Nestwärme: Anna, how popular is babywearing in your country?
Anna: Babywearing is becoming more and more popular in Serbia but still a few of people do it. I work a lot to help families understanding the effects of babywearing and to overcome stereotypes (baby will want to be in arms a lot, it will be spoilt, the use of carriers is complicated, etc.).
We have organized the Walk for Promoting Babywearing in Subotica for the fifth time this year, as the part of the International Babywearing Week. Every year more and more mothers and fathers join us. This is a good feedback for me, I’m really happy about it 🙂 There are not many babywearing consultants in the country, but I hope that this will change over time. It is a fact that in the towns or villages where there are babywearing consultants, there are far more people using carriers and there are more activities connected to babywearing (eg. baby-mom dancing).
My daughter was born in 2009, and I was front carrying her in a woven wrap for a long time because I could not do the back wrap alone (I watched videos and tutorials, still I did not get it). No one around could give me advice about it or show me how to use the wrap, so I went to Budapest (Hungary) to a babywearing consultant, who taught me how to put my daughter on my back and gave me a lot of useful advice and practice. Thanks to this personal consultation and encounter I realized, how much it meant when there was a living relationship between the babywearing person and the family. Since there was no babywearing school in Serbia at that time, I applied to the Beli Buba Babywearing School in Budapest, where I attended a babywearing consultant training course in 2011 and became Serbia’s first babywearing consultant. Since then babywearing has been very important to me.
How important is it for you and/or your clients to wear babys ergonomically?
I always draw the parents’ attention to proper babywearing, so that families understand why it is important to position the baby’s head, back and legs properly while carrying it. After getting this information and after trying out the carriers, families can easily decide which carrier is the best for them.
The Babywearing Club is visited by 40-50 families on average each month. As for individual consultations, it varies. I have noticed that there are fewer individual consultations during the winter months than in spring and summer. However, on-line inquiries are frequent (I no longer count these). I can say that mothers ask me for advice on Facebook on a daily basis. One of my main aims is to ‘pull out’ these mums from the online world into reality, so that they come to the Babywearing Club, get to know the carriers, try them and feel their babies in the carriers. This feeling is unique.
What’s the thing, most parents ask or have trouble with concerning babywearing?
The most common question asked by the families is which carrier I recommend. My experience shows that many people still find it too complicated to use wraps and are more inclined to use SSC carriers because they think they are easier to use. In that case, I always suggest that they should not only read about it, but also experience the differences between different carriers, try out a variety of them and decide on the basis of their experience. Renting can give them an excellent opportunity to see how babywearing can be integrated into everyday life.
My stash is modest, it’s growing slowly, because it’s always a big investment for me to buy a new carrier. I got a lot of my carriers from mums whom I taught and who had outgrown babywearing, but I bought most of them from the rental fee. At present, I have 5 elastic wraps, 10 woven wraps, 7 ring slings, 7 mei tais and 3 SSC. Unfortunately, I haven’t got any onbus, podaegis or rebozos, but I hope they will also become part of my stash one day. It would be good if I had more kinds of SSC, because there is a big interest in them. I only have one demo doll, it would be nice to have dolls of several sizes.
What’s your favourite wrap and/or carrier and what’s the favourite product chosen by your clients?
My favourite one is the Purple Lana woven wrap, I’m emotionally attached to it, because I carried my older daughter in it, thanks to whom I met and got to love babywearing. I also carried my younger daughter in it, but later I bought an Indajani mei tai and it became my other favorite carrier, because I have been wearing her mostly in it since she was six months old. There is a lot of emotion, laughter, comfort and a lot of memories in these carriers.
What’s the word for babywearing in your language?
In my mothertongue: babahordozás, in the language of my country: nošenje beba.
Visit Annas Facebbok page: Školica za nošenje beba – Lana- Babahordozási tanácsadás
Iva Sladic: Babywearing is getting popular more and more every day here in Serbia. For example, now we have much more opportunities on choosing an ergonomic carrier. The situation wasn’t like that 2.5 years ago, for example. I know, I was the one searching for our first carrier. Women are saying that the situation was even worse 10 years ago, so I’m guessing we are an interesting market right now. Hoping it’ll get better in time.
Why did you want to become a babywearing consultant and which school did you visit?
I’ve decided to become a babywearing consultant because I wanted to share the benefits of babywearing with other parents in need. I fell in love with babywearing for the first time when my, then 3 weeks old, babygirl slept safely in our first stretchy wrap. After that, wrap or carrier was on my MUST HAVE list, before going out. She never loved the stroller very much, so a carrier was our main transportation equipment. Do you believe that I haven’t ride a public transportation with her in a stroller like ever??? Seemed so impractical to me, and still is. Anyway, I’ve finished the basic course for babywearing consultant at the Trageschule Dresden, in April 2016.
How important is it for you and/or your clients to wear babys ergonomically?
For me, the most important thing about babywearing is babywearing ITSELF. Today, we don’t have enough time to talk to each other, we’re too busy with everyday life that we forget that we are human. So, when you have the need to hold your baby, stick to it and carry it as long as you can, as long as you want, as long as it feels comfortable and natural to both of you. Babywearing baby ergonomically is right after babywearing itself. Usually, parents who choose to wear their babies, want to do it the right way, and are ready to learn how to do it.
How many parents are you „teaching“ per month?
I’m holding workshops once a month, usually. There are between 5 and 10 mothers or couples, visiting these workshops. Also, I’m holding individual consultations, once a month or once in two months. I’m receiving many questions through my fb page or email everyday. I’m trying to help everyone, as long as I can.
What’s the thing, most parents ask or have trouble with concerning babywearing?
Usual questions and troubles, that parents have with babywearing, are : “Will it fall off?”, “How do I know that I wrapped it the right way?”, “My baby ONLY wants to be carried facing forward, is there a carrier supporting that position.”, “My baby doesn’t want to be carried, what should I do? Will she/he get used to it?”, “At what age could I carry him/her on my hip/back?”, “For how long could I wear my baby in that carrier/wrap?”
How big is your «consultancy stash»?
My consultancy stash is growing bigger everyday. I have about 10 wraps and over 15 babycarriers.
What’s your favourite wrap and/or carrier and what’s the favourite product chosen by your clients ?
Personally, my favourite wrap is a ring sling and my favorite carrier is a Mei Tai. I’ve tried the ring sling pretty late, my babygirl was already about 14 months old, but it was and still is very handy. Wish I could’ve tried it on when she was born. Hope I’ll get a chance to try it with another baby 🙂 We carried her in a Mei Tai for 10 months. I carried her on my back fot the first time in a Mei Tai. Also, I carried her on my hip in a Mei Tai also, but it’s not that comfortable as it is in a ring sling. Parents who come to me, usually choose different type of wraps/carriers, depending on baby’s age and weight, and their need. Parents of winter babies usually choose stretchy wraps. For bigger babies they choose some kind of a carrier, buckled one or Mei Tai. Usually, a woven wrap is at the bottom of the list of usual wraps, but I see that many new parents in Belgrade want to try and buy one as well. I’m glad that love for babywearing is spreading more each and every day, despite the carrier or wrap that the new parents choose.
Thank you for your insights, dear Iva! ?
Have a look at her website and Facebook page!
picture: Iva Sladic
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