Babywearing brings so many great suprises. One of these is the “babywearing smile” that you somehow acquire when you see other people babywearing. It’s that moment when you lock eyes and somehow convey what you are thinking “this is great isnt it? Beats pushing a pram!”. It can be a knowing smile, you both know you have it good. Sometimes it can be a “I wish I could sit down and chat with you about babywearing” smile.
Babywearing not only connects you with your baby or toddler, but provides opportunities to connect with others even on the most simplest level.
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It always makes me smile to see bubs fast asleep in their sling, so close to mum or dad. They always look so peaceful and closed off to the worl outside of them and their parent. My little one sleeps extra long and soundly when I carry her in the sling.
I remember very clearly the first time hubby and I went out with the twins in their carriers, they must have been about 9 weeks old. We decided to leave our big twin pram behind so that we could visit Toys’r'us and both have our hands free to shop/carry stuff. We wanted to be quick, just race in and out, that’s why we left the pram home. We also figured that by wearing them they would be happier (they used to cry in the pram) which would make it more fun to go, plus strangers wouldn’t just come and stare in the pram and hold us up.
It already started when we took the escalator from the parking lot to the shopping mall. A first glance from a stranger at my husband and the tiny baby boy in the carrier, an adoring smile (‘look at that loving dad, so cute, wearing his bub close’). Then her eyes moved over towards me wearing our daughter and you could nearly see her thinking ‘what? another baby? twins?!?’. She couldn’t help but ask ‘Are they twins?’ Yes, they are… We looked at eachother and realised we had hoped to be quick but we actually made an attraction out of ourselves. So many people stopped us that trip, everyone linked the two parents and the two carriers and two babies and thought it was fabulous.
I treasure that moment dearly as it made me feel so special and so much a ‘family’. Babywearing is a close as you can get!!
I am a sling and baby wearing adcit so I often smile when I see baby wearing parents and wonder how many they have.
For me I also share that joy of the bond they are getting with their baby!
I have 6 children and have been using baby carriers for the past 17 years. I used to get quite a lot of strange looks from people whilst carrying my older kids, a lady even asked me why I don’t use a pram and I told her this way I can cuddle my baby all day, she then asked me where I bought my carrier from so she could get 1 for her daughter.
It makes me smile now to see so many other people using baby carriers. They keep baby close to your heart where they feel safe and loved.
I love seeing the little forehead kisses mums give their babies when they’re carrying them, sometimes without thinking while sifting through clothes racks, makes me smile just thinking about it!
I actually feel sorry for women who haven’t experienced the joy of baby wearing. I have worn my little girl in a sling or ergo since birth and love it. I know she feels secure in a busy shopping centre or while bush walking.
Since having the ergo I have had so many people stop me and ask what it is and where I got it from. I’ve even encouraged mothers from my baby’s swim class to get them and now they cant stop bragging about baby wearing.
I’m just happy that something so natural is finally back in ‘vogue’.
I love how you very rarely see a fussy baby, as they all seem so content being so close to their parent. It makes me smile when I see mums holding their babies hands, smiling down and them and the baby smiling back, sweet kisses on the forehead and speaking to their little one.
I love seeing seeing a baby breastfeeding contently in their sling nestled close to their mummy’s heart. – What can be more beautiful and natural.
It’s also gorgeous when you see a mummy with a bub in a sling and the big sister walking along wearing her sling carrying with her baby doll snuggled inside. When my youngest boy was born I carried him constantly in my peanutshell. My then 2 year old boy insisted on carrying his trucks and diggers in his mini peanutshell
I love my baby wearing, I started off with bb1 in the baby born then quickly upgraded to a moetie, as soon as I could I got my hands on an ergo and it was the best baby purchase I ever made.
I love it when you see a busy mum with a newborn snuggled in and she is still able to play and engage whole heartedly with her toddler.
I also always get a big smile when I see the daddy’s out and about with tiny Bubba’s in slings.
You get lots of looks when you baby wear I have decided that the lookers are thinking – what a beautiful thing, I must go and get one of those!
