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I recently learned how important baby sling carriers are when compassionately advocating for babywearing. They're like the product that sells itself!
Welcome to the April Carnival of Natural Parenting: Compassionate Advocacy
This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama. This month our participants have shared how they advocate for healthy, gentle parenting choices compassionately. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.
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Baby Sling Carriers: Good For Your Health?
While visiting family, I met a friend of a family member. She was a new mother and told me how hard it was for her. She mentioned that her baby was becoming a bit more demanding of her attention and wanting to be held more. The mother didn't know how to appease her baby and also get the things done she knew she had to do. As she was talking she started to sound more and more flustered. I hoped she wasn't suffering from post-partum depression. I had never suffered through PPD so I didn't know if anything I had to say about baby sling carriers would help her. I remembered a few articles I'd read online that mentioned how baby sling carriers can help with PPD, though. Aside from the hormonal boost to her mothering, I knew baby sling carriers would also give her some much needed confidence when she sees she can meet her baby's needs all by herself. I remembered that I had with me one of my favorite baby sling carriers. I prefer to use it for my newborns up until three months or whenever they can hold their head up (I usually transfer them to a baby backpack carrier after that). Since it's helped me so much, I decided to share my knowledge of safe babywearing practices while using baby sling carriers with this new Mom.
Natural Parenting Tip #5 Don't just pop your baby into any old carrier. Do your research and find out how to safely babywear! I recently found a book on Amazon called Babywearing by a babywearing instructor. It's all about proper babywearing technique so you and your baby stay safe while snuggling close.
Baby Sling Carriers Come In Handy
I went to get my favorite baby sling carriers, a ring sling, for her and saw that she had a confused look on her face. I explained to her how physical touch can help her and her baby bond together. While babies are in baby sling carriers, their physical touch sends hormones to your brain which releases a feeling of love and affection. With her baby in the ring sling touching her Mama's skin, baby will feel secure and loved and Mama will feel loving towards her baby. Stress levels will go down for both individuals as they both relax. In that relaxed state, they'll be able to enjoy each other more and focus on the things they love about the other.
Getting Used To Baby Sling Carriers
That new Mama took me up on my offer. I put my 10 mo. in the sling to show her how to put baby sling carriers on. It's a good thing the ring sling has a low learning curve. It took no time at all before this new Mama was wearing her baby like a pro. I knew she'd do okay when shopping for her own baby sling carriers. Her baby was calm and quiet the rest of the time she was in the sling. They looked so wonderful together, I couldn't bear to separate them or have that Mama go back to being stressed. I told her of some websites I knew of where she could get her own carrier. Since she didn't have a computer available all those sites were not very helpful. The only thing to do was to give her the sling her baby was falling asleep in.
Passing Down Baby Sling Carriers
So, I bid farewell to a long time friend. By the smiles on that new mother's face, I knew my sling had found a good home.
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What Other Visitors Have Said
Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...
Oh! That's lovely.
I'm so glad you were able to nurture that new mom through her sadness and give her the perfect gift for the pair of them. What a beautiful thing that was ...
Slings can be a sanity saver!
Slings are a life and sanity saver at times! I recently had a similar experience. A close friend is in the Dominican Republic and she was helping a family ...
Gotta love ring slings!
I'm sure you made that mama's day! It must have been a warm sense of security for her to leave with the ring sling, just like her baby felt inside of ...
Awesome
Not rated yet
It sounds like your empathy and sling were just what your friend needed!
Beautiful advocacy in action!
Not rated yet
Loved reading this story - I am so happy that you did that and that you shared - real, genuine action perfectly backed up your words. Thank you for the ...
Great CarNatPar Post!
Not rated yet
As a mom who has had PPD twice, I am touched by your compassion to this mama and baby. The care and real understanding you showed here is the kinds of ...
Love it!
Not rated yet
I don't have a sling, but I have a wrap carrier, and I love it! I agree that it can really help with PPD - I had no problem with it despite having another ...
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Visit Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!
Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:
You Catch More Flies With Honey — When it comes to natural parenting advice, Kate of The Guavalicious Life believes you catch more flies with honey.
From the Heart — Patti at Jazzy Mama searches her heart for an appropriate response when she learns that someone she respects wants his baby to cry-it-out.
I Offer the Truth — Amy at Innate Wholeness shares the hard truths to inspire parents in making changes and fully appreciating the parenting experience.
Advocating or Just Opinionated? — Momma Jorje discusses how to draw the line between advocating compassionately and being just plain opinionated. It can be quite a fine line.
