Babywearing??? Why on earth would anyone want to wear their baby? I mean, holding and cuddling is one thing,but wearing them around all day??? That's what I thought while pregnant with my first child. I thought slings were "weird" back then. Luckily, I was blessed with a very happy, easily entertained and all-around pleasant baby.
About 6 months into my second pregnancy I started reading about different parenting practices. I had the opportunity to purchase a second hand sling for $10, I figured, what they hey! I had received a front pack carrier as a gift with my first child and found it unbearably uncomfortable, the sling HAD to be better than that. That investment turned out to be the best $10 I have ever spent.
From the days before I confirmed I was pregnant with my second daughter, Emily, I knew things were going to be different this time around. I was literally sick from her conception date. With my first daughter I had not one day of morning sickness, at least nothing a few saltines couldn't take care of. I don't think I left the bathroom the first 4 months of pregnancy except to sleep. My pregnancy was much more difficult, and my labor was ten times more difficult.
Emily was born after 10 hours of an unsuccessful pitocin induction and barely 3 hours of real labor. The pitocin had caused her to go into fetal stress twice…no wonder she came out screaming…and didn't stop screaming for the next 12 weeks.
I was very uncomfortable using the sling for the first few weeks. Emily was so tiny for such a large piece of material! She literally swam in the material, she got lost. I looked at the instruction booklet over and over, I downloaded instructional video clips over the internet, I stopped a lady at the mall and asked her how she got hers on, I even practiced with my toddler's baby doll. One evening I went to a La Leche League meeting and I borrowed a copy of Dr. Sears' babycare book (by the way, if you have a baby anything like my Emily, I HIGHLY suggest reading his book, "Parenting the Fussy baby"). One chapter was all about slings and showed a lot of different ways to wear baby.
On one particularly bad day for Emily, at about 12 weeks of age, I just said to myself "this is my child and I will not let her cry alone, I have to do something". I put on the sling, made it as tight as possible, and put Emily in it. She continued to cry until I moved her around so she was facing forward….she was quiet. Sure, if I stopped moving she started crying again, but as I moved, she was quiet, she even fell asleep in it. "This isn't my baby! Something must be wrong!" I thought. That's when I realized nothing was wrong with Emily, something was very right. Emily was finally comfortable and happy. She didn't want any fancy gizmos to sit or bounce in. She didn't want to eat more. She didn't want entertained. Emily simply wanted her mommy.
Emily is now nearly 11 months old and we still use the sling on a regular basis, although she no longer needs me to carry her all day in it. I was paid a huge compliment when a friend said to me "I see Emily in the sling more than out". I am very proud to wear my baby everywhere I go. I gladly confront the stares from people who obviously think as I once did, and I answer all the inquires about the sling. More often that not I hear comments like "she looks so comfortable and happy in there". I always reply "yes, she is".
Meg Grooms, Professional Mother to Cathryne and Emily
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ranch/7864
http://www.netcolony.com/members/ladybugbliss
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