Love And Attention On Their Mothers' Backs: The Pride Of An African Mother

By Okechukwu Okugo

All the cultures of this world, in Europe, Australia, Asia, Africa, America, etc., in one way or the other, traditionally wear their babies at their backs or other parts of the body.

They may have been carrying their babies in a kind of structure like cradleboards, the Native Americans use, carry them in slings across the mother's hip, chest or back; or like the Eskimos, carry them inside the over-sized hood of their parkas, at their backs.


Native American baby on a cradleboard.


An Eskimo baby inside the baby hood.


A Native American carrying her baby with a baby sling.
The above photo credits: www.native-languages.org

But at a point, things changed and different modern styles of carrying babies emerged as a result of some factors that boil down to a shift in culture of the people to accommodate something viewed as progressive styles.

The reason why in the western world wearing babies (primarily on the backs) stopped is summarized in the article found in www.slingbabies.com (even though it may not be the only reason) thus:

"With the introduction of self styled ‘baby trainers’ in the middle of last century and the ensuing movement to make babies independent and stop them being spoilt by too much love and attention, babywearing declined in western countries. Mothers stopped learning mothering from other mothers, and instead took advice of men, deemed ‘experts’ because they were male, and doctors. Never mind that men and women have been shown to have totally different parenting styles and expectations (not wrong, just different.)

Babies were put in strollers and cots, instructed not to be touched, and a whole range of inventions to avoid the ‘bad habit’ of carrying your baby." 

Today, there are different kinds of cots, strollers, highchairs, rockers, expensive frontpacks, exersaucers, jumping seats used in cruising babies in "comfort."

Thereby trying to make us forget those days when mothers worldwide used a variety of long cloths, shawls, scarves, bed-sheets etc., to nestle their babies up at their backs, and get household errands done.

But modern research has established the benefits of babywearing. And those who continue to carry their babies on their backs and body continue to reap these benefits. Examples:

1. Bonding with the baby and aiding development.

2. Physical touch is promoted, which enables the baby feel first-hand the mother's warmth and love.

3. Quashing the devastating effect isolation has on growing babies. Leaving the baby in a cot alone, all by themselves, promotes a feeling of isolation to the babies.
Naturally, every baby at this stage of development always long for human touch, which baby wearing promotes in a large way.

4. Finally, it has economic implication. Many of these modern baby carriers that do not support babywearing, are very expensive. And no matter how much is spent, it still alienates touch and affection.

But because modern research has now proven that carrying babies on the body does not produce pampered and "spoilt" children, as the so-called experts had previously claimed, it is no longer surprising seeing western mothers, today, carry their babies on their bodies.

Babywearing is gradually coming back to western countries.

In fact research results have shown that lack of love and touch have actually delayed babies' development, because of babies natural crave for bodily contact and movement, to grow up wholesomely.

Thus in U.S. and Europe, today, many have come to accept babywearing as an important parenting tool and now see it as the best means of bonding with babies, and aiding development.

A western mother wearing her baby on her body and doing her domestic work.
Photo credit: www.14milefarm.com

New brands of pouches, wraps, slings, and soft-structured carriers that cuddle babies on their mother's body have now become available.

That is why it wouldn't be hard, to see these days, in the western world, support networks for babywearing and other natural aspects of parenting.

And many of them in the form of online communities, such as: The Baby Wearer.com, The Natural Parent Forum, and Mothering.com.


A babywearing western mother. Photo credit: www.notey.com  


A great babywearing dad. Photo credit: www.irishexaminer.com



A babywearing mom. Photo credit: decolonizingbabywearingtumblr.com


Even though, many African women living in the cities, have gone emulating western women and purchasing different kinds of luxurious modern baby carriers, majority of them still believe in and practice babywearing, and continue to be natural mothers, learning traditional mothering from their own mothers, grandmothers or older women in the African society.

No matter how awkward modernity may make carrying babies on the back, look, many African women still find the pride in their wholesome traditional ways of life.

And as much as it may appear as a burden, and an unnecessary weight on them, carrying babies on the backs of African mothers, is absolutely one happy load every African woman loves to bear.


Wearing babies on the back has been the usual way African mothers have been using to show love and attention to their babies for centuries now. Photo credit: neteral.com

(Opening image: A caring babywearing African mother. Photo credit: Pro-sxolika.blogspot.com