Paper short abstract:

The practice of carrying an infant in a sling on the body can be a fraught activity in the absence of a long tradition. One of the ways that parents in Northern California learn about new products, safety and tying methods is through local babywearing meetings.

Paper long abstract:

Carrying a baby is a fundamental activity of all parents yet this simple practice can be anxiety-producing when a non-traditional practice is introduced. Such is the case with the baby sling or soft carrier. The now popular practice only began to enter Euro-American contexts in the late 1960s when "natural" childraising practices such as breastfeeding, co-sleeping and the use of a sling grew in popularity. Until then, carrying a baby using a cloth was seen as a primitive or exotic practice while Euro-American devices distanced the baby from caregivers in strollers, cribs and high chairs. Bowlby's theory of attachment, however, legitimized the idea of parent-child bonding from birth, and in the U.S., experts promoted the idea of keeping the infant close by "wearing" the baby using a wrap.

For the "expert-informed" parent, choices must be made regarding product, style, cost and safety. For some types, complicated tying sequences must be learned. How do new parents obtain advice for a practice that is unfamiliar to their kin? Infant deaths have caused product recalls and medical experts are unable to keep up with the plethora of new products. One option is to attend meetings of an affiliate of the nonprofit Babywearing International Inc. These are led by local mothers who bring "libraries" of samples and give talks. Preliminary fieldwork suggests that such meetings are one option for parents who seek advice and social time. Such groups do not replace kin, but supplement the parent's information sources.