I had promised a while ago, a sequel to a post I did on “baby wearing”. There are several ways of wearing babies e.g. on the back, hip, sideways and infront as earlier explained in my first article. In this post, I’m focusing on carrying babies on the back as its obtainable in some ethnic groups in Nigeria.
Quite a handful of women in our country “wear babies on their backs.” Its traditionally accepted and seen as a normal way to care for a baby. Many believe its the safest, easiest and most convenient way to cope with life, chores, and its believed to create a bond between mom and baby, as the woman’s back is said to give baby warmth to sleep.
I’ve spoken with a few moms who object to this widely accepted belief of wearing babies on the back. Some say, medically, tying the cloth or wrapper over the chest affects the breast bone over a period of time, some say its “local and archaic”, making a young trendy girl look “old mamaish”, and one other mom feels it weighs down on a woman’s chest and back causing pain. But many women cannot do without wearing their babies especially on the back, it makes it easy for mom to multitask.
These days, its fast becoming a common trend among young moms and dads to use a carrier, a stroller, buggy/pushchair, pouch, sling,wraps etc in public. Some people acknowledge that these methods – of wearing babies- are not our culture but is fast gaining grounds. So does it mean wearing babies on the back is becoming old fashioned?
My friend from the Hausa speaking community told me what’s obtainable among them. She says;
“Hausa people also carry their babies on the back from the very moment they are born. Apart from the warmth it gives to the baby, we also believe that it aids the bond between mother and child. Its convenient, it helps the baby to sleep soundly while we do our chores”
For the past eight years of living in Lagos, Nigeria,wearing babies on the back is the most common practise I’ve ever come across. I asked some of my Yoruba friends what the general belief is for carrying babies on the back and at what age this is done. Some of them confirmed babies are carried on the back from a week old without straddling the legs, as the grow older and stronger, legs are straddled. One friend told me an older woman confirmed babies can be carried on the back from a day old. I used to find this (wearing a one week old baby on the back) scary but, they assured its safe and convenient. Contrary to their opinion, I would rather wait for my babies to clock three months before I wear/carry on the back.
On a general note, carrying babies on the back is a non issue among market women or women hawking on the streets, cooks, housekeepers and nannies, young girls, young and stay at home moms and even grand moms.
How to wear a baby on the back:
A wrapper is used to support the babies neck and legs(if baby is still so small, the legs won’t be straddled but with an older baby, legs are straddled and the wrapper is used to support the legs). It won’t be so tight to strangle a baby, but strong enough to support his weight. The Yorubas use an “oja” which is a small cloth, to support the baby’s bum on the mom’s waist.
A small blanket, towel, loose pieces of cloth or wrap-around skirts could be used to wear babies.
In the cause of my research, I read that Yorubas have a belief, held against a mom who allows her baby fall from her back. If the baby is a girl, seven of her husbands would die and if it’s a boy, seven of his wives would die. The remedy for such punishment is for the mom to run around the market naked!
I do not think most modern day moms know about this belief or even believe in it. I’m thinking the older moms may understand reasons for such a belief/punishment. Though I do not subscribe to this belief, I’m cock sure no mom would purposely allow her baby fall.
Among some other ethnic groups in Nigeria, I was told some moms start carrying babies on their backs once they are strong enough. I also heard some moms wait till the baby is about two to three months. Others wait as long as six to seven months when they feel baby is big enough to be worn on the back, several do not know how to carry babies on the back and are not willing to learn. As usual, the reasons for wearing the baby on the back is for convenience, to pacify a crying baby while doing house chores.
An Edo woman says she wore her baby on her back as early as the eighth day after her birth. From what I gathered, in her ethnic group, babies are carried on the back quite early.
An Ibo friend says they also wear babies on the back. She says they won’t back a day old or a one week old baby. Some moms, she added, back babies by choice, or when baby is over two months of age. In her case, she waits as long as eight months and will only carry baby on her back when she wants to do chores.
My mom told me some “Ibibios” (an ethnic group in Nigeria) wear babies on the back from six months when baby is strong. Probably some women from my ethnic group start earlier, but I remember seeing my younger brother carried on the back from six months old. Another friend and mom of three, says she started carrying her babies on the back from about six months to enable her work.
From all my enquiries, I have come to the conclusion that wearing or carrying a baby on the back is very comfortable, convenient for a mom who has no help, excellent when mom is doing a lot of bending over (housework,farming, etc).
While some ethnic groups strongly believe in wearing babies on the back, some feel it puts a strain on the baby, it causes bow legs and mom is ignorant of what goes on behind her.
I’ve observed that wearing a baby on the back doesn’t cause bow legs. Research shows infants are born bowlegged because of their folded position in the mother’s womb. Bowed legs begin to straighten once the child starts to walk and the legs begin to bear weight (about 12 to 18 months old).
Personally, I have done away with the bias I once held and learned to wear my baby on my back leisurely. My husband really encouraged me to learn so I could do chores and lull her to sleep. From then on, anytime I wore her on my back, she slept off in no time, then I would put her down to sleep while I continued my work.
Its taken a lot of practice to keep a growing, active baby steady while trying to wrap the cloth round but its super comfortable when I desperately need to get things done.
*Photo used for illustration purpose only
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