Who is
bao bei babywearing?
Hi! I’m Alison - a mom who fell down the babywearing rabbit hole and is happily at the bottom of the pit. Join me, it’s warm down here!
Jokes aside, I’m a mom who never knew she’d be a mom. Moreover, I never knew I’d be a babywearing mom. Further to that, I never knew how much I’d enjoy babywearing and all its trappings: the incredible connection, the co-regulation, the contact naps, the songs in my ear, and the way it made my life easier and yet more full of joy and FUN. My spunky daughter is now 2 years old, and I will never regret strapping her into a baby carrier when she was just a squish, and getting outside with her so I could walk Bruce (our dog - aka my first baby) - but I do look back on photos where she was worn unsafely, and regret the not knowing better.
I’m now fully trained and certified through CBWS (Centre for Babywearing Studies) - an evidence-based and comprehensive international program that integrates the latest research on safe babywearing and hip health in their training. I'm passionate about babywearing for all, and hope I can show you just how powerful wearing your child can be.
See you down the rabbit hole!
.. and what does bao bei mean?
My parents immigrated from Malaysia to Canada before I was born, and I grew up in Vancouver until I moved to Australia with my partner in 2017. As the youngest of three children, my mom would always call me her bao bei - a Chinese phrase that encompasses affection, warmth, and the deepest love, all at once.
In English, bao bei translates best to precious treasure.
The name Bao Bei Babywearing honours my cultural roots, and the love and support of my own mother. (Fun fact: she still calls me her bao bei!)
I think as parents, we feel the awe, the love, the weight and the joy of raising our children, even in its most challenging moments. And yet, we always want to carry our children close and safely, and we truly have such a limited window of time in which we can do just that.
As a babywearing consultant and educator, parents come to me sometimes in their most vulnerable, postpartum state. I honour the privilege that is guiding you to safely carry your bao bei.