The first thing the lady at the store did was ask what kind of carrier I use. I told her and she said- "We babywearers hate Bjorns." First of all, I didn't realize there was a term called "babywearing". Second of all, I felt judged because I was not included in her babywearing camp because of my Bjorn. I was taken aback that she would insult the very carrier I have. She said babywearers hate them because they hold baby by the crotch and it seems uncomfortable. I think she thought I was a bad mom because I use a Bjorn.
Being that I didn't go in there to impress the sales lady- I pressed on. I tried on a Moby wrap- Ethan hated it. I tried on a Boba- Ethan started to cry. I tried on a Lucky baby sling- Ethan almost fell out of it.He kept arching his back and started to get fussy. He hated it. So, I decided to stick with my Bjorn- and brave the judging by all the babywearers. :)
I definitely think holding Ethan is super important. I have read so much about how babies being touched stimulates their growth hormones and they actually grow more. I think I can hold Ethan a lot without having to wear him in a carrier. I also think Ethan needs to be on the floor learning how to move around and play with toys. If he is always in a carrier where his movement is restricted- he may not be able to do all things he wants to do. Being that he wants to be in everything already, I think that's why he hated all the carriers today. I think one of the carriers that we looked at today would have been fabulous for when Ethan was little. But now that he is such a curious little guy who wants to try everything out, a carrier may not be his cup of tea anymore.
I'm glad we figured that out today! I'm thankful they let me try so many carriers on. Ethan's next trick is to roll over from back to front, and he is really close! He will be sitting up soon and crawling soon. I can't wait to see him figure all these things out. :) Mabye we'll revisit carriers in the future, but for now I think we have figured out Ethan hates being restricted in them- just like he hated being restricted in a swaddle when he was first born. :)
The Bjorn
The Moby Wrap
The Boba
The Lucky Sling
Ethan loving his play time
Wow. I'm sorry she judged you by your babywearing method - I'm pretty sure that is NOT the indicator of what makes one a good parent!
ReplyDeleteI had several carriers that people gave me when I had Campbell, but never used any of them much. She did not seem to particularly care for any of them and it never seemed all that necessary. I agree with you completely about wanting to spend time holding the babe and allowing them time to roll around, move freely, and explore. I will say, however, that I have fallen in love with the Moby this time around. Having my hands free to do things with Campbell and still have Bennett close was important, plus Bennett really liked it. I still use the Moby a lot, even though he's pushing 25 lbs. He loves to be in it.
Thanks Kristin! I know that a more secure carrier will be a must when we have child number 2. Mabye if we start them out in it earlier like you have, the babe will love it. :) Good to hear from you!
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