On Monday, I touched on the Time Magazine cover seen round the mommy world. It got me thinking about my own brief stints with attachment parenting.
I live near a college town, which means attachment parenting is bigger here than in other parts of the country. Wearing your baby is common and I’ve seen a myriad of slings and contraptions to do so.
My firstborn, Will, was an awful sleeper. I tried anything that anyone told me to get that kid to chillax! When I joined a new mom group and everyone was wearing their babies, I tried that, too.
And I sucked at it.
I bought a $30 sling from Babies-R-Us. I watched the video (those slings are surprisingly complex!), got pointers from my new moms group, and tried it out with Will when he was 3 months old. My first day I walked around the neighborhood, hoping the lulling motion of my movement was preparing him for a wonderful night’s sleep and all the neurological development that babywearing supposedly encourages.
Instead, I think the lulling motion made him throw up all over me. Look at this picture. You can see the upchuck brewing!
Thaaar he blows!
I tried babywearing off and on for a few more weeks, but it just didn’t work for me.
When my daughter was born, I tried again. I went all out and bought the super-duper fancy sling that Cindy Crawford endorsed. This sling was a little better, but I still felt that my baby was going to fall out at any moment. I ended up only wearing it to do laundry. It was handy to have both hands free to stuff the washing machine.
In a nutshell, I was a complete and utter babywearing attachment parent failure!
My "detached" children
Did you try babywearing? What fabulous thing worked for all the other mommies but didn’t work for you?
I don’t have any children, but when I do I will steer clear from products by supermodels!
Alison Pringle recently posted…Anti-Aging Cream
I think I live in fear of whatever Jessica Simpson will endorse!
I swore I would never ‘wear’ my babies. My thought was that I ‘wore’ them for 9 months and my back was killing me then, why on Earth would I strap them back on?! Well for some reason when baby #3 came along I felt like maybe I should give it a try so I could get things done with 2 hands. I went to a local baby re-sale shop and found a carrier for $6.00 ( I didn’t want to spend a lot of money in case it didn’t work out). I don’t use it a lot, but there have been times when I’m trying to make dinner or vacuum or mop and she wants to be held. She is content to be in the carrier while I do these items. For me it’s a win/win situation. She gets what she wants and I get what I want . . . well actually need to accomplish is more accurate.
Erin recently posted…I was simply HIS Mommy
Those slings are expensive, but then again, so is most stuff for baby. Glad you are all set with baby #3 on board in the carrier!
P.S. Laughed at your getting what you want/getting done what needs to get done line!
I tried a front carrier briefly with all three of mine. I had big babies though, and it hurt my back to wear them that way for long. When my youngest came along, I found some kind of side thing that was supposed to keep your hands free, but I kept thinking he was going to fall out of it. They all seemed to fall asleep better in the stroller if we were out anyway.
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The stroller usually worked for me, too! I took many a late evening stroll with Will trying to get him asleep. Thanks for commenting.
I was never good at baby wearing either! I always felt I would drop them!
Michelle
http://www.normalchaosforamultitaskmom.blogspot.com
Yup, me too!
I could never figure out the damn Baby Bjorn, but my hubby loved it. I did have a sling with our 2nd baby, and I would use it when she was really small to do stuff like load the dishwasher and make dinner and get my older daughter snacks and juice all the other blissful things that come with having 2 children, but that was about it.
I was much more of a pack-n-play and swing fan myself! 😉
In fact, true confession (your readers will love me), my older daughter ate her breakfast in her swing (it was one of the big ones) every single morning until she was 3 years old. Not even lying for a minute.
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Whatever works!! I love it.
No, I bought an $80 scarf thing and my son hated it. I used the swing a lot – even though I was judged up my wha-whooo for using it so much, but both my kids are fine, no brain damage or anything. Listen you gotta do what you gotta do.
Not Winning Mom of the Year recently posted…Car Seats Save
I hope you were able to get some of your money back at a resale shop or yard sale for the $80 scarf thing. Why are there 8,457 sling choices and they’re all so dang expensive?
LOL!!! He looks miserable. I kept trying to swaddle Gus when he was born because you know, well, you’re supposed to:) Every time I did Gus would scream like I was pulling his arms off and jerk like he was trying to free himself from a straight jacket. Finally one day I was like, um…maybe I should stop doing this. He really doesn’t seem to like it.
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Sooo many things I think I did (and still do) because you’re supposed to. But usually I had to find my own way. Glad Gus survived and thrived!
We bought a fancy pants expensive sling that turned out to be just a piece of rectangular material that my mum could have whipped up. Turns out, you also need to be two to wrap the little bastard up in it correctly. Thus, I could only use it after 6pm when the husband came home. Brilliant.
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I think its all about balance and finding what works. Were I to have another baby now, I’d be far more ‘attached” than I was when I had my two up north! I breastfed both for 10 months each and coslept with the second to keep my sanity…oh and made my own baby food, but that was about it!
I did use a Cindy Crawford endorsed yoga tape and I loved it!
Sorta Southern Single Mom recently posted…Pinspiration
Yes, it’s definitely about finding what works! And that can be different for everybody. I wish it wasn’t so mind-boggling with the # of choices in finding what works. The sheer number of slings alone was enough to make my head swim!
P.S. Cindy made that baby sling look so easy. Glad the tape worked for you. Thanks for dropping by and commenting.
I never caught on to babywearing until my second daughter was born and I needed my hands! I tried a mobi wrap and could never get it right so I sold it on craigslist and got a jellybean sling on clearance at target. Very comfy and versatile, just shifted a bit and it would be uncomfortable. I was afraid of pinching her legs off a few times! After a while we hit our stride, and soon she grew out of it. I like a slung for those moments you need full use of your hands.
Glad you found something that worked. It’s amazing how many things us moms learn to do one-handed…which makes you appreciate all the moments you can use two hands to get something done! Thanks for stopping by and commenting!