Compassionate Advocacy — Mamapoekie of Authentic Parenting writes about how to discuss topics you are passionate about with people who don't share your views.
Heiny Helpers: Sharing Cloth Love — Heiny Helpers is guest posting on Natural Parents Network to share how they are providing cloth diapers and cloth diapering support to low income families.
Struggling with Advocacy — April of McApril still struggles to determine how strongly she should advocate for her causes, but still loves to show her love for her parenting choices to those who would like to listen.
A Letter to *Those* Parents — Zoie at TouchstoneZ shares how to write an informed yet respectful reply to those parents — you know, the ones who don't parent the way you do.
Why I Am Not A Homebirth Advocate — Olivia at Write About Birth is coming out: she is a homebirth mom, but not a homebirth advocate. One size does not fit all – but choice is something we can all advocate for!
Why I Open My Big Mouth — Wolfmother from Fabulous Mama Chronicles reflects on why she is passionate about sharing parenting resources.
Watching and Wearing — Laura at Our Messy Messy Life advocates the joys of babywearing simply by living life in a small college town.
Compassionate Advocacy . . . That's The Way I Do It — Amyables at Toddler in Tow describes how she's learned to forsake judgment and channel her social energy to spread the "good news" of natural parenting through interaction and shared experiences.
Compelling without repelling — Lauren at Hobo Mama cringes when she thinks of the obnoxious way she used to berate people into seeing her point of view.
I Am the Change — Amanda at Let's Take the Metro describes a recent awakening where she realized exactly how to advocate for natural parenting.
Public Displays of Compassion — The Accidental Natural Mama recounts an emotional trip to the grocery store and the importance of staying calm and compassionate in the storm of toddler emotions.
I will not hide behind my persona — Suzi Leigh at Attached at the Boob discusses the benefits of being honest and compassionate on the internet.
Choosing My Words — Jenny at Chronicles of a Nursing Mom shares why she started her blog and why she continues to blog despite an increasingly hectic schedule.
Honour the Child :: Compassionate Advocacy in the Classroom — Lori at Beneath the Rowan Tree shares her experience of being a gentle and compassionate parent — with other people's children — as a classroom volunteer in her daughter's senior kindergarten room.
Introverted Advocacy — CatholicMommy at Working to be Worthy shares how she advocates for gentle parenting, even though she is about as introverted as one can be.
Sharing the love — Isil at Smiling Like Sunshine talks about how she shares the love and spreads the word.
What Frank Said — Nada at miniMOMist has a good friend named Frank. She uses his famous saying to demonstrate how much natural parenting has benefited her and her family.
Everyday Superheroes — Who needs Superman when we have a community of compassionate advocates?! Dionna at Code Name: Mama believes that our community of gentle bloggers are the true superheroes.
At Peace With the World — Megan at Ichigo Means Strawberry talks about being an advocate for peaceful parenting at 10,000 feet.
Putting a public face on "holistic" — Being public about her convictions is a must for Jessica at Crunchy-Chewy Mama, but it takes some delicacy.
Just Be; Just Do. — Amy at Anktangle believes strongly about her parenting methods, and also that the way to get people to take notice is to simply live her life and parent the best she knows how.
One Parent at a Time... — Kat at Loving {Almost} Every Moment believes that advocating for Natural Parenting is best accomplished by walking the walk.
Self-compassion — We're great at caring for and supporting others —from our kiddos to other mamas — but Lisa at Gems of Delight shares a post about treating ourselves with that same sense of compassion.
Advocacy? Me? — Seonaid at The Practical Dilettante discovers that by "just doing her thing," she may be advocating for natural parenting.
Feeding by Example — Mama Mo at Attached at the Nip shares her experience of being the first one of her generation to parent.
Compassionate Consumerism — Erica at ChildOrganics encourages her children to be compassionate consumers and discusses the benefits of buying local and fair trade products.
The Importance of Advocating Compassionately — Kristen at Adventures in Mommyhood acts as a compassionate advocate by sharing information with many in the hopes of reaching a few.
Why I'm not an advocate for Natural Parenting — Mrs Green at Little Green Blog delivers the shocking news that, after 10 years of being a mum, she is NOT an advocate for natural parenting!
Natural Love Creates Natural Happiness — A picture is worth a thousand words, but how about a smile, or a giggle, or a gaze? Jessica at Cloth Diapering Mama’s kids are extremely social and their natural happiness is very obvious.
