Voices
This page brings together the stories, reflections, and lived experiences of the people behind the carriers — parents, grandparents, artisans, educators, and community keepers from around the world. These profiles highlight the diverse voices who have shared their knowledge and traditions, and who continue to carry their babies in ways that strengthen bonds and honour cultural identity.
By amplifying these voices, we not only celebrate the beauty and skill in traditional carrying practices, but also recognise the resilience and wisdom that has been passed through generations. May these stories inspire you, deepen your understanding, and remind us all of the shared humanity in holding our little ones close.
This section is dynamic, growing and evolving as Voices join the conversation. You are invited to share your Voice, your story of carrying babies in your culture, community or family.
Mary Paton
Mary Paton OAM - Founder of the Nursing Mothers Association of Australia
Mary Paton is well known for introducing the meh tai to 1960s Australia however the story behind this is not as well known. Before deciding to make her own version of the traditional Chinese carrier, Mary had explored the rebozo carrier used by the people of Central America. Mary also remembers an over the shoulder carrier marketed around the 40s and 50s, the Cuddleseat which she says was taken off the market due to concerns it might lead to scoliosis due to the design. As an occupational therapist, Mary believed a carrier which was over both shoulders would be better. That led her to explore options and decided on the meh tai.
Now 93 years old, Mary Paton is still passionate about the importance of close physical contact between mother and baby and believes babywearing to be important for this.
It was 1966 when it came crashing back into the awareness of Australian mothers. The story is best told in the book Nursing Mums A History of the Australian Breastfeeding Association 1964 - 2014
“The Association's first foray mothering products to raise funds stemmed from an interview Mary Paton gave to the women's editor at the Melbourne Herald newspaper. Isabel Carter, in February 1966. The previous year a baby sling called a rebozo, which allowed babies to be carried on the mother's chest, had been purchased from La Leche League. This had inspired Mary to experiment and she had made her own baby sling based on Chinese-style carrier where the baby was carried on the back. Smartly dressed for the interview, Mary put her youngest child in the sling and demonstrated how it might be used.
When the article and accompanying photo showing Mary wearing the sling and doing the vacuuming (complete with stiletto heels) subsequently appeared in the Herald, Isabel rang Mary explaining that the phone had been running hot and mothers wanted to know how to make the sling. Mary recalled that she responded, "Oh, we're going to be selling them, Isabel. We're making them up." Then we frantically had to start making them!”
A sub-committee, headed by committee member Marj Spicer, was formed. At the same same time time expert opinion on the safe useof the slings, now known as 'Meh 'Tais, was gained and the design registered. Sewing bees were held at Marj's house under the instruction of a forelady. We would go along with ironing boards, extension cords, irons, sewing machines scissors. There`d be cutters, there'd be ironers, there'd be people sewing the straps. And there was a wrapper at the end. It was a real factory production line.' Meh Tais were also sewn by members working at home. As orders increased however, members could not keep up with the demand and the making of Meh Tais was farmed out to a manufacturer.
Public interest in Meh Tais proved enormous with NMA effectively popularising the idea of carrying babies in a sling in Australia. A convenient means of allowing parents to attend to tasks while remaining in contact with their infant, it was also in accord with the Association's philosophy of fostering emotional security. In addition, its novelty appealed to journalists. By July 1967, the publicity officer Gay Skinner reported that articles and photos of the Meh Tai had been published in a range of media and two years later television personality Graham Kennedy featured the Meh Tai on his hugely popular variety show, In Melbourne Tonight. In February 1969 it was reported that 600 had been sold in the previous three months.
Erica Hoffman
1971 – The Terra Magica book, “Children and their Mothers,” (1964) featuring photographs of mothers from a whole range of cultures carrying their children, inspires Erika Hoffmann to try it out for herself.
She uses a carrying cloth a friend brought back from Mexico for her for her first attempts. Her goal is to give her newborn twins Lisa and Tina the same affection and attention as their two older siblings. The name DIDYMOS, which means “twins” in ancient Greek, is a reference to Erika's early aspiration.
The family business is now managed by Tina Hoffmann. At a tender young age, she and her siblings were one of the main factors in DIDYMOS coming into existence in the first place.
“As a modern woman with children in the early 1970s, their mother Erika Hoffmann was looking for a practical and uncomplicated way of keeping her newborn twins and two older children, Anna and Tom, close to her while going about her day-to-day tasks. She was inspired by the illustrated book “Children and their Mothers,” which contained pictures of mothers from around the world, many of whom used cloths to carry their children on their bodies. This reminded her of a Mexican carrying cloth that a well travelled friend had brought back for her.
