Fashion Statement

Thursday, April 15, 2010
by Jeannie Fleming-Gifford

It's spring and it's a great time to talk about making a fashion statement. (Yes, this still is the blog about child development.) Want to get noticed? Forget the latest spring fashions like minis and bikinis. It's time to talk baby wearing. It's a great way to get noticed and it's good for baby too!

The week after I delivered the "bean" (as we fondly referred to her as), my hubby went back to work and I was flying solo. With newly found confidence (after you give birth to a baby, doesn't everything seem possible), I was confident I could manage the day. After shower success (how? see this blog entry: A Developmentally Appropriate Shower), I was ready to take on breakfast, first the munchkin, then myself. With the munchkin satisfied, I decided to try out the handy-dandy Baby Bjorn (www.babybjorn.com/Start) carrier. (Be sure to check out the first photo when you go to the Baby Bjorn website - that's what sold me. I imagined that I too could do this...I wanted to look as happy - and good! - as this mama and have my baby that content.)

Having done a trial run with four hands (AKA the help of the hubby), I was now ready to see if I could gracefully and gently move my 9lb. little (okay, she wasn't that little) girl into this contraption. Sweet success. Better yet, she was content. I found myself with two hands. I ate a bowl of cereal using two hands (if you have an infant, you know what a big deal this is!). Breakfast went so well, I decided to take on a load of laundry.

And so it went. Baby wearing became my fashion statement. She was happy. I was happy. We were happy. I loved holding her and would've been delighted to sit and stare all day. But  with baby wearing,  I found satisfaction in holding her and getting a few things done, or simply taking a short stroll around the neighborhood.

After the Baby Bjorn, I found this: www.ergobabycarrier.com/,  the Ergo Baby Carrier. Talk about fashion!  Now I could have my choice of colors and patterns, plus the choice of positions (front, side or back). Although a little bit of an investment, this carrier has stood the test of time (nearly 3 years now). Most recently, it got us through a great hike in the Columbia River Gorge (Oregon) carrying the 33lb. kiddo on my back.

Not only will you get noticed when you make baby wearing your fashion statement, there are other benefits too.

Here's a couple of great articles to check out that will show you why baby wearing is not only beneficial (and enjoyable) for you, but can optimize your child's development:

www.askdrsears.com/html/5/t051100.asp

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babywearing

www.attachmentparenting.org/pdfs/spadaro_babywearing.pdf

Have you tried baby wearing?

Did it (or didn't it) work for you?

What fashion statement are you making these days?

Cheers!

 

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