To sling or not to sling. That is the question. You see woman every day with their children strapped to their chest, back or hip. Steph is the blogosphere go to lady for anything pertaining to babywearing. You may have read her blog, Adventures in Babywearing, before. I had a chance to ask Steph a few questions about babywearing. Here is what she had to say.
Me: For anyone unfamiliar with the term, can you please explain babywearing.
Steph: Baby wearing is the act of carrying or wearing your baby close to you in a carrier or sling – there are so many benefits for mom and baby when you hold them close.
What made you decide that babywearing was for you?
When pregnant with my third child and having two little ones already, I joked that I’d have to wear this next baby to keep him safe. Then I attended a La Leche League meeting before giving birth and saw moms wearing their babies in beautiful slings- the babies were happy and the moms were able to go about their business… I was hooked! I bought a sling and have worn Gray since the day he was born. He still loves it (he’ll be 2 in October!)
Have you received and negative feedback because of your decision?
Fortunately my family and friends are supportive of our gentle parenting style. They have seen the positive results. Many babywearers (but certainly not all) will co-sleep and breastfeed into the toddler years as we do- that is probably what I see the most "unsure" feedback about.
Of course people that have never seen a baby in a sling have stopped me and asked "Is he breathing in there?" or "Is that a baby or an animal?" or weird things like that! He’ll be content or fast asleep and I’ll get asked if he likes it. Of course he likes it! He loves it!
Do you have any tips for someone who is interested in the babywearing lifestyle, such as what products to use?
I’d recommend checking out TheBabywearer.com for a vast array of tips and articles about babywearing. It can be overwhelming at first, so if you have friends that wear their babies, try their slings out or check out your local LLL. And I am also happy to offer any tips or advice!
And, what we all really want to know: Do you wear Gray to the bathroom, too?
Uh, yes actually! I’ve worn baby in the bathroom and even tried on jeans at the Gap while wearing Gray.
Thanks, Steph, for the great information! If you have any questions for Steph, you can reach her jsprecourt@yahoo.com.
Thank you for the interview, and yeah Steph:)!
Great interview
yay steph! 🙂
i've worn julian in the bathroom plenty of times too. hee, hee. beats setting him down on the dirty floor!
Steph rocks, thanks for a great interview!
Katja
Great interview! Thanks!