Babywearing, Continued: Six More Months
Yes, I still wear my baby.
Yes, he still likes it--it calms him down when he's fussy/tired, and lets him nap when we're out and about. I don't have to be one of those parents who runs home for the sacred Nap Time because I know my baby can tilt his head into my chest and zonk off right on me when he needs to sleep, wherever we are.
No, I'm not spoiling him--it's natural for babies to want to be carried close to someone they love, and he and I are both happy this way.
No, he's not too heavy for me yet--he's about 21 pounds, and I'm still comfortable holding him in a sling on my hip for short carries (mostly at home, when he wants to be up and down a lot in the afternoon/evening) and in a wrap or mei tai for longer periods. If we're going to be out all day, I can alternate front and back in the mei tai for variety and comfort for both Marcus and me.
No, my wearing him hasn't prevented him learning to crawl or walk--he was crawling well at seven and a half months, starting to walk at a year, and now quite a competent walker; he can walk home from the subway station, if he wants (this is slow, in part because his legs are little and in part because there's a lot of distractions), and he takes stairs mostly standing, instead of crawling.
Yes, I got a few new carriers--my Babyhawk mei tai in May, and then a really beautiful pouch sling from Bronwen Handcrafted in July. I use the mei tai often--more than the wrap in the summer--and the pouch occasionally around the house.
Yes, I did get to the Boston Babywearers--unfortunately, it wasn't quite as exciting as I'd hoped. Both times I went there were 20-30 people there, the vast majority of them shell-shocked new moms wanting basic instruction in using a Moby wrap with their 4-10-week-old babies. Okay, that's fine, everyone's a newbie once, but the leaders a) are spread far too thin with the newbies to help people like me with more complicated back carries, etc., and b) explicitly discourage people (again, like me) from helping others learn new carries. Whatever--it doesn't seem to be the place for me to meet like-minded babywearing mothers, but I gave it a shot. As it is, whenever I see a woman wearing her baby, I practically knock her over with conversation. I'm also thrilled to be an ambassador for babywearing when other women stop me and ask questions.
Below, you see Marcus and me, from left to right: in a rucksack back carry with the wrap, at ten months old; in a very loose, pseudo-cradle-carry in the wrap in the Minesota airport (baby was sick, tired, and not super happy until he curled up on me); in the mei tai on the subway in Boston at eleven months old (sleeping); and in a front cross carry (super pop-able--pop the baby in or out as he wants to get up or down) just last week, at a little over twelve months.
