[MittensKittens]

When you need it?

I wanted to share this gem. Yesterday, a woman apparently walking her grandchild around the park approached me asking why my baby wasn't in a stroller. I replied that I babywear for many reasons, including comfort, convenience and bonding. She replied, "Yeah, but what about your back?". After saying we were both very comfy, the woman said "Perhaps you are now, but when you get older you won't be able to stand up straight, and you will be in pain all the time!"

WTH?

 

[chase_mommy]

I got the same "when you get older your back is going to hurt all the time" line from a lady once. She really caught me off guard since she was not mainstream at all but she continued to tell me she wore all three of her children and now her back is a mess. She even went as far as to beg me to stop wearing my little one "before it was to late"... of course in a concerned manor.

I'm not gonna lie... her words have crossed my mind a lot and has given me a bit of worry but not enough for me to stop babywearing. I keep telling myself she *must* have been doing something wrong to have messed her back up so much.

I sure hope my theory is right and hers is wrong.

 

[schreiberwriter]

strengthen your abs and you'll be fine. Everyone's different.

And be sure to make all life decisions based on fear.

 

[tanyam926]

I think my back hurts sometimes after carrying my 20 lber all day bc I'm not in great shape, not bc there's something inherently dangerous about babywearing.

I get the comment about it hurting the back a lot too but we are mostly comfy and I tell people that we feel great.

Today I was at the store and a little boy around 7 or 8 told his mom, "Look mom, that's a perfect way to carry a baby!" It was great!

 

[MittensKittens]

I used to be into fitness before I was a mom, and never had issues carrying heavy stuff. If you can't carry your own baby, what can you carry? Oh... and (I use podaegis), when I lived in Korea, not all old ladies had bent backs

.

 

[simplymother]

IS there a weird comments thread? I'd love to read them. And also hear some good things to say to all the looks and comments I get!

 

[Everrgreen]

This isn't really a rude comment, but DH's grandma is always asking me if I've taken DS out in his 'buggy' yet. And everytime I will tell her he doesn't have a buggy and that I use a wrap carrier, but the next time she asks again about the 'buggy'. I think she just likes to say 'buggy'

 

[NinaBruja]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chase_mommy I'm not gonna lie... her words have crossed my mind a lot and has given me a bit of worry but not enough for me to stop babywearing. I keep telling myself she *must* have been doing something wrong to have messed her back up so much.

maybe shes one of those people i see all over the place who are wearing ginormous slings when they need small ones so the baby is wobbling around near thier genitals, or one of those people who have slings all bunched up on thier neck.
when i see people doing both i cringe and try not to go over and offer them help or a smaller sling.

 

[funkymamajoy]

My SIL is convinced that I'm giving myself back problems. However, I'm standing up straight with both of us properly supported and she's leaning over an umbrella stroller that is too short for her and doesn't support that baby's spine at all.

 

[nml12903]

I was shopping the other day and I passed two store employees. One looked at the other and said "my heart just drops everytime I see something like that". The other one responded by saying "I know, why would you even think a piece of fabric and a metal ring would hold up such a big baby? She's going to realize how crazy she is when the baby crashes to the floor!" This was all in reference to my "big" 12 pound 6 month old in his maya wrap. I didn't even bother to say anything to them. I didn't want to waste my time.

 

[Maggirayne]

Quote:

Originally Posted by poxybat maybe shes one of those people i see all over the place who are wearing ginormous slings when they need small ones so the baby is wobbling around near thier genitals, or one of those people who have slings all bunched up on thier neck. when i see people doing both i cringe and try not to go over and offer them help or a smaller sling.

Um, could you ask if they are comfortable in the sling? I had a hard time figuring mine out at first and would have loved for someone to show me. I didn't have any crunchy friends then. My ring sling was too bunched up in the back/shoulder.

Or start a convo, "How do you like your sling?"

But then, I'm one of those people who wants to help everyone.

 

[NinaBruja]

yeah thats a good idea, ill try that next time...

i just remembered one comment i got when sandrel was like 3 months or so.
i was walking around the mall and this guy asked 'can the baby breathe!?'
and i walked closer and showed him her little face and said 'yup'
he asked if she was comfortable in there. i said 'well shes calm and i think shes falling asleep so id say so

and its pretty much how she was in my belly'
we talked for a little while and he decided that slings were awesome

oh i do have another one too

i had liesl on my back in the wrap. i was leaving the library holding a huge box of slings. this visibly drunk man was walking behind me and yells out 'hey lady! do you know you have a baby on your back?' and then cracks up laughing

 

[limabean]

Quote:

Originally Posted by poxybat i had liesl on my back in the wrap. i was leaving the library holding a huge box of slings. this visibly drunk man was walking behind me and yells out 'hey lady! do you know you have a baby on your back?' and then cracks up laughing

Ha -- I would have cracked up too.