Without any instructions, she began to try out different ways of carrying her children using the cloth. Soon, the young family wouldn’t be able to imagine everyday life without the children being carried in slings. Ultimately, Erika Hoffmann turned her personal passion into a profession and vocation by setting up DIDYMOS in 1972. As a result, she re-introduced babywearing, a practice she initially adopted for both emotional and practical reasons, to the German-speaking world.
As you can see, the history of DIDYMOS is very closely associated with the personal story of the Hoffmann family. Consequently, the use of a wrap sling to respond to children’s needs, at the time an unusual idea, caught on with a huge number of parents. “Of course, our mother walked around our small village with the sling and we immediately became the talk of the village as a result,” says daughter Anna Hoffmann, who has managed the DIDYMOS brick and mortar store since 1998. It wasn’t long before the press noticed the family. An article in Germany’s Stern magazine in the summer of 1972 led to the Hoffmanns being inundated with letters from all over Germany.”
Rayner Garner – How our two ringed baby sling came into existence
by Family Friendly Working
It was 1980, and we were bringing up our daughter in Hawaii. Correction, it was she who was rearing us! My wife, Sachi, and I had read the Continuum Concept by Jean Liedloff, and we where most impressed by the wisdom, and practicality of using the Yaquana’s methods of rearing children. We were in an ideal place for rearing a child. The local Hawaiians were into giving, sharing, and caring, and they responded well to our daughter’s love and obvious happiness. My background was in Physiotherapy, and Rolfing which stressed the importance of good posture in the maintenance of good health. I also worked for a length of time in various industries related to medical equipment, helping in the development of products like Hip Protectors We had not at that time encountered the simple knotted sling as used by most indigenous tribes, so we bought a front-pack. My daughter got a heat rash from the artificial fabric used at that time so we had to discontinue its use.
From my studies of posture, I knew we needed a carrier that would allow our daughter wriggle room. So that she could take up any posture, and position which would change throughout the day. We wanted a carrier that would keep her legs together, and would allow her mother to breast-feed discreetly, and that would permit her to lie down to sleep. Above all it had to be comfortable for both infant and carrier. We added a pocket on the shoulder area so that extra padding could be added as she got older, and heavier.
My first attempt was not a fully qualified success. I had found a woollen scarf which I had bought with me from Scotland. I knotted all four corners, slung it over one shoulder, and Fonda promptly curled up in it, and went to sleep. Well it was obviously a success for her, but as Sachi, and I were different heights we had to keep undoing and retying the knots. This became a nuisance, as Fonda’s weight pulled the knots together very tightly, and it became drag to keep on tying and re-tying them. So one day, I had bought a piece of beautiful Batik fabric, and over the next three days sat folding one end of the future sling until eventually I had succeeded in reducing the 36 inch width into just two inches wide. Also a benefit was that the particular way in which I folded the fabric resulted in the sides becoming shorter than the belly of the sling. So I had made a hammock, which had the added benefit of keeping our beloved daughter securely in the belly of the sling.
For the two rings at the shoulder pad end, we first used wooden curtain rings. These were not sturdy enough to take the strain of a sudden pull, so I got some 2 inch copper water pipe and sawed a piece off and gently tapped it in the inside of the curtain ring. This was quite labour intensive but as the first few slings were made for ourselves that was not too much of a hardship.
Now of course I use nylon rings specially made for baby slings which can withstand a 500 lb. snatch test. They can also withstand the heat of a washer and dryer. However by using industrial grade Velcro one can undo the shoulder pad end, and take the rings of if you use a washer and dryer to clean your sling. I do recommend hand wash and line dry but when you sell to the public you have to be prepared for the worst.
We knew that ideally Fonda needed skin to skin contact with us, unless she was ready to explore her new world on her own. But for the first few months she seemed to be content to be carried in the sling wherever we went. We had used very attractive fabrics as we wanted to look good, batiks, Hawaiian Tapa cloth, and for visits to Chinatown in Honolulu whenever business needed to be taken care of, subdued silks and worsted slings made a very attractive picture.
So much so, that one day, on my way to a business meeting, dressed in my best, no, my only suit, white shirt, and an old school tie, with Fonda in a silk, tartan sling, with gold rings no less; we passed through Queen Illani Palace where the Royal Hawaiian Band was giving a concert. As I passed in front of the seated crowd, all dressed in their finest Hawaiian clothes, the band struck up, “I’m singing in the rain.” I just couldn’t help it, with Fonda chuckling, and beaming out on the crowd with a tiny golden umbrella over her to keep off the fierce sun, I broke into my best imitation of Gene Kelly and twirled and whirled, with Fonda obviously delighting in this spectacle, while comfortable and secure in the sling, with the crowd cheering, and applauding.
