Making Statements

'Are you wearing that to make some kind of statement?'


Just one of the obscure comments I have had when carrying my baby using a baby carrier or sling.  I'm not sure what kind of statement it could be but I guess it has a slightly critical edge to it's meaning and it got me thinking... Why is it so alien in our westernised culture to see someone carrying a baby? 

I'm not talking about the type of carrier where said baby dangles by it's crotch, separated from the carers body by the thick piece of foam between them, no, I am talking about cloth carriers sometimes known as slings used by indigenous people the world over and still used by many today, some people also call this baby wearing. 

I thought about that statement question afterwards far more than the questioner probably ever imagined or meant, making a statement, proving a point, being different, not quite the norm, no, it was none of those.  In the simplest terms sometimes baby wearing is just practical, a baby needs to be near other human beings they weren't designed for isolation, pop her in the carrier, she is more settled and I can get on with the housework, playing with her older sister and get around town without finding the best ramps and the lifts but it's also more than that, a lot more than that.

When I carry my baby she's at eye level, people talk to her and make eye contact.  From being tiny that communication gives her confidence and respect.  She's at the centre of what is happening but it's not all focused on her so she feels part of it and learns to behave appropriately in different situations.  Babies who are carried regularly cry less and as a result secrete less of the stress hormone cortisol into their brain.  Babies need the human touch, it is well reported that young babies in Romanian orphanages can become ill due to lack of attention and handling even though they are fed and watered, the human body needs touch to grow and develop and there's another thing, carrying my baby means I can kiss her little head, reassuringly stroke her back without even thinking about it and whisper to her as we stroll along just the two of us in our own little world she knows she is loved and protected.

On reflection then, I suppose yes, I am making a statement, a statement about the parent I aspire to be, one who always remember the infinite privilege of parenting and understands the value of these early years for the future of my children, their children and their children's children, the future is in our arms.


Further articles:
http://www.continuum-concept.org/reading/in-arms.html
http://www.attachmentparenting.org/parentingtopics/babywearing.php
http://www.thegreenparent.co.uk/articles/read/wear-your-baby/
http://www.slingguide.co.uk/benefits.php