share your funny babywearing comments, etc...

[UmmIbrahim]

Purely in the spirit of fun and/or fuming out frustrations...anyone care to share any recent interesting comments you've received or kind "help" from overly wary strangers, etc etc etc.

[HybridVigor]

Three people have asked or tried to "help" when I'm putting my LO in a back carry. I get snappy, and say very sharply that I don't need help.

I realize that it doesn't make a good impression, but they're putting my baby at risk. When I'm putting him on my back, I know what's going on. If someone else touches him or the carrier, I can't see that . . . I can't predict what will happen.

:

Also I was at a department store and the lady I checked out with seemed bent on having me use a cart or something. She kept saying that he looked "hot" and "uncomfortable". Then she handed me my large shopping bag and tried to convince me to leave it in the cart and go to the elevator . . . instead of walking on my own two feet, carrying my baby and my shopping (as I am fully capable of doing).

BUT I did get two college-aged girls to be totally impressed by a back carry with a MT in Walmart. They said "That was so cool!" over and over again.



There's good and there's bad.

P.S. UmmIbraham . . . if it wasn't for your defunct blog and the awesome stuff I read there (which led me to your actual blog, then TBW) . . . I might still be trying to wrestle my poor Bailey-boy into a front pack or something. Now I'm starting to teach babywearing, I'll be attending the conference, and I make MTs, onbu's, wraps . . . ^_^ Thanks.

[Bald_Bull's_Mama]

A few weeks ago, I was wearing my 2month in a wrap on my front. We were out for a walk on one of the first really nice days here. I see 2 college guys up ahead, sitting in lawn chairs right by the sidewalk. Their grill is sitting on the actual sidewalk. Neither one has on a shirt, one is wearing a giant foam tophat, both are drinking beers. It is 2 pm BTW. So, I'm trying to not pay attention to them, but notice them noticing me. As I pass by, one guy says, "Hey, need a beer?". I keep walking, "Uh, no, I'm fine. Thanks." The other guy, "Oh, there's a child in there!". Now, DS is sleeping in the wrap and his head is mostly tucked in, but his legs are out and he weighs 16 lbs, so not discreet by any means. I have been trying to figure out what they thought I was wearing. A backpack on my front? An interesting shirt? Really, really big boobs? This cracks me up whenever I think about it!

[livenlearn]

I cary my 3 week old in a sling and everywhere I go people keep asking me why I'm carrying two purses. Then they are so amazed when I tell them a baby is in the sling.

[HybridVigor]

Originally Posted by livenlearn

I cary my 3 week old in a sling and everywhere I go people keep asking me why I'm carrying two purses. Then they are so amazed when I tell them a baby is in the sling.

I just wanted to check . . . In the sling, is your baby positioned lower on your body (or further away) than when you are holding them in your arms?

I'm sure you're doing just fine, (and I'm probably making an fool of myself) but if your baby hangs like a purse, you should make sure to wear him or her higher and closer.

[littleseal]

For the most part, the comments are positive (suprising, since I live in an area where babywearing/AP is certainly not the norm). People are usually commenting what a great idea it is. I've had a number of people ask where they can get one, too!

Some people are kind of freaked out about it. I was in the grocery store one day and a guy kind of peered over to see what I was carrying and just about freaked when he saw it was a baby- he shouted "theres a BABY in there!!!"

The most annoying thing is people asking (when I had my newborn son in the sling, sleeping as comfortable as ever) "isn't he squished in there?" (um, yes, and he likes it!) or, more annoyingly "can he breathe?" or the condescending "are you sure he can breathe OK in there?" No, you idiot! I want my baby to suffocate :

[Mama Poot]

"OMG THERE'S A BABY IN THERE! i THOUGHT YOUR ARM WAS BROKEN!"
A woman in Wal Mart said this when she saw me turn around and realized my sling was for a BABY, not my ARM!

[Redheaded_Momma]

A woman working at the public library commented on several different occasions that "they never had those kind of things when my kids were growing up" uh what?!?! Baby carriers are as old as babies. I know she was just trying to be kind. I just smile and say "yeah"

[potatofairy]

When elu was two or three months old, i had him in a stretchy wrap on the front and a woman asked my due date!

i like when people say that he looks comfy or happy, which is the comment that i get the most. A lot of people think it's really neat!

One woman said, "if i were you, i'd be afraid someone would come up and steal him!" off of my back!?!? he's freaking tied on!!

Occasionally someone thinks i'm going to drop him, or worse, tries to 'help' me put him on. silliness.

[luckygreen713]

I was taking a walk with my mom around her neighborhood, had dd1 on my back in an ergo. We walked past a house where a couple were working in their garden. The man looked at me strangley and asked me why I didn't have a stroller. I smiled and said that I do but I don't like to use it much. He whispered to his wife that I must not be able to afford one and I heard them talking about my "poor" child as we walked away. My mom and I just laughed.
I also get asked if my baby is going to fall out of my moby wrap, or if she can breath in there.
Then of course there are all the people that try to warn me that once I start holding my babies they'll get used to security of it and expect me to always hold them. Um...thats the POINT!! I just smile and say that i like to hold them while they're little and I still can- most people can't come up with a good comeback and drop the subject.

[slf]

-can he breathe in there?
-aren't you afraid of him falling out?

but more often then not i've heard really supportive comments or, like others have said, woah! there's a baby in there! lol

[Elijahs Momma]

I live in an area where NO ONE wears their baby, all you see is babies in strollers, carseats, etc...