By now it was evident that we had the potential for a home business which would allow us to take turns of having full time contact with her, and be able to respond to her needs. We had earlier on decided that for optimum development our daughter needed us both to help provide the environment in which she could best grow. So this is what we did. When it was my day to take her out, and sell the sling, Sachi would express breast milk, and I would take it in a padded belly bag, so it would keep cool. That worked just fine. We were off, and The Baby Sling was born.
Later on we used mothers or Grandmothers to sell our products as so many stores had young assistants, trying to serve mothers without having had any experience of their own to be able to help, and pass on information on labour, nurturing and all those other matters which pregnant or new mothers needed desperately to know.
Our teams of mothers and Grandmothers were able to be a magnificent source of carefully checked wisdom, not only from their past, but also from our own experiences which had resulted in such a wonderfully happy and contented child. My mother used to repeat an old adage, the proof of the pudding is in the eating.
Happy nurturing,
Rayner Garner
Reposted with permission
Dr William Sears MD and Martha Sears RN
The art of babywearing entered the Sears family soon after the birth of our sixth child, Matthew. We regret it took six children to learn the joys of wearing our baby. Martha fabricated a sling out of leftover bedsheet material and we both carried Matthew around in the sling many hours a day. One day Martha happened to mention, “As long as I wear him he’s content.” Babywearing, that’s it! That’s what we’ll call it. Now we had another Baby B to add to all the other Baby B’s of attachment parenting, along with Birth, Bonding, Breastfeeding, Bedding close to baby, and Belief in the signal value of baby’s cries.
Shortly thereafter, we met an interesting gentleman from Hawaii, Rayner Garner, who had developed a sliding ring connection to make a sling easy to adjust. This was certainly an improvement over our sling made out of bedsheets. Apparently, Rayner and his wife had been wearing their baby in a sling so he used his engineering background to fabricate this interesting sliding ring apparatus. We bought the ring design from Mr. GarnShortly thereafter, we met an interesting gentleman from Hawaii, Rayner Garner, who had developed a sliding ring connection to make a sling easy to adjust. This was certainly an improvement over our sling made out of bedsheets. Apparently, Rayner and his wife had been wearing their baby in a sling so he used his engineering background to fabricate this interesting sliding ring apparatus. We bought the ring design from Mr. Garner. Now that we had a prototype sling and ring design to start with, we began experimenting with different sizes and shapes of baby slings and hired a neighbor to start making them in her garage. By coincidence, I had also moved my pediatric practice into a renovated area in our garage so I could be intimately involved with Matthew’s growth and development, at least during his first year. (Our patients dubbed my office “Dr. Bill’s Garage and Body Shop”).
Over the next year, we went through many different shapes and designs for our babysling, trying many of them on our patients. When they came into the office for their first newborn visit, we would give both mom and dad a crash course in babywearing. Soon, I had a whole pediatric practice full of “sling babies.” Ah, more material for our books!
We finally settled on a sling shape that worked for most parents most of the time, and our baby sling business outgrew the neighbor’s garage. It was time to seek help from a major manufacturer. We chose NoJo because they were a nearby California corporation known for their quality and fashion in infant bedding. It was interesting that the NoJo Corporation (named after the first two children of the two mothers who started the corporation, Noelle and Joanna) also began as a home business making bedding supplies in their garages.
Babywearing is not a new concept and certainly we did not “invent” the sling. For centuries mothers all over the world have been wearing their babies in various types of slings. Yet, mothers all over the world have been ardent art of babywearing into Western cultures. Martha and I wanted to bring the ancient art of babywearing into Western cultures. We felt it belonged in the whole package of the high-touch style of attachment parenting since, because of the fear of spoiling, the predominant parenting styles at that time were those of low-touch parenting.
I once attended an international parenting conference while I was wearing our seventh baby, Stephen, in the NoJo sling we called “The Original Babysling.” I noticed there were many other mothers, many from third-world countries, also wearing their babies in slings made out of fabric that matched their native dress. One evening I asked two mothers from Zambia, “Why do you carry your babies in slings?” I received two simple, yet profound answers: “It does good things for babies” and “It makes life easier for parents.” In a nutshell, that’s what babywearing does.