To connect does not mean there has to be talk, you can connect over a smile and a simple look. I remember being in Target shopping with my baby in her pram and just in the aisle moseying along checking all the amazing, toys and gadgets on the shelf (wishing I could see some of the classic toys like spinning tops etc) when around the corner came a lady with her baby snuggled in her carrier, soundly sleeping, we exchanged a smile and that look that says, isn’t it nice to have a baby that is in his/her sling sleeping soundly, isn’t it nice to know the babe is listening to Mummy’s heart beat feeling safe a secure, isn’t it nice to be a Mummy and know this cute baby choose me and he/she is all mine. Although only fleeting in reality it is a moment in time that makes you smile and smiling is infectious, and it’s a moment that makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside and you have to control yourself to not pick up a sleeping baby and cuddle and kiss them all over. I always see people stare at people with carriers on and it is not because that it is unusual and something to stare at but I think it is because they want to see the cute bubba inside and think that it is a really sweet way to carry you bubba around and I bet they are thinking I wish I had that because that babba is so quiet!
My youngest was born 10 weeks early. Although she has no problems she was in hospital for 3 weeks. When she came home, i didn’t want to put her down, i felt that she needed to be so close to me, to be able to hear my heart, to make up for the 10 weeks that i could not give her inside me, close to me, me protecting her.
By baby-wearing, i was able to catch up on 3 weeks worth of cuddles that we missed out on while she was in the isolette. As i was unable to breast feed, we were able to further bond; staying close while i also cared for my two older children.
I think back to the times when Heidi was always close and i smile, although the guilt of not being able to carry her to full term will always be there i think i gave her the best i could by baby wearing.
(And im sure it has helped me as well…)
That moment when I feel my baby’s body fully relax and get heavier as he drops off to sleep in a sling (I have 7 carriers but my ergo is rather worn out after my first son!;) is bliss and it always makes me smile. I love the smiles other people, especially grandparents give when they see a sleepy or happy bub in my arms so close and snug and I always have a chuckle when people see me carrying my bub, my preschooler walking by my side and then notice me pushing a stroller too.. they think ‘what? another baby?’ but invariably it’s the groceries!
I also baby wear more often than I use the pram for my 8month old daughter.
So many people have come up to me and commented on how lovely and comfortable my daughter looks and its beautiful that she can be close to my beating heart.
If people see me breast feeding whilst in a carrier they say what an amazing idea and they wished they had something similar when their children were babies.
I’ve also had a few pregnant women and mums of pregnant woman approach me and ask what type of carrier I use and why and what I would recommend and its great that I have been able to help these women also keep their babies close and warm to their mums/dads/family.
I have a lot of friends that are also baby wearers and we often get together and talk about different carriers and try eachothers out. It always amazes me that one person can love a particular carrier yet someone else finds it uncomfortable – proving that you really do need to try before you buy!
I love when you are out and about with bubs in the sling and you are stopped by people facinated by the design of the sling. I love the comments I get especially from the older generations such as
‘My goodness is there a baby in there!’
‘What a beautiful way to carry your baby’
‘What a brilliant idea’
‘I wish they had these when I had my baby’
‘Where can I buy one?’
The sling is a sure way to meet new people and have a bit of a chat which is always a good thing in my opinion when alot of my time is spent with little children and conversations are quite limited! And I just love showing off my son in my sling! And he loves feeling safe and secure in it too!
I can cuddle my little angel all day long
Holding her close I can never go wrong
Every special moment together we share
I am in love when my baby I wear
Babywearing is a lifesaver. I find so many stores aren’t pram friendly with small aisles and big displays. Strapping your baby onto you makes it all so easy!
Especially if you have another child to hand on to as well.
I see a lot of smiles from the older ladies when I have my daughter in a sling. One grandmother wishes it had been around when she had her little ones!
The best bit is when they fall asleep in there and you know you’ve got a lot of extra time to shop!
I love this time of year, all the pre Christmas sales!!! My Mum and myself with my precious baby girl were out enjoying ourselves shopping up a storm in the sea of people. It was a lot easier to do not having to contend with wheeling a pram around as my baby was all snuggled up in my hug-a-bub sound asleep. We ventured into a dress shop which had some gorgeous clothes that I thought I would try on. As bub had awoken I thought I would hand her to my Mum to hold whilst I was in the dressing room. After trying on the clothes I was tying my hug-a-bub sling back on but hadn’t put my little girl back in it yet when a lady who had a brand new baby in a pram came up to me asking which rack in the store had I got that top from as it was gorgeous and she wanted one too!!! She thought my sling was a pretty top. I then explained to her that it was actually for babywearing and how it worked which made her fall in love with the sling even more. I think we chatted for nearly an hour about babywearing and slings and to think all because she thought my baby wrap was a top.
