A few months ago I had the opportunity to travel to Mali in West Africa while volunteering for Interplast on a medical mission.  While my duties on site had nothing to do with ergonomics per se, I could not help but notice the stunning posture of the Malians.  Their beautiful way of standing and their strong sense of center of gravity let them easily carry just about anything on their heads (well, it looked easy to me).

The notable exception to this practice is the way that Malians carry babies, which are carried resting on their mother’s back.  The women wrap a long strip of fabric around their back and chest and put the baby inside, supporting the baby’s weight on their pelvis.  While I’m still not sure how it is all tied up to hold securely, both mother and child appear to be very comfortable. It is a traditional solution that is both economical and ergonomically sound.

So I was pleased to notice for the first time upon my return to the US the ERGObaby carrier. And since then I’ve started seeing them everywhere.  Now compare the two pictures below. Can you see the similarities?

The main and most important feature of this style of carriage is that it allows the mother to carry the baby’s weight on her pelvis.  When walking around, the pelvis is a strong and stable part of the body.  It can sustain added weight without compromising the gait or posture. In contrast, carrying weight on the back and chest relies on the muscles that keep your spine erect. These muscles tend to fatigue easily, causing the back or chest to slump, which then compromises your posture. By carrying their babies’ weight on their pelvis, mothers are able to stand nicely upright, keeping their hands free. (No matter where you live in this world, mothers multi-task.)

As for the babies, they are supported next to their mother’s back with their weight and contact pressure distributed between the child’s thighs and hips.  The distribution of pressure is important to maintain circulation and comfort.

Now, I don’t want to cause anyone to panic (Toddy), but the ERGObaby is already on my wish list.   As they say so well on their site:  “This is the all-in-one soft baby carrier, assisting you through all the stages of your baby’s growth and moving from front to hip to back position easily”.

Ergonomically, I am a big fan of carrying the baby on the back, but flexibility and options for other positions are always a plus for both the mother and the child.  The ERGObaby is also easily adjustable with the waist and shoulder strap fitting a wide variety of body types.

P.S. No offense to the fathers but this post only talks about mothers.  Just like anywhere in the world, the Malian fathers are very caring and devoted to their children. But I only saw mothers carrying babies on their backs.