Some People Will Never Get It.

I was in the store last night and overheard a conversation between a man and a woman. They were in their mid-fifties, and were discussing their daughter and her baby-wearing practices.

"Did you see [daughter] and that baby wrap thing she had?" the woman said, bitterly.

"Yeah," the man said.

"That thing was so terrible! She had to wrap it around and around and then up and over [demonstrating] and across and around and then she stuck the baby in it!"

"Yup," he said.

"You know," she continued. "If she didn't want to just hold her baby with her arms, maybe she shouldn't have kids! I would have gladly held that baby but she insisted on putting him in that damn wrap thing. What a waste of time!"

This conversation shocked me. Everyone I know is extremely supportive of baby wearing, even if they don't practice it themselves. Even the most mainstream momma will tell you how much happier her baby is when she holds him, and some will even wish they "knew how to use one of those things." People of all generations know that babies do best when they're with their mothers, in their mothers' arms.

I am so glad that woman is not my mother. Imagine if she considered other parenting decisions, like leaving baby boys intact or breastfeeding. It would probably make her throw up. No, probably she would have a stroke from her high blood pressure. I have never heard of someone being angry at another person for holding their baby... wow.