Babywearing is one of the rare things in life that never gets old.
Babywearing parents love having your baby snuggled up on your chest, reaching out to hold your hand, and babbling away to you as you go about your business isn’t really something you tire of.
No parent has ever thought, ‘I am just so fed up of this new baby smell,’ or ‘These teeny tiny soft baby feet are just so tedious now.’
Having your baby in a sling, wrap or carrier means you can sniff that sweet head whenever you want, and of course, it means your baby is pretty happy because he can touch and smell you, too.
There are only two downsides to babywearing for parents
- The first is that when your baby is old enough to eat solid foods, you will spend your evenings digging out raisins from your cleavage.
- And the other is the comments you will receive from other people.
Of course, not all of these comments will be bad, you will get lovely comments too. People who run over to tell you how much they loved babywearing when their kids were little, or those who can’t help but comment on how happy your baby looks nestled against you. And then you will also get the odd negative comment, from friends and strangers alike.
There are 10 things babywearing parents have heard;
Babywearing Parents #1: Oh, Your Poor Back!
Ah yes, this tiny baby is absolutely killing my poor, decrepit back. I can barely hold myself up, the baby is just so heavy. You would think nature would have made our infants smaller so they could be more easily transported from place to place, hey wait a minute…
Babywearing Parents #2: You’re Making A Rod For Your Own Back There
Actually, it was the surgeon who made me one, and then fitted it. Seriously, give my spine a tap, it clinks like metal!
Babywearing Parents #3: That Looks Complicated
I’ve just watched a woman flip her pram handle bars to change the way her baby faces, turn a carry cot into a car seat and clip it in the car before collapsing the pram using just her little finger. She did all of this while carrying a smoothie, and without waking the baby, and in under one minute flat. And you think this rectangle of cloth looks complicated?
Babywearing Parents #4: We Didn’t Have Those In My Day
Ah yes, the crazy newfangled parenting craze of carrying your own baby. Things were much better in your day, back when nobody had to waste any energy picking up babies if they cried. The good old days, sigh.
Babywearing Parents #5: Can Your Baby Breathe In There?
Baby, what baby? I just like the carrier. Kidding, of course. Yes, there’s a baby in here, he may or may not be breathing. Thank goodness you reminded me. I’ll just check, yep, he’s breathing. PHEW!
Babywearing Parents #6: You’re Spoiling That Baby
I totally agree with you there. Babies these days are so pampered with love and attention, it’s appalling. What babies really need is to be ignored, and to get used to how uncaring life is. After all, carrying babies around now is going to leave them entirely unprepared for life as adults. That’s actually why I’m carrying her like this. Not so I can comfort her easier, but so she can see that I’m NOT comforting her. When she cries, I just ignore her, and I don’t want there to be any confusion as to why.
Babywearing Parents #7: You Won’t Be Able To Do That For Much Longer!
I have already vowed that I will do this either until he leaves for uni or until my back breaks, whichever comes first. And nothing you say is going to change that.
Babywearing Parents #8: I’m Not Really Into That Sort Of Parenting
You mean, parenting? I’m not entirely sure what you mean by this sort, I hope you’re not judging my entire parenting style simply off how I transport my baby. That would really suck. It would be like if I assumed you were always rude just because you made one insensitive and judgemental comment.
Babywearing Parents #9: I Can’t Carry My Baby All Day, It Hurts My Arms
I’m not trying to insult your intelligence or anything, but trust me when I say this wouldn’t hurt your arms. Unless you were lifting weights at the same time, and then had muscle ache the next day. Or unless a door closed too fast and you got your arm stuck in it, that would probably hurt. But having your baby securely fastened into a carrier so you can have your arms free really doesn’t hurt your arms. Believe me.
Babywearing Parents #10: I Have An Old Pram You Can Have
Oh, thank goodness. All this time I’ve been pretending that babywearing was a choice, but really I hate it. I am forced to babywear simply because I don’t have a pram. Thank you so much for saving me from myself.
Note: BellyBelly is committed to gentle parenting, supporting mothers and fathers to be the best parents they can be and helping you to raise happy and healthy babies. Sometimes we like to balance the important knowledge we share with a little humour. We also think it’s important to acknowledge the some of the reals of parenting that we know from experience are often thought and felt privately, but not often said out loud. Hopefully you’ll laugh, connect with these experiences and be affirmed that your parenting journey is just as wild as ours.
For more information on buying the right Baby carriers and slings for you, we recommend you review the following;
Baby Carriers and Slings
To find out more about babywearing, you can read BellyBelly’s article:
