The babies of our partner artisans spend no time in strollers or expensive baby carriers. It would be unheard of. So how do these mothers keep their children safe in the most vulnerable time of their lives? Simple. The same woven cloth they use to carry their groceries. 
The concept of ‘babywearing’ is trending in Western childcare. It refers to the practice of carrying an infant, toddler, or child by securing them to one’s body with a cloth structure. Babywearing has been an essential aspect of motherhood across cultures for a long time, but has been largely forgotten in the United States and Europe until recently. As the concept re-emerges, it’s followed by science that verifies not just the logistical advantages, but also the psychological benefits of the practice.
A 2020 study of adolescent mothers in the United States reveals other benefits. The group of mothers who regularly practiced babywearing reported significantly higher levels of bonding with their infants (Williams & Turner). In fact, the study reveals, “Although initially mothers emphasized babywearing for its convenience, there was a surge by four months of age where half of mothers prioritized the bonding benefits of babywearing.” The study concluded that babywearing “enhanced bonding, calming, convenience, and infant learning.”
Indigenous communities have been relying on babywearing as a core tenet of parenthood for millennia. It can be seen across the globe– in Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Each style of babywearing is unique, reflecting local tradition.
In Ollantaytambo, it can be seen everywhere. It’s a practice that does not need to be justified by science. For Quechua women, utilizing a kaypina in Quechua, or manta in Spanish, is their method of babywearing. These brightly colored, intricately designed woven cloths are rich with culture. Depending on the region, the multi-use pieces of fabric are different sizes and contain different emblems and patterns. Another recent Awamaki blog post dives deep into the symbolic meaning of local mantas. 
The kaypina is also called a queperina in Quechua. Alternatively, it may be spelled as q’ipina, quepirinia, quipirinia, or q’ipirina. This wide variation is caused by the fact that Quechua is a largely unwritten language so spelling is rarely standardized.
The identification of this carrying cloth gets even more confusing because many Spanish speakers refer to it as a lliclla or lliklla. That’s what most Ollantinos would call it despite the fact that the word has a technically different meaning: another sort of cloth, a handwoven rectangle that is secured in the front using a decorative pin. Finally, the kaypina is also commonly called an aguayo, which comes from the language of the Aymara tribe, an Indigenous Ancient Andean group, and means a type of sling.
The traditional colors of Ollataytambo kaypinas are red, black, and white according to Jeny, a local resident who has raised two children with the practice of babywearing. Those colors are seen more in the rural, higher-altitude communities, where kaypinas are still occasionally made by hand. Although, there too, the synthetic kaypina has become more common. In the town of Ollanta, the kaypinas are almost exclusively synthetic. They are cheaper, softer, and have a wider variety of designs. The synthetic kaypinas are made up of much brighter colors, often shades of pinks, reds, and blues.
Handwoven kaypinas tend to reflect more local culture, the designs are generally defined by nature, a commonality between much of the weaving here. Jeny explains that cantuas are a frequent feature, a local flower that was sacred to the Incas. Also often seen are condors, creatures said to be messengers of the gods.
From infancy to about one year old, the baby is worn nearly constantly. These children are either tied to the back of their mother or carried in the front, where they can be breastfed. The textile is tied into a sling, in which the baby lays flat against the mother’s back. The sling can easily be removed and laid down, keeping the child bundled up without waking them.
Past the age of one, the frequency of babywearing decreases continuously. The child is capable of more independent movement and as they grow, so does the weight of the physical burden mothers carry. Most women will carry their children up to the age of 3 years. At these older ages, the children are worn almost exclusively on the backs of women in a style that is less of a sling and more of a carrier, where the child is upright. The mothers seem to do the maneuver of folding their baby into place and slinging them on to their back effortlessly. The end result is a safe and secure child, sitting erect against the mother's back, while the mother is free to use both of her hands for other pursuits.
When asked, Jeny emphasized productivity as the main advantage of babywearing. With her hands free, she could continue to work, knowing her child was absolutely safe. Many of our artisan partners can be seen weaving with their child secured to them, demonstrating their ability to multitask, simultaneously supporting their babies physically, emotionally, and economically.