give really good advice.

[AnnVan]

Ok have jumped in with both feet, and ordered a Moby wrap. COuldn't carry on dithering any longer. Sorry another question for babywearers - what do you do about wearing a coat etc? Do you put the sling on over your coat, or put the coat on over sling& baby?

[Paddlechick666]

great link Kiski, how are you?

I resurrected my storch the other day with the help of susiecutebananas.

if i could only master the back cross wrap dd would feel as comfy as she does in the ergo.

it was rather hilarious tho as first time I nearly garrotted myself having not got my arms under the wrap. 2nd time (for me, 3rd for dd who'd been on susie's back already), dd starts yelling "i don't like this game anymore"!!!

annvan, enjoy the moby. tbh I never bothered with a coat as both dd and me keep quite warm so a jumper for me was sufficient. golf brolly when wet. you can get babywearing coats tho, they look fabulous but are a bit pricey.

[foxytocin]

I was thinking of you the other day paddlechick and that Cwtshi you have. If you still have it and decide to sell it, can you let me know first?

Have you tried the Tibetan High Back Carry? DD loves that one because she is nosy so she can see to her sides and over my shoulder.

It is simpler that than the back wrap cross carry too.

[foxytocin]

if you need a coat, AnnVan, with a small baby you are wearing on your front, a size up in a fleece or winter coat works nicely. Then if you stick with it you may want to invest in a winter babywearing coat but they are expensive so it depends on how much you would use it. Just dress your baby warmer and if you look at bigmamaslings' shop you will find something called babylegs that is the only extra thing I would get for a baby on my back.

Oh Paddlechick, I am doing fine. currently 37wks pg, with spd but the baby has dropped so it is more comfy than between 30 and 35 when baby was all in front.

[AnnVan]

Wow am really impressed with big mama slings. My Moby arrived this morning! I only ordered it yesterday.

[wonderstuff]

AnnVan I have a moby and love it, now dd is nearly 10mo I find her too wriggly on my front but fine on my back, though is more tricky to back tie, now thinking about an ergo.
When I go shopping I take my pushchair too so I have somewhere to put the shopping bags, only prob with slings, what to do with shopping. I always tie her on first then put on cardy or coat, just have to remember to take off coat before trying to untie dd!

[MatNanPlus]

I love my plain ring sling as things on my shoulders gives me bad headaches so no wraps or MeiTie

I move the ring sling to my shoulder joint/upper arm area once baby in soalmost the towel hold but like Soupy my towels never stay up yet there is plenty to hold them up with hubby whose towel never moves.

Always a bit with full back carrying so compromise with baby just behind my arm

AnnVan have you practiced with your sling and teddy yet? remember popping the cat into the ring sling, cat was ok and was helpful to work out which shoulder to use.

[belgo]

bigmamaslings are good. I've never bought anything from there, but they gave me excellent advice via email (before I'd discovered mumsnet!)

[AnnVan]

I haven't practised yet, I don't have a teddy or anything to practice with, so have asked MIL if I can borrow one of her DD's toys for this! Feeling slightly intimidated by the length of cloth, so I might wait til I'm home alone to practice so noone will be there to laught at me! I'm sure I'll be fine with it, because the instructions are quite clear.

[AnnVan]

Ok I'm a little nervous now, as I tried to do the tie and made a complete hash of it. Felt like I needed an extra couple of arms to do it, everything kept shifting. I suppose the enormous bump doesn't help really does it??