From: the Foreword to the book - Babywearing - The Benefits of this Ancient Tradition by Maria Blois MD
Maureen Minchin
Maureen Minchin is a respected Australian health professional, author, and researcher best known for her extensive work on infant feeding, breastfeeding, and the long-term health consequences of early nutrition. A pioneer in challenging mainstream medical narratives around infant formula and allergy development, Minchin has been a powerful voice advocating for breastfeeding as a foundational health determinant — not just a lifestyle choice. Her work is grounded in both scientific evidence and deep clinical insight, shaped by decades of observing patterns in infant health, maternal well-being, and public health policy.
Her landmark book Breastfeeding Matters: What We Need to Know About Infant Feeding was first published in the 1980s and quickly became an essential resource for mothers, health professionals, and breastfeeding advocates. It combined practical advice with strong commentary on the political and commercial influences affecting infant feeding decisions. Written with empathy and conviction, the book addressed both the emotional realities of parenting and the broader systems that shape maternal choices.
Minchin’s later work, Milk Matters: Infant Feeding and Immune Disorder, expanded upon this foundation with a deep dive into the links between infant feeding, microbiome development, allergy, and chronic illness. Drawing from thousands of clinical cases and extensive literature review, Milk Matters presents a compelling argument for reconsidering how early nutrition influences immune system development. Through this book, she challenges outdated assumptions and calls for more integrative, evidence-informed approaches to infant health.
Throughout her career, Maureen Minchin has remained unwavering in her commitment to maternal and child health. Her voice has shaped both grassroots movements and academic discourse, and her legacy continues to influence lactation consultants, midwives, doctors, and researchers around the world.
In her ground-breaking book Breastfeeding Matters, first published in 1985, Maureen Minchin described the use of a simple baby sling - a modified meh dai - and gave directions of how to sew one. She also addressed the practice of using a baby sling in a moving vehicle:
A simple baby sling
Most baby slings are rather expensive, the cheapest being NMAA’s Meh Tai. But here is a pattern for a simple baby sling, which you can make out of any sturdy soft fabric you have on hand.
The basics
Two large rectangles, 38 x 33 cm (15 x 13 inches)
Two long straps, 178 x 13 cm (70 x 5 inches)
Two short straps, 18 x 13 cm (7 x 5 inches)
Two rings, about 5 cm in diameter
To use
Put the sling against your body, long straps over your shoulders; take right top strap over to left ring, left top strap to right ring, thread through, and tie straps together loosely at your waist.
Slide the baby up under the sling, and hold there with one hand until you can pull straps very tight with the other hand. Adjust baby’s position so that the edge is tight across the nappy-padded bottom, without cutting into the baby’s legs.
If baby is very little, take a tuck in the sling: fold a pleat along the whole width of the sling, as in the diagram, then pin or sew the tuck. (Big safety pins will do, and can be more easily removed, if you have no sewing machine.) Let out this pleat as baby grows.
You can also take in a tuck lengthways, if you want to have the sling
going through baby’s legs—which is safer, but sometimes less comfortable. (And this depends on how you use the sling: if you have one hand free all the time, to catch baby if he slips, and are not doing anything strenuous, the under-bottom hold is quite adequate so long as the sling is comfortably tight.)
The very long straps and rings on this model combine to give it a number of advantages:
• It will fit any figure and does not need to be ‘adjusted’ between husband and wife, as the Meh Tai does.
• The long straps allow you to use it in hospital beds—tied very loosely. Baby can sleep beside you without fear of falling. But don’t use it for this if you’re taking sedatives or drugs with sedative effects, such as antihistamines.
• The straps can be tied at back or brought to the front, eliminating the knot-in-the-back discomfort of many slings when you sit down.
Some people say that their babies don’t like being put into a sling.
Many do protest vigorously at first, but I have yet to meet a baby whom I cannot get to sleep in a sling. The trick is in tight straps and rhythmic movement, especially side to side, combined with rapid gentle back-patting. It sounds strenuous, and sometimes is—both of us remember jogging with colicky Philip. We found that changing movement, smoothly rather than jerkily, was best, though sometimes rapid running on the spot was needed to stop the first squawks. Philip also would respond to swaying sideways; his head had to be partly supported to stop neck strain or damage, but given enough leeway so that he could feel it getting heavier and heavier. His eyes would track something backwards and forwards until he found it easier to shut them altogether—at that point victory was in sight! Another five minutes, with his head gently turned sideways so that his ear was against my chest, and he would be fast asleep. While colicky, if put down he would wake in ten minutes, so I would find a book and go off to a comfortable chair. Other children could be put down still wrapped in the sling if I was careful about taking it off. So don’t give up on the first few attempts. Swaddling like this can only be good for babies, even if they protest at first. Many a mother (or father) has found that the baby they thought would never tolerate a sling can be very comfortable in one. Ask another mother to demonstrate.