It is more & more common to take a trip to the shops or to the beach & see “Daddy’s” wearing their child in a carrier. It brings a smile to my face when I see this because it is usually the mums who carry their babies around. Us Mums feel that special bond with our child when we carry them so it is lovely to see & know that Dads dont miss out on that special bonding time. It is special & it is an opportunity not to be missed. I have never seen an unhappy baby in a carrier – being close to Mum or Dad is the best comfort a child can have.
I hate walking around and seeing bored lifeless children strapped in prams with their defeated sad looks. It makes me want to pull them out and cuddle them tight.
I carried my daughter until she was almost 1 when she started walking everywhere, I would still wear her if she’d let me! I love the content happy looks of a baby or toddler snuggled up in a sling. They get so much more adult interaction. In a pram they are always low and miss out on all the conversations, but when being carried they get to be involved.
I love seeing mums walking around carrying their babies, it always makes me smile. And it always makes them smile when I give them the “knowing” look. My sister has never been into carrying her children so when I watch my neice (1.5) I tie a sarong into a makeshift sling and carry her everywhere, she loves being up high and close to me while my 3.5yr old carries her baby in her makeshift sling.
What has amazed me has been the broad range of people that comment on my baby in a sling. Grandmothers, who I thought would be judgemental (you’ll spoil a baby if you cuddle it so often) actually surprising me and saying that its the best way to carry your babe and thats where they should be.
Middle aged men, who I thought would have not interest in babywearing, have been the most excited to see my baby on my back while food shopping, asking how comfortable it was, how it worked and what a great idea it was. For me, it has been these little surprises, where nothing was expected that have brought me babywearing joy. It shows how a whole community can recognise something so good and natural and not be afraid to commend a mother for making a conscious parenting decsion.
I loved wearing my bub, and still wear her in the ergo at 2 1/2 years old! I know how relaxed she got as a littlie, how it helped her reflux, and how it helped us bond so strongly. When I see other mums wearing their bubs, it makes me remember that early time with my girl. I love that it’s totally natural, the babe gets not only held close to mum, but also gets those almost unconscious signs of affection – the little bootie pats, toe tickles, forehead kisses. I love it, and it really makes me smile!
So many wonderful babywearing moments over 12 years… where to start.
The babies holding my fingers as we walk around; sharing special smiles just for me; giggles and cuddles; kisses on the head (very addictive), tickling babies feet…
all my babies slept longer when being carried and are calmer. My youngest doesn’t like the pram but there are days when i cannot wear him. He is often upset when i push him instead of carrying him.
I smile at other parent’s wearing their babes; for the look of peace on the faces of bub and parents.
I love to see my parent wearing our baby; he wears him proufly. I also love to see my mum wearing my babes. Babies sense that the maternal grandmothers have a connection to their own mums and seem to settle for quickly.
that should say my partner……
I love carrying my children i have a 3 yr old who fights for her turn with her 22 month old sister. It makes getting around with a larger family much easier and our new bub who is now 8 months old hardly uses the pusher as he loves the carriers as much as mummy does.
With 5 kids and foster care too they are the best, my 12 yr old wears her sisters often and we have to arrange who has what carrier to what child but hubby needs a new one so we are on the look out.
I love being close to my babies and being able to kiss them or hold their hand while walking along , they sleep better , dont cry and love being close to those they love the most.
I often smile when i see others carrying their children and wonder how many carriers they have and if they collect them the more children they get like i have. I now have 4 and we are looking at an Ergo for hubby now too.
I would be truly lost without my carriers they are quite addictive to aquire and wear and i spend alot of my day with one or the other of the small ones attached to me. It makes me feel closer and more intune with my babies.
I love it when I have my 4 month old in the sling and look down to see him gazing up at me. He always gives me the biggest grin when our eyes meet, whether he is wide awake or settling in to slumber. Melts my heart!!
What feels better than that?!
One of my favourite parts of baby wearing is the interaction your baby receives from others. People can’t help but talk to and smile at a baby when they are up at chest level. When you are talking to a mum and their baby is right there, they become much more a part of the social interaction.
Slings and carriers provide babies and children a great vantage-point for viewing the world. We all travel upright to observe the world around us and what better way for a child to learn than to watch!