But the pun-loving side of me would have had a hard time not saying, "And you have a monkey on yours!"

 

[nettlesoup]

My OH's granny is always making comments about me using the mei tai instead of a stroller. She's used such lines as 'You'll fall and kill the baby, your sister will be upset if you don't use the buggy' (my sister bought it as a present for us), and 'you need to be normal'. I don't know why she's so obsessed with us using it; I think because slings aren't mainstream enough.
She's already told us we have to live like normal people now that we have a baby. We need to stop eating weird food (like organic vegetable lasagne and anything healthy) and feed her normal food like beans and chips. Oh, and we need to get a tv because babies love tv's! When she found out we were going to co-sleep, she started collecting newspaper cuttings of babies who died in their parents' beds.
Sorry, this appears to have turned into a rant! But anyway, back on subject; I don't think she's commented on it hurting my back yet, but she doesn't think I'm capable of carrying a baby far and should therefore go for the easy option of a stroller.

 

[Burnindinner]

Wow, this is amazing! I've only ever heard positive comments. People LOVE to stop me when I have the moby and tell me it looks cool or they are impressed I'm using it right, or that he looks so comfy!

I think the ones that make me sad for the person are the people who think the baby can fall out - really? Like you'd do something dangerous for your child?

I like the 7 year old who told his mom it was a good idea. I got a mom in trouble who was pushing her infant in a carrier - her other child was at the asking a million questions stage and wanted to know why THEY didn't have the baby in a sling!

 

[mjg013]

I've been fortunate enough to only have positive comments, although I've experienced a few incredulous looks from people watching me put my didy on in a parking lot or two. Most people stop me to tell me how cool it is and ask where I got it and how it works and how they wish they'd had one. I've seen men nudge their wives in the grocery store and tell her they need to get one of those. Most recently, we took our 8 month old to a Jimmy Buffett concert in the wrap. As we were leaving the people behind us saw him and the man said so that's what that was. He said he and his wife saw me putting it on in the parking lot and had no idea what I was wrapping all around me. He said that it was the coolest thing he'd ever seen. We got quite a lot of comments and amazed stares at the concert but then it takes very little to amaze and amuse drunk people.

 

[HappyHelpmate]

Oh, I can't believe the entire gammut of comments I've gotten! Of course, we're in a very conservative, southern area, so many people have never seen someone wearing their baby until me.
I often get "Wow, that's how the Indians/Africans carry their babies"
but also, "can the baby breathe in there?"
and, I used to walk with a couple of friends about 2mi 3-4days a week, and I'd usually use a stroller, but when DS was fussy, I'd put him in the sling or mei tai, and they'd say "Oh, isn't that going to hurt your back?" and they'd constantly ask me if I wanted them to carry him! I'm just like "No, this is way easier than trying to carry him, and my back doesn't hurt, I promise!"
But generally, most people say "That is really a neat idea. I wish I'd known about those when I had my baby(ies)."
So I started making slings for gifts for every baby shower I go to now and everyone is usually glad to get them!

ETA: Oh yeah, and my SIL said when I had my son in a sling to go into a store "You look like those hippie women I see at concerts who wear those to breastfeed their kids." haha!! I didn't even know how to take that, but I thought it was a good thing. hahhaha

 

[hrsmom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by simplymother IS there a weird comments thread? I'd love to read them. And also hear some good things to say to all the looks and comments I get!

There are a few that get started from time to time. I'll see if I can dig one or two of them up!

Quote:

Originally Posted by nml12903 I was shopping the other day and I passed two store employees. One looked at the other and said "my heart just drops everytime I see something like that". The other one responded by saying "I know, why would you even think a piece of fabric and a metal ring would hold up such a big baby? She's going to realize how crazy she is when the baby crashes to the floor!" This was all in reference to my "big" 12 pound 6 month old in his maya wrap. I didn't even bother to say anything to them. I didn't want to waste my time.

This is sad! I wouldn't have said anything, either.

Quote:

Originally Posted by poxybat i had liesl on my back in the wrap. i was leaving the library holding a huge box of slings. this visibly drunk man was walking behind me and yells out 'hey lady! do you know you have a baby on your back?' and then cracks up laughing

Hilarious!!!!!!

The most recent one I got was from someone at my church who see me wear my baby every time I go (which isn't often anymore because honestly, I'm sick of the comments!) Anyway, they said that my babe was going to learn to walk backwards because I carry her on my front facing back. Give me a break. That is preferable to the comment that she'll never learn to walk, although both are equally ridiculous.

On Easter my pastor saw us and said, "you still holding that baby?" What am I supposed to do, put her on the ground? Geez!

 

[hrsmom]

Here's a "funny comments" thread that I started awhile ago, which was the only way I could find one! funny comments

There are probably more recent ones!

 

[Magali]

Well at that point, you would stop babywearing right? I mean it's not called young adolescent wearing