No sling is safe for use in a car, even with the seat belt between mother and baby, and baby in a sling ‘outside’ the seat belt. (Seat belt over baby in sling would cause baby to be crushed in an accident.) However, all risks are relative. While a sling would simply break apart in an accident, a baby in a sling would not be thrown out in a minor braking or impact at very low speeds. Unrestrained children have been killed in stops at 20 km/h. Ideally, everyone has and uses a bassinet restraint for babies. But as a parent who had to fit three children into a small station wagon—we had to buy a new car—I know that there are situations when bassinet restraints cannot be used, or afforded. While I’m definitely not encouraging you to use a sling when travelling by car, if you do use one make sure that: (1) the seat belt is between you and baby; (2) you sit in the back seat; (3) you never use it when driving yourself; (4) you put enough pillows in your lap to take baby’s weight and reduce back strain.
Remember, a sudden stop increases baby’s weight by 20 times, i.e. a 5 kg baby suddenly weighs 100 kg. Never let anyone sit and hold a child, however short the trip. Even if the person’s reflexes were quick enough to try, his or her muscles wouldn’t be strong enough to hold any child, however small. Many fathers, in particular, seem to believe they could.
Judy Gifford
Judy Gifford OAM was a long-standing and highly respected figure in the Australian breastfeeding community, known for her decades of volunteer service with the Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA). Her contribution to maternal and infant health spanned more than 40 years, during which she played a pivotal role in supporting, educating, and empowering mothers across the country. Recognised with the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for her dedication, Judy’s legacy is one of quiet leadership, hands-on support, and a deep belief in the value of informed, connected parenting.
A trained breastfeeding counsellor and educator, Judy offered thousands of hours of peer support to mothers, often at critical moments in their early parenting journey. She was widely known for her practical wisdom, calm presence, and ability to reassure and guide families through the challenges of breastfeeding and newborn care. Beyond her one-on-one work, she contributed significantly to ABA’s written resources and training materials, helping to shape a generation of counsellors and volunteers.
Judy also had a strong interest in babywearing, gentle parenting, and the preservation of traditional caregiving knowledge. She was particularly passionate about the NMAA Meh Tai, a simple and effective baby carrier endorsed by the Australian Breastfeeding Association. Judy was known to keep a stock of Meh Tais in the boot of her car, ready to offer to mothers after enthusiastically sharing their benefits. Her deep belief in responsive parenting and practical support made her a strong advocate for babywearing as a tool to strengthen connection and confidence in early parenting.
Her influence continues to ripple through the ABA and the broader parenting community in Australia. Judy Gifford’s work exemplified the heart of volunteerism — sustained service grounded in compassion, community, and the belief that every mother deserves support and respect. Her legacy lives on in the many families she supported, the counsellors she mentored, and the knowledge she helped preserve and pass on.
History of the Meh Tai — ABA’s Baby Sling
by Judy Gifford
Honorary member and counsellor with Erina NSW Group
The need to raise money to be self-supporting was obvious from the beginning of NMA in February, 1964. (We were first called the Nursing Mothers’ Association — Australia was later added and then our name was changed to the Australian Breastfeeding Association in 1999.)
The six foundation members all contributed £1 (probably the equivalent of around $50 these days) and there was a donation from a bachelor friend of founder Mary Paton, who lived in the USA.
As the Association grew, money was raised in all sorts of ways — collecting newspapers, foil from the top of milk bottles, stalls of homemade goodies and crafts and so on. It was always planned to sell literature and mothering aids but that took time to develop.
The first booklets did not appear until 1968. They were Toddlers’ Activities, Increasing Your Supply and Survival Plan.
The first mothering aid — the Meh Tai — happened almost by chance. There had been no slings used in Australia since World War 2. Mary had seen the Cantonese meh tai and made a copy for herself. In 1965, Mary was interviewed by Isobel Carter, women’s editor of Melbourne’s Herald. Mary demonstrated her sling to Isobel. She put Nicholas on her back and grabbed the vacuum cleaner. The photo appeared on the front page and to Mary’s mortification, she was wearing heels — not the normal wear for vacuuming — and she hasn’t lived it down. However, it was a marketing dream!
The phones rang hot at the offices of the Herald. Isobel rang Mary and asked about their availability.
“Oh we make them,” said Mary, thinking on her feet.
So she started making them herself until it got too much and then she set up working bees to sew them. One of the early members, Marj Spicer, had a friend who was a forewoman in a factory. So she helped them get organised and taught them various sewing tricks, like being able to sew a strap and pull it through in the one step.
