The
Maya Wrap Baby Sling
By Lisa Poisso
The Maya Wrap is the mama
of all baby slings. Everybody’s seen a Maya Wrap – it’s
that gorgeous swath of Guatemalan fabric you see 
babies
tucked into and toddlers joyously hip-straddling inside.
The Maya is a practical yet elegant answer to versatile
babywearing at all ages and stages.
Description
This simple, versatile style – basically a length of sturdy cotton fabric
gathered on a set of slip rings – can be worn with babies and toddlers
of all ages in many different positions.
Advantages
Easy to use A practiced user can slip
on a Maya Wrap and set a child inside in seconds. You
can slide a coat or jacket on over a Maya Wrap. The
tail of the wrap now features a sewn-in pocket for
carrying a diaper or lightweight items. The sturdy
100 percent cotton fabric is lightweight and cool.
Portable The Maya Wrap is lightweight
and easy to carry folded up inside a diaper bag or purse.
Versatile You can wear a child in reclining, front, hip and back-carry
positions. The Maya Wrap’s lack of padding lets you use it as a blanket,
a shopping cart safety strap, a harness and more. You can wear more than one
child at a time in more than one sling.
Discreet The Maya Wrap is designed so that its “tail” (the
portion of fabric that threads through the rings and then hangs) is long enough
to be used as a drape to help assure discreet nursing.
Easy to clean The 100 percent cotton Maya Wrap is machine
washable in cold water.
Fits many sizes The Maya Wrap is sized to
accommodate a wide range of users in each size range. Sizes
are based on total length; shorter, smaller people will want
shorter slings, and vice versa. Dads can often share the
same sling as their smaller spouses because they won’t
need extra tail length for nursing coverage.
Safe materials Maya Wrap has a certificate
from the manufacturer stating that the dyes used to make
Maya Wrap Baby Carriers do not contain any copper, nickel,
lead, mercury, cadmium, cobalt, aluminum, arsenic, chromium
or any other poisonous substance.
Socially responsible The Maya Wrap is a
fair trade product woven by men in Guatemala. No children
are involved in the manufacture (with the youngest employee
during a recent visit by Maya Wrap’s owner being about
age 20), and the sewing facility is not a maquiladora; no
children under 16 may be involved with making Maya Wrap products,
by company policy.
Disadvantages
Availability You won’t find a Maya Wrap at the local baby store
or department store. The Maya Wrap is available online from the manufacturer
by toll-free telephone, online or by local distributors (listed on Maya Wrap’s
web site).
Learning curve The Maya Wrap can be intimidating to learn
to use, especially with a tiny baby. Clear, explicit instructions and an
online video can help. A real-life demonstration from a friend goes a long
way to making this parenting tool make sense, and practice makes perfect.
Resources
Maya
Wrap, toll free 1-888 MAYA WRAP
Read Babywearing by
Maria Blois
Buy on Amazon.com
The book is a comprehensive resource about babywearing. Dr. Blois covers
the history and benefits of attachment parenting and where baby wearing fits
in. She describes in words and pictures ways to carry your baby. She includes
reviews of various baby carriers - packs, pouches and slings - to allow you
to make your own best choice.
Lisa Poisso has performed
in ballet and musical theatre, edited magazines, slogged
through the world of corporate communications and run
a home-based writing and editing business while raising
a family. A passionate advocate for attachment parenting
and natural family living, she is the founder and publisher
of APConnect!,
Dallas/Fort Worth’s online resource for AP and
natural parenting. She writes for publications and edits
for authors specializing in the natural family, attachment
parenting, vegetarian and parenting fields.