"Does that thing really work?!" (No, he falls out all the time)

"That must kill your back!" - (Yes of course, but I shall continue to do this inspite of this alleged back pain) This being said by a rather large man holding his 15lbs grandchild.. I'm about 100lbs and ds is almost 30 and everywhere I go he's in sling.

"He's never going to learn to walk"

"He's getting too big for that thing"

[KristyDi]

In the grocery store I was wearing dd (around 3wks old) near a mom with 2 kids. The younger girl was around 3. She was studying me looking very intent. Suddenly, she broke into a huge smile and announced "BABY!" Her mom and I smiled at each other and chuckled.

Also at the grocery store the bag boy said, "It's like you're a kangaroo!" He obviously thought the wrap was pretty cool.

I haven't gotten any even slightly negative comments yet. But tomorrow I'm going to a huge volleyball tournament in World Congress Center in downtown Atlanta. Tons of people from all over the region. If I'm going to get a rude comment I bet it will be there.

[prancie]

One day I was out walking my 3 dogs with ds in a mei tai. A lady asked me if I had a cat in the carrier!

[UmmIbrahim]

On my end...the most annoying comments I get are just random women trying to be "helpful"
Why it's always women...I don't know.
But this is why I always try to put ds up on my back in a more secluded spot or before doing so, look around to make sure no one is within running over distance.
But, like, wouldn't any semi-intelligent person realize that OK, this women is tossing her child on her back and using something to secure him/her up there, oh duh, they MUST know what they are doing!
Instead, the normal reaction is for people to freak out and assume you DON'T know what your doing!

I realise back carries are NOT the norm in this society, but still, are those who do them, obviously not all there and putting their child into danger.
*oi vey*
This gets me really really :

Last weekend, I popped ds off my back at a little parklet to let him meader around and have some water then popped him back up, took all of 2 seconds to get him in and good and I STILL managed to get an oggling older women and her daughter who called over and asked whether I needed help.
I really wanted to scream, because duh, who the heck would pop their child on and off their back in public yet NEED HELP doing it? Um, no!
So as soon as I stood up, I gave them this like "uh, duh, NO!" look and shook my head and rolled my eyes and meandered off, I looked back and they were STILL standing there mouths agap.

Now, the ONLY random mamas who I will willing now and then accept help is someone who I assume is from either east Asia or somewhere in Africa. I know it's broad , but both Korea and Japan are babywearing nations and most of Africa is a babywearing continent so normally (not always) they know what they r doing. In those instances I DO NOT mind becos I know in those cultures they do help each other out to say, get their child adjusted right or in the proper position.

ne way I hope my vinegar'd post hasnt offended anyone, I just find those "helpful" people insanely and utterly annoying to deal with and I've given up trying to be sweet and kind to them. Becos for one, their rushing in is more often than not a bad thing.
Though, I will mention one thing, I've spoken to other bwing mamas I know and I do believe that overall I don't get as much of this stuff as say some of the others I know, and I base it on the fact that I wear a headscarf, so either it scares many would be helpers off OR people just assume I'm from a country where people do this stuff and just stare in disbelief.

[Arwyn]

About 60,000,000,000 times I've gotten some variation on "I wish someone would carry me like that!" Which, yes, is a positive comment, but it gets old. Although I still haven't figured out what to say in response.

[AustinAmber]

I had DS in a Moby at Target once when he was itty bitty. I went through the checkout and bagged up all my stuff and right before I left he squirrmed so I looked down at him and said something. He was completely covered for the most part. The checkout woman realized I had a baby in there and said something like "Oh, you have a baby there!", in complete shock. I asked her what she thought I had, a bunch of unpaid merchandise?!?

[Bald_Bull's_Mama]

Prancie, that's hilarious! My cat would love to go for walks in the carrier. She wants to use all baby items.

[Onemagicmummy]

when evie was tiny i carried her in stretchy wrap EVERYwhere. the following are only some of thecomments i had

"is that a baby in there"
"yes"
"is it a REAL baby"
by an 8ish yr old boy on a ferry

"oh, its a baby i thought you were carying her(DD1's) doll"
"err, no its a baby, if DD wanted a doll carried she can carry her own doll"
"Oh, Look, A baby, is she ok in there, can she breath!"
"Ee, its a a baby i thought you were carrying a dog" WTH!

and lately as DD2 is 7 month old i have been carrying her on my back in an Ergo and i have gotten
"oh i didnt see her, is she ok, can she breath" 3 times in same HALF HOUR by 3 different women who ALL took it upon them sleves to CHECK under the sleep hood that DD was alive!!
that SAME DAY at the school yard i was asked by another mother
"how do you know she is OK in there?"
"i jsut replied that i can feel her breathing agains my back and that shes is not FLAT against me, there is a gap, i can fit my hand in there, i can feel her.

i also have been told i am "making a rod for your own back" by letting DD2 sleep in the ergo while i do house work etc as she will "be too attatched to you and wont sleep anywhere else, yeha i cant see me having to sling her in high school so she can go to sleep!!

my HV told me if slinging DD2 is what works for our family the so be it, and to ignore what others say about it.

kiz

[Mommy2anangel]

When DS was a newborn, I was wearing him in a pouch and a teenage girl freaked out, "OMG, she's killing her baby!" :

And when I wear him on my back I get a few wierd comments. One that really sticks out is "You've got a growth on your back"