It was a real production line, with ironing boards, extension cords, sewing machines and so on.
They were concerned even then about insurance, and the slings underwent breakage tests — our current slings have an 83kg breaking strain — that’s a BIG baby!
In 1967 the Meh Tai was granted a registered design number. Eventually, the demand was so great that it was too much for these working bees and they were then made in a factory.
Originally, the sling was used only on the back, but gradually small babies were carried on the front. There have been many stories and photos over the years in our magazine. Mothers talked about wearing them on holidays, overseas, in planes, on the farm, shopping, doing housework and so on. There were often photos of fathers carrying their babies.
The simple shape of the original Meh Tai was always its best selling point. It folds up and can easily be kept in the nappy bag for use when out. There are many more complex and more expensive slings on the market — the best thing about ours is its simplicity. However, it is very important that the sling is tied on properly. There are various methods but it is important that the knots be firm and the baby carried 'high' — i.e. the baby's bottom on the wearer's navel. Any lower and there is much stress on the shoulders. Its waist strap and the fact that the other straps cross the back all add to the comfort for the adult.
The subsequent photo is of counsellor Leanne Taylor of local fame, featured in the September 1975 Newsletter, now called Essence, and in the instruction leaflet. The current ABA sling is easier to use than the old one with strong clips where the knots used to be and padded shoulders. However, the same principles still apply. The straps need to be pulled firmly and the baby carried high.
More recently, we developed a variation of the new sling — in 1995, Mothers Direct decided to trial our new sling and I was asked to do that trial. As my 'baby' by then was 20, I organised another local counsellor, Leanne Taylor, to do that trial. The subsequent photos featured on the front cover of the September 1995 Newsletter, now called Essence, and in the instruction leaflet.
I am a great advocate of the sling, having used it for two years with my third daughter. I used to 'wear' Helen while shopping with Alison in the stroller or shopping trolley. I was stopped so often in the main street of Wagga that I had to allow extra time, and ended up carrying supplies in my car boot and sold them on the spot. My mother still tells people of the time we went Christmas shopping with Helen, aged two months, and she slept in the Meh Tai for over three hours, waking only for a brief breastfeed. I have been known to stop people wearing a sling incorrectly and suggest a better way. I have demonstrated them often at meetings and settled babies for mothers.
To sum up why slings are so useful, I will conclude with part of a four page article in the March 1976 Newsletter:
Hundreds of mothers have found a Meh Tai to be a sanity saver — when baby is restless, awake when the book says he should be asleep, or not content with waving a rattle and lying by himself. Babies are best comforted by mothers, carried close to her, feeling her warmth and movement.
I still have my 28-year-old Meh Tai in the cupboard along with the new sling and use them when around babies. When granddaughter Hannah was born, a mere 2.6kg, I took her for a walk in it when out and about. So it is still up there with my favourite NMAA/ABA products.
Carol Fallows
Carol Fallows is a journalist, editor and author recognised as one of Australia’s leading voices on parenting. After graduating from Macquarie University, she worked in research and library services, including with the Family Planning Association of NSW, before moving into publishing. In 1981, she became managing editor at Magazine House in Sydney, where she co-founded and edited the influential magazines Australia’s Parents and Pregnancy, offering trusted advice to new families.
Carol has written a number of well-known books for parents, including Having a Baby, The Australian Baby & Child Care Handbook, and A Commonsense Guide for Australian Parents. Her work combines practical expertise with the lived experience of raising her own three children. She has also broadened her writing into social history, authoring Love & War: Stories of War Brides from the Great War to Vietnam and War: Australian Memories in Black and White.
Across magazines, books and media, Carol Fallows has helped generations of Australian parents feel informed, reassured, and supported through the challenges of pregnancy, birth and early childhood.
“I first came across the idea of baby-wearing in the 1970s, when I was studying anthropology at university. The image of mothers around the world carrying their babies close to their bodies stayed with me. It made such sense — babies content in the rhythm of their mother’s movements, mothers able to keep going with their daily lives.
When I became editor of Australia’s Parents magazine in the 1980s, I immersed myself in every piece of parenting information I could find — through books, journals, and magazines from overseas. Around that time, Nursing Mothers (now the Breastfeeding Association) introduced the meh tai carrier. I gave it a try, but it didn’t quite work for me. Then along came the Snugli, designed by Ann Moore in America. I bought one for my third baby, born in 1984, and it was a revelation — finally I could carry her close and still have my hands free.
