Babywearing in "For Better or For Worse" Comic

Lovely to see babywearing show up as more ordinary!

Why I Know Babywearing is Right

An article on CNN health concludes that strollers where baby faces away cause the baby stress. Too true. My first baby was one of those that was going to make it instantly clear when she was unhappy. I must have tried 7 or 8 strollers and the only one that ever worked was a monstrosity I got at a second hand shop that allowed her to face me. It didn't work all that well though and I wound up getting rid of it like all the others.

Not only does having the baby facing away cause the baby stress, it also caused me, the mom, to be stressed! Having a child that could go into an exhausting spiral at any point meant it was helpful to either be in contact with her or have her facing me. She could be working up to a fit in that stroller and I would not know it until it was too late.

Obviously, every baby is different. I am not against strollers. In fact, my second baby adored the stroller and sometimes preferred it to being worn.

Pain Free Babywearing!

I find babywearing nearly pain-free. I say nearly, because sometimes, there is pain. But good pain, not bad pain. By good pain, I mean the kind of pain you might feel after a workout. After all, babywearing does involve toting gradually larger amounts of weight on your upper body.

Some examples of good pain are sore thighs, tired tush, maybe even a bit of pain in the hip flexor. Noticing a pattern here? None of the pain is in the neck, back or shoulders.

A good baby carrier, properly worn, should never cause pain in the upper body. If you have pain, you are either doing something wrong, or it is not the baby carrier for you; keep looking! For example, slings, pouches and mei tais are all excellent baby carriers but they are not comfortable for me, due to either back issues or just the way my body is constructed. I only find wraps and soft structured baby carriers comfortable, so that is what I use.

Find what works for you. Don't be afraid to sell of what's not working well. You should not need to reach for a pain killer after babywearing. Perhaps a bit of stretching might be in order!

The BWI Winners are being announced!

I was blessed to have been chosen as a judge for the Babywearing International 2008 Internationational Babywearing Week Awards. The award candidates were all amazing and judging was not at all easy.

My business, SoBeBabies is also a sponsor for the The Vijay Owens Babywearing Advocacy Award for Lifetime Achievement in Promoting Babywearing. I love Vijay and am thrilled to be associated with her in this way. I can't wait to find out who the lucky winner is!

Babywearing causes pain, according to Motrin

By now, you have probably seen the ad that Motrin came out with over the weekend. If not, you can view it here:


One of the things that offended me about this ad is the assumption that babywearing has to be painful. Do shoes have to be painful? I have spent untold hours educating parents on more comfortable baby carriers and how to use baby carriers properly. Not all baby carriers are comfortable for all people but there are much better options out there in the last few years. Check out thebabywearer.com and babywearinginternational.com and get educated! Babywearing is not going to go away, just like shoes are not going to go away. Both just get better and better! I for one do not take a pain killer when I mistakenly buy a pair of poor fitting shoes.