Babywearing manifesto

[princessellie]

ive never had a bad reaction either, most people i see are just really interested to see how it works and everything, i think if anyone said something to me i might cry lol

x

 

[Neon]

I love point 10! I am a wrapper and DS is 7 months (yesterday!!) and whilst trying to back wrap him recently whilst out with Grandma, I placed him on my back and could feel her holding 'his aura' as I like to put it as she was so terrified I was going to drop him!

I really like your post Kit but I found points 7 or 8 a bit controversial for me! Babywearing through history would have been used in most cultures - the Welsh wore shawls and many women in their 30s around now can say that their Nain or Nanna 'wore' them.. My (white) friend has an African Kanga that she uses. (Like this: https://www.peppermint.com/kanga-baby-sling.html) And I would like to think that the wrapping skills I have picked up along the way/self taught myself would get me out of any tricky situation (FWCC for example) - much quicker than trying to escape a fire with a pushchair etc!! Out of context I think your post could seem slightly offensive to some women in all honesty . I'm not meaning to be rude or anything and know this is a 'playful' post..

I have been lucky though and do not feel as defensive in most situations - the majority of comments I receive on the whole are positive - "Ah - look at him all wrapped up cosy close to mum" - that kind of thing

 

[Kit]

I love point 10! I am a wrapper and DS is 7 months (yesterday!!) and whilst trying to back wrap him recently whilst out with Grandma, I placed him on my back and could feel her holding 'his aura' as I like to put it as she was so terrified I was going to drop him!

I really like your post Kit but I found points 7 or 8 a bit controversial for me! Babywearing through history would have been used in most cultures - the Welsh wore shawls and many women in their 30s around now can say that their Nain or Nanna 'wore' them.. My (white) friend has an African Kanga that she uses. (Like this: https://www.peppermint.com/kanga-baby-sling.html) And I would like to think that the wrapping skills I have picked up along the way/self taught myself would get me out of any tricky situation (FWCC for example) - much quicker than trying to escape a fire with a pushchair etc!! Out of context I think your post could seem slightly offensive to some women in all honesty . I'm not meaning to be rude or anything and know this is a 'playful' post..

I have been lucky though and do not feel as defensive in most situations - the majority of comments I receive on the whole are positive - "Ah - look at him all wrapped up cosy close to mum" - that kind of thing

I don't understand why points 7 and 8 are controversial - these are comments that have been made to me/about me in my hearing. I know people who are not from African countries do use Kangas - however what I am taking issue with is the suggestion that only African ladies carry their babies in this manner, and also the manner in which it has been said that suggests that it would be a negative thing to look like an African lady. I don't have the level of skill in wrapping a baby that seems to come naturally to ladies from cultures where they practice babywearing from childhood - I have a colleague from Ghana and a "bus buddy", also from Ghana and I have met some mums from Ivory Coast and a couple of other countries, and it is quite obviously second-nature to them.
In relation to the Eastern European comment, ironically some of my family were from Eastern Europe, so the people who made this comment weren't as far off the mark as they might have been. However, I have no idea whether the type of wrap I use is common in Eastern Europe or not - again it is the assumption that babywearing is somehow "un-English" that I take issue with.

I am sorry that you read those comments as in someway controversial or capable of causing offence - I am not sure why, however.

 

[Rachel_C]

I haven't had anybody make negative comments to/about me (not that I've heard anyway). The only people to say anything have been saying how comfy/cosy Leyla looks and how it's easier than a pushchair etc. I would, however, like some kind of hat with a flashing sign on it pointing out that it's rude to stare! I was getting Leyla in the mei tai after eating at Ikea and there was a man near us (on his own, probably why he doesn't have any social skills hehe) who literally stopped eating and stared at me with his mouth hanging open. There was also a table with four ladies on it. One lady was facing in my direction and she said something to the other three, who all actually turned around (one moved her chair even!) and watched. Rude! I know people are often just curious, but there's a polite way to watch people. A little smile or a nod makes it friendly. Open mouths and scowls/frowns are just bad manners.

 

[Monkeh]

I get 'do you want a hand' or random people/(my sister mostly tbh ) passing me a strap up over my shoulder which just confuses me and it's sooooo annoying!!

 

[eldar]

I'm lucky not to get any real negativity to baby-wearing - but I do get lots of people chatting to me, which I'm not interested in 9 times out of 10 -especially when you are the 9th person in that shopping trip to think that I want to talk about the carrier! However polite they are I would love to put a sticker on the front of my babyhawk which says' baby-wearing is not an invitation for strangers to talk to me!

I hated it when I was pregnant and strangers would come up and chat to me, I'm quite a private person and too polite to just walk off. Now I wear Wyn I find people still chat away to me! ahhhhhh! so I end up making small talk about how comfy she looks and yadda yadda yadda... .

 

[Kit]

I'm lucky not to get any real negativity to baby-wearing - but I do get lots of people chatting to me, which I'm not interested in 9 times out of 10 -especially when you are the 9th person in that shopping trip to think that I want to talk about the carrier! However polite they are I would love to put a sticker on the front of my babyhawk which says' baby-wearing is not an invitation for strangers to talk to me!

I hated it when I was pregnant and strangers would come up and chat to me, I'm quite a private person and too polite to just walk off. Now I wear Wyn I find people still chat away to me! ahhhhhh! so I end up making small talk about how comfy she looks and yadda yadda yadda... .

Maybe we could swap! I am fairly chatty when people are pleasant, and for you it would be easier to brush off the rude people!