At the magazine, we were already strong supporters of baby-wearing. I remember publishing articles about premature babies in Germany being nurtured skin-to-skin in what they called the “kangaroo method.” We often wrote about the practical magic of slings and carriers — how they helped parents soothe unsettled babies, especially during that tricky time of day when nothing seemed to please them, and at the same time gave parents the freedom to get on with everyday life.
Over the years, we returned to baby-wearing again and again. It was a simple, almost timeless practice that offered so much comfort and connection. When I wrote my first book, The Australian Baby & Child Care Handbook (Penguin, 1994), I knew it had to be included. For me, baby-wearing wasn’t just a trend — it was part of a bigger story about the ways we nurture our babies and ourselves.
Now that story has come full circle. My daughter, a single mother, has recently had her first child at the age of 41. She has discovered for herself how wonderful baby-wearing can be — keeping her baby close while she goes about her daily work. Watching her carry her little one snug against her chest, I feel a deep sense of continuity — the practice I first learned about all those years ago is now helping the next generation in my own family.”
Yvette O’Dowd
Yvette O'Dowd is a well-known and much-loved figure in the Australian babywearing and parenting community, with a legacy of more than three decades of education, advocacy, and support for families. She began her journey in 1992 as a volunteer breastfeeding counsellor with the Nursing Mothers' Association (now ABA), later running a busy drop-in centre and becoming a long-serving contributor to the National Breastfeeding Helpline and LiveChat service. Recognised with ABA's 30-year service award, Yvette is affectionately known among peers as a steadfast, generous educator whose commitment to supporting parents has never wavered.
In 2014, she co-founded the Southern Natural Parenting Network with her daughter, Kaitlyn, creating a vibrant community centred on five foundational values: breastfeeding, babywearing, co-sleeping, cloth nappies, and baby-led weaning. Through this platform and its local hub, the South Eastern Babywearing Group, Yvette has helped thousands of families access free, non-judgemental support. Her popular babywearing try-on events offer donated carriers, hands-on fitting guidance, and a warm, inclusive space where caregivers can build confidence and connection.
In December 2021, Yvette undertook formal training with the Australian Babywearing Association, achieving accreditation as a Certified Babywearing Consultant. This professional certification formally recognised nearly 40 years of personal and community babywearing experience. The Australian Babywearing Association provides evidence-based training, mentoring, and peer-reviewed assessment to ensure consistent, safe, and respectful babywearing education across Australia. Accreditation demonstrates a high standard of knowledge in carrier safety, infant physiology, fitting techniques, and responsive caregiving
Yvette’s influence extends beyond community meetups. As a published writer for BellyBelly, Peninsula Kids, and her own blog, she shares evidence-informed insights on topics ranging from infant development to feeding, sleep, and gentle discipline. Her work champions the biological normalcy of breastfeeding and carrying, and her voice consistently reframes parenting as a respected, instinctive, and relational act rather than a checklist of tasks to be managed.
With a deep respect for traditional babywearing knowledge and a passion for accessibility, Yvette has played a key role in shaping the public conversation around early parenting in Australia. Her legacy is rooted in compassion, equity, and empowerment. Whether fitting a carrier, answering a helpline call, or mentoring new educators, she remains a calm, steady presence for families navigating the tender early years of parenthood.
I wrote the following in the innocent days of 2013, before I knew that the future would see my daughter Kaitlyn and I creating our own babywearing group!
Yvette O’Dowd July 1st 2013
I wrote the following in the innocent days of 2013, before I knew that the future would see my daughter Kaitlyn and I creating our own babywearing group!
“Sunday afternoon and I find myself, once again, with my granddaughter asleep against my chest while her mum enjoys some time-out with her own brother, sister and father.
I have to admit, Charlie is a wonderful excuse to indulge my love of baby-wearing! It feels just so right to have that close warmth and the sound of her sleeping breath close by and to be able to touch or kiss her head. I wore all of my babies and have followed the growth of baby slings and carriers over the past thirty years with interest.
The choices were few back in the mid 80s when Melissa was born and before I knew better, I purchased a carrier that would now be classed as a "crotch dangler"! Later, I bought my first NMAA Meh Tai and the rest is history! I still have that navy Meh Tai and have popped Charlie into it a couple of times when needed and it is still going strong! Despite the strong presence of the fashionable Snuggli in the parenting magazines, I stuck with what worked!
