Community Canvas with Auriane Sgard

This month’s Community Canvas features another unique babywearing story from one of our caregivers. With this series, we aim to highlight the beauty, strength, and diversity of our babywearing community. We are excited to share another opportunity that showcases a voice who, for some readers, will shine a light on something new and, for others, will be a bright beacon showing they’re not alone. Let’s meet Auriane.

What’s your name?

Auriane Sgard

Who’s in your family?

My family includes my partner Malko, our two kids (5 years old and 15 months) and our 14 year old cat.

Where are you from? Where do you live now?

I’m originally from France and spent most of my childhood in a little ski town in the Alps. I moved to Vancouver, BC in 2019, and now I’m happily settled in North Vancouver with my family.

What 3-5 words best describe who you are?

Passionate, curious, empathetic, and complex.

Give us a little background about yourself.

I’m a certified babywearing educator based in British Columbia. My mission is to support all caregivers by making babywearing feel approachable, adaptable, and centered around their unique needs, as well as the needs and sensitivities of their children. As a late-diagnosed autistic woman, I see how babywearing can be especially helpful for many neurodivergent families, both for caregivers and for children. It offers co-regulation, sensory input, and structure in a way that can be deeply supportive and grounding.

What makes your babywearing experience unique?

I think every babywearing experience is unique. Mine began not just out of knowledge and curiosity, but also out of survival and a need for safety after a traumatic birth. For our family, babywearing is a shared experience, my partner wears our babies just as much as I do, and it’s a big part of how we connect and regulate. It has also become an essential tool for me as a neurodivergent parent, helping me stay regulated and be the best version of the mom I can be. I truly don’t know how I would parent without it.

How did you first start babywearing? What led you to become a certified educator?

My first experience with babywearing was actually as a teenager! I was babysitting a 6 year-old when another family urgently needed someone to watch their 3 month-old. Since I had to pick up the older child from school and take her to dance class, the baby’s mom quickly showed me how to carry her baby in a woven wrap (FWCC) so I could bring her along. That was my very first introduction to babywearing!

What led me to become a certified educator was a mix of curiosity and a desire to give back to the community. I actually thought about it for more than 3 years before finally taking the leap and I’m so glad I did!

How has babywearing impacted your life?

I would say babywearing helped me become the mom I aspired to be, especially at a time when I felt like I was failing as a mom. My first baby was born a little early. He was healthy, but I wasn’t ready, and the birth was traumatic (premature, breech, and a sudden C-section). I felt like I had failed my baby and myself. It deeply affected my mental health, and that feeling of having my baby taken away from my belly stayed with me for many months after his birth. 

Babywearing helped me feel whole and safe again. It probably even saved me from postpartum depression (and obviously benefited my premature baby as well). Now, years later, babywearing is still a big part of our lives. It helps us connect, have fun (hello, dance parties!), avoid power struggles, co-regulate, and explore the world safely together as a family.

What has surprised you about motherhood and babywearing?

Honestly, I expected to be surprised! I read, researched, and listened to so many podcasts for literally years before giving birth. I would say I was most surprised by how powerful hormones are; how they affect everything, especially mental health. It’s one thing to know about it, but something completely different to actually experience it.

What surprised me about babywearing was the incredible healing power it holds. I knew about the benefits for babies, but not as much about the benefits for the caregiver and the relationship itself. That’s what I emphasize most in my work now, because it’s truly amazing.

What is your babywearing philosophy?

I value babywearing not just as a “hands-free tool” (as it’s often framed in modern parenting culture), but as a meaningful parenting support system that nurtures connection, attachment, and mental health for both the child and the caregiver, from infancy through early childhood.

Babywearing is not a trend or a rigid science. It’s a natural, traditional, and cultural practice that we are privileged and honored to carry forward. I believe there’s no one “right” way to babywear. I focus on helping families build confidence through responsive, informed choices. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach (to babywearing or parenting, by the way!) I see my role as walking alongside families to help them find what works best to support their family.

How can people get in touch with you as an educator? Do you have a website or social media handles you’d like to share?

You can reach me on Instagram @raisebabiesup (https://www.instagram.com/raisebabiesup), through my website https://www.raisebabiesup.com, or by email!

What advice do you have for other people who are looking to become certified babywearing educators or just learn more about babywearing?

I think the biggest step between being passionate and becoming an educator is being ready and willing to support all caregivers with kindness and understanding, no matter where they’re at.

My piece of advice would be: don’t be like me and wait for years… just go for it! Worst-case scenario, you’ll walk away knowing a lot of useful things about an amazing, meaningful practice.

What’s your favorite hope&plum carrier? Is there anything you’d like to try or a babywearing skill you’re still working on?

The Kid Lark! It’s my big kid’s favorite, and it’s super easy to pack. 

Lately, I’ve been working on expanding my knowledge of traditional babywearing. I’m also focusing on developing expertise in adaptive babywearing.

What’s the best thing you ever ate or a meal you never get tired of?

I love mango sticky rice (but I usually eat the same food for weeks and suddenly find it disgusting, so that’s really hard to answer!)

What animal would you be for a day?

Probably a zebra… 

If you were an action figure, what would be two of your accessories?

A baby carrier, obviously, and probably sunglasses because I wear them all the time (even indoors!) 

What are your top 5 emojis?

❤️😂🙈😬🤷🏻‍♀️