Glossary of Traditional Baby Carriers (A–Z)
aba (ᎠᏆ)
Cherokee (United States, North America)
Type: Soft cloth or blanket wrap
Materials: Wool, woven cloth
Typical Use/Style: Back carry, often under a blanket or cloak
Notes: “Aba” is the Cherokee word for “carry on the back”; traditional methods were disrupted during colonization
amai (母衣)
Japan
Type: Cloth wrap used for baby carrying
Materials: Cotton or hemp
Typical Use/Style: Carried on the back with support from torso wraps or integrated garments
Notes: Related to various Japanese carrying cloths including the onbuhimo
Amazonian baby wrap
Kayapó, Ticuna, Tukano, and other Indigenous Amazonian peoples
Type: Sling or cloth derived from hammocks
Materials: Woven cotton, barkcloth
Typical Use/Style: Baby carried on hip, front, or back, often secured with cloth tied over one shoulder
Notes: Some tribes used hanging hammocks as stationary cradles and wraps for carrying during movement
angampara
Western Desert (Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara peoples)
Type: Soft fur or skin-lined cradle or ground nest
Materials: Wood, bark, possum skin, spinifex, or cloth
Typical Use/Style: Baby wrapped and placed in the angampara for sleep or rest; sometimes carried for short distances in arms or coolamon
Notes: Not a worn carrier but part of the broader system of traditional infant care and transport
batua
Andean Quechua-speaking peoples (Peru, Bolivia)
Type: Woven cloth used for carrying or storage
Materials: Wool (alpaca, llama)
Typical Use/Style: Similar to awayu or manta, tied around the shoulders or chest for back carries
Notes: Also used for transporting goods; names may vary slightly between dialects
bēizi (背子)
Han Chinese (China)
Type: Traditional baby carrier with panel and ties
Materials: Cotton, silk, brocade
Typical Use/Style: Baby worn on the back, tied with shoulder and waist straps
Notes: Also known as mei tai (背带); highly decorative in some regions, with symbolic embroidery
bilum
Papua New Guinea (multiple language groups)
Type: Open-weave string bag used for carrying
Materials: Plant fibres (e.g. sisal, bush vine), now also acrylic yarn
Typical Use/Style: Baby carried on the back or chest in a bilum, suspended from the head or shoulders with a strap
Notes: An iconic cultural item in PNG; also used for carrying goods and deeply associated with maternal identity
British Isles wool wrap
Ireland, Scotland, England (rural and working-class families)
Type: Blanket or woollen shawl used for carrying
Materials: Wool
Typical Use/Style: Baby held on back or hip, secured under outer garments or apron; sometimes carried in a basket
Notes: Often informal and undocumented, but photographs and oral histories confirm widespread improvised carrying
chaddar (چادر)
South Asia (Pakistan, Northern India)
Type: Large shawl or cloth
Materials: Cotton, wool, or linen
Typical Use/Style: Used to carry baby on back or hip, tied or tucked depending on region
Notes: Not a dedicated carrier, but traditionally used by women in rural areas
coolamon
Central and northern Aboriginal communities (many language groups)
Type: Curved wooden vessel
Materials: Hardwood (mallee, bean tree, etc.), sometimes lined with animal skins or cloth
Typical Use/Style: Baby placed in the coolamon, which may be carried in arms, on the head, or supported with a woven sling over the shoulders
Notes: Multipurpose cultural item also used for gathering food, carrying water, and ceremonial purposes
cradleboard (Navajo: ts’aa’, Apache: tsiyát or kónaa’)
Indigenous peoples of North America (e.g. Navajo, Apache, Iroquois, Ute)
Type: Wooden baby carrier with backboard and soft bindings
Materials: Wood, buckskin, cotton, fur, or padding
Typical Use/Style: Baby secured to the board and worn on the back or leaned upright for sleep
Notes: Designs and symbolism vary greatly between nations; cradleboards support the baby’s posture and were often elaborately decorated
doek
South Africa (especially among Cape communities)
Type: Long rectangular cloth or shawl
Materials: Cotton, polycotton blends
Typical Use/Style: Baby carried on the back with the doek tied securely around torso
Notes: The same word also refers to a headscarf; carrying often learned from older generations
komse / guksu
Sámi peoples (Sápmi region — Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia)
Type: Wooden cradleboard with hood
Materials: Carved wood (birch or pine), reindeer fur lining, leather bindings
Typical Use/Style: Baby wrapped and placed in the cradle, carried on sledges or slung from shoulder
Notes: The komse was often intricately carved and served as both transport and a safe sleeping space
Siberian cradleboard
Nenets, Yukaghir, Khanty, Mansi, and other Indigenous Siberian groups
Type: Rigid backboard or cradle with binding straps
Materials: Wood, moss padding, fur, leather
Typical Use/Style: Baby strapped into a padded frame and carried on back, in sleds, or rested on the ground
Notes: Designed for extreme climates and mobility; lined with moss for hygiene and insulation
Slavic apron carry
Eastern Europe (Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Balkans)
Type: Cloth apron or long skirt used as wrap
Materials: Linen, cotton, wool
Typical Use/Style: Baby secured at hip or back by lifting and tying apron, shawl, or skirt
Notes: Common in rural peasant traditions; carried out of necessity using garments already worn
South American lowland cradle
Guaraní, Wichí, and other lowland or forest-dwelling peoples
Type: Bark cradle or woven carrier
Materials: Tree bark, vines, plant fibres
Typical Use/Style: Baby placed inside and carried in arms or hung from a tree or beam
Notes: Less common in mountainous areas; documentation is scarce but confirms diverse practices
Welsh nursing shawl
Wales (United Kingdom)
Type: Large woollen shawl
Materials: Woven wool, often plaid or tweed
Typical Use/Style: Baby carried in the crook of the arm or supported at the hip under the shawl, which wrapped around both
Notes: Extensively used during the 18th and 19th centuries; sometimes used to breastfeed or rock baby discreetly in public