Baby-wearing was our life-saver when Kieran came along in 1991- the Meh Tai was one of the few ways I could get him to sleep and have my arms free! As I qualified as a Breastfeeding Counsellor when he was 1yo, my Meh Tai became a teaching aid and came along to group meetings, antenatal classes and the weekly postnatal visits I did at the local hospital - it is probably one of the most-seen Meh Tais since Mary Paton's! (More on that later)
In 1995, I returned to work and got paid to talk about Meh Tais and demonstrate them! My job in the Melbourne store of Merrily Merrily (now Mother's Direct), the retail division of NMAA (now ABA!) was a wonderful chance to spread the word and I got so much practice demonstrating them, I had to make sure I did so slow enough for customers to follow!
Part of my role over the next five years was to organise photo shoots for various catalogues and publications and that usually involved getting various friends to model different products - including the Meh Tai and also the new NMAA Simplicity Sling - a variation of the Meh Tai that utilised clips in place of the traditional knots. At that time, mid to late 1990s, most slings on the market had these kinds of fastenings and feedback was that parents preferred these to the traditional Meh Tai.
I once had the pleasure of two Chinese midwives, visiting NMAA Head Quarters in Nunawading, exclaiming in delight when they saw a poster in the shop for the Meh Tai - they told me that this was very familiar to them and that it translated as Meh (tying on the back) Tai (with a belt). The traditional Asian baby carrier was this design and the story of how it appeared as legendary in an Australian breastfeeding support organisation never tires for re-telling:
In 1966, NMAA Founder Mary Paton and her family were featured in a Herald newspaper series about Melbourne families. This busy mum literally flew home from another engagement to meet with the reporter and photographer at her home. Whether by good luck or intention, Mary had her youngest child on her back in a Meh Tai and the photographer suggested she "do something" he could photograph her doing in this strange thing. Mary grabbed the vacuum cleaner and was thus captured for eternity cleaning the house wearing a smart dress and high heels - donned for her earlier engagement! The response from readers was amazing, contacting the newspaper asking where they could buy such a thing - and Mary quickly announced that NMAA made and sold them. And so the seeds for Merrily Merrily/Mothers Direct were sewn! Literally sewn, in fact - around kitchen tables in sewing bees for many years until eventually outsourced to Melbourne manufacturers Dawsons, who were still supplying them 30 years later when I was selling the products!
At the 2007 Hot Milk conference, I was invited by Mary herself up to her hotel room, where she handed into my personal care her very own copy of that newspaper article. I got this professionally framed and had in hanging by my desk at the Breastfeeding Centre until I left recently - it now hangs in my lounge room as a reminder of the volunteers that have been the core of the organisation since February 1964.
Fashions came and went over the years and so did the colours and designs of the Meh Tai fabric - and what was on-trend one year would turn up a few years later in the bargain bin! This was how I came by two red Meh Tais, reduced to clear, which I gave to my baby-sitting daughters. Kaitlyn is now proudly using hers as part of her baby-wearing wardrobe for Charlie.
And so I come to the modern chapter of my baby-wearing story: in recent years, with the aid of online shopping and forums such as Facebook, baby slings and carriers have hit a new popularity. There are now whole businesses dedicated to the sale and promotion of baby-wearing options. Some are wonderful - and some are pretty awful. Thankfully, the majority are beautiful and a new breed of baby-wearer has appeared: She who cannot stop at one! Different styles for different stages, circumstances and whimsy sit happily in the baby-wearer's wardrobe. Groups meet to share techniques and admire the beauty of different fabrics. Other groups allow sales of pre-loved carriers while yet others exist to promote safe baby-wearing and dissuade the use of poorly designed and/or made products.
I had promised my daughters that i would buy a family "library" of slings and carriers that they could all use with their babies as they came along and Kaitlyn is making the most from that promise!”
Kaitlyn - and I - attended her first babywearing meet just weeks before I wrote this. It was eye-opening for me and inspirational for us both. This happened to be a meet of Mornington Peninsula Babywearing Group. Attending these regular meets soon became part of our family calendar.
As this babywearing group blossomed, I volunteered to help facilitate meets. We were soon getting lots of regulars and new faces coming along. And we were also getting request from further afield: do you ever hold meets beyond Frankston? It became clear another group was needed to fill the gap between this group servicing the Peninsula and those further up the Bay, closer to Melbourne. So I started one.
The new South Eastern Babywearing group picked up the Frankston meets and added others, eventually running up to five meets every month in libraries and other free spaces in Tyabb, Dandenong, Bentleigh and Narre Warren as well as Frankston.
I am sure my babywearing story will have an end … it just isn’t now. My three grandchildren have outgrown the carriers but now have an interest in learning the techniques! Hopefully I can hand it over to a new generation one day.
To be continued …
