Carried on his dad's shoulder
Today I am taking the IBCLE exam. It will take all day and all my energy. While I am contemplating breast photos and baby anatomy (among 14 other topics), I have thought ahead about baby wearing.
I had a sling for my son and I loved using it. I had decided for myself that I wanted a baby car seat which didn’t come out to form an uncomfortably heavy baby carrier. Instead, I held my son in my arms and used a sling. I enjoyed holding my baby close to me and seeing him. When we went to restaurants, I would wear the sling or sometimes my husband would wear the sling. Often people didn’t even know we had a baby with us. Our son was content and cuddled and we could keep a good eye on him.
I enjoyed the sling when he was older, too. It helped me hitch him to my hip so he could look at things while I was at the farmer’s market, for example. We never nursed with the sling because I never got the knack. I have seen many women walking around the La Leche League conferences with babies in a sling and nursing them. I wished we could have done that, too. I felt natural using a sling and having my baby in the front where I could see him. It was an enjoyable part of attachment parenting.
My favorite attachment parenting story: My husband had a favorite shoulder that my son would lay over. I had the breast and he had the shoulder. My husband carried him, head on that shoulder all around the house. He was wearing the baby.
One summer day, my son was about 14 months old. My husband was at my mom’s house and he came running out to her on the porch.
“Do you know where Simon is?” he asked worriedly. “I can’t find him anywhere!”
My mom started laughing. “Really, where is he? Have you seen him?” he asked frantically.
My mom laughed even harder. Finally she said: “He’s on your shoulder!”
My husband had lost his son on his own shoulder, the way you would lose your glasses on your head. That to me, is the ultimate in attachment parenting and baby wearing!