I too love the forehead kisses, bottom pats and settling jiggles that wearing your baby allows and that a pram makes impossible.
Slings and carriers provide so much more quality bonding time and, as our babies grow up so quickly, I for one want to make the most of it!
Whenever i see a mother, with a new born and they have trusted ergo, it really melts my heart. As their child is sitting so close to their mothers heart, the beating makes them feel safe, it is home to that baby.
I remember going out wearing my son in a hug-a-bub when he was a baby. I used to get so many comments by people about how cozy he looked in there and how great it was. People used to be amazed at how the sling was tied but I used to love telling them how easy it was once you learned how. The best day though was when someone commented on how great the sling was and then wanted to know where I got it from (from memory it was a grandma who wanted to get it for her daughter). It’s great being able to get the word out about slings. So many people just don’t realise how great they are and how much better than prams! I also love it when you’re out in public wearing your baby and you see another person wearing the same sling. You just give them that knowing smile, knowing that they share similar beliefs and love to hold their baby close, like you!
I love the feel of my baby’s heart beating next to mine. It reminds me of the closemess during pregnancy when I could feel baby moving, a feeling just between baby and me.
I love the freedom you get from keeping baby so close and yet being able to do all the things you need or want.
More than anything though, I love the bond that baby wearing helps create between my baby and me, keeping them always close to me and my heart, as I hope they will always be.
Seeing happy parents and contented babies make me smile when I see others babywearing. I am a huge fan of babywearing!
It’s beautiful. Sleeping or smiling baby wrapped closely together with their parents.
My 1st son was premi and i felt like i missed out on alot of the wonderful things of pregnancy, i wasnt ready for him to come out into the world i was loving feeling him move around inside my tummy. He had to stay in NICU for 4 weeks and it tore me apart being so far away from him. When he finally came home i put him in his sling straight away, he loved it but i think i loved it even more.I loved feeling him so close to me again it was like he couldnt get any closer to me if he tried, i could feel his every movement again it was magical! From the moment he was put in his sling he would snuggle up and be instantly content. i would walk around the shopping centre just staring at his beautiful little face with the biggest grin on my face, totally oblivious to any one around me…im sure people thought i was crazy lol!
Whenever I hear the word babywearing I can’t help but to think back to my trip to Burkina Faso (West Africa) in 2007. Burkina Faso is the second poorest country in the world. Over there you don’t see prams at all for babies, everyone is babywearing. The babies are strapped to their mothers backs while they do everything, even working in the fields. It was so gorgeous to see 2 little feet coming around the mothers tummy with the baby on her back. There is even a lovely monument of a working mother in the capital which shows the mother with a baby on her back and a pick in her hands.
I love the curiosity of people trying to look at your bundle of joy when you are baby wearing, you certainly get a smile from people.
The whole scenario makes me just so over-excited seeing that people actually take note and part!! Still to this day i see people with ‘baby bjorn’ ect, and i stop to tell them the damages/effects of the old style carriers compared to new babywearing slings and carriers.
I am so IN LOVE with ‘Baby Wearing’ that i could not imagine life without it the closeness, the butterflies in my tum just astonished at how much LOVE i have for this little creature that will always be so close and apart of ME
<3<3
I smile when I see someone ‘baby wearing’ because I know – I know exactly what they are feeling, the love, the feedom and more love. I loved wearing my youngest, he’s now 16 months and unfortunately too big for our carrier.
But I smile – because I know, I’ve been there and enjoyed that.
Nothing makes me smile more than being able to wear my baby. To know that my baby is in perfect comfort close to my heart where he is completely safe and I can reach down to touch, smell and kiss him at my whim always leaves that magical tingly feeling inside me from happiness and contentment.
I love seeing the comfort that mums & bubs show when baby carrying! I remember takign my 8 week old out in our sling, and we went to a cafe with friends for a Christmas Coffee – the place was packed and the only table to fit us all was near the coffee machine… my wee one was so tiny she could hardly be seen in her sling (wish I had a camera for the perfect Anne Gedes like picture that day!!), and she ended up just falling asleep even with the crashing and banging and whirling of the coffee machine right next to us. She obviously felt safe and comfortable in her sling, everyone was amazed (including me!) definately would use them again and again!
I love seeing my husband “baby wear”. I have been much more active in baby wearing because I like to have my hands free and/or be able to get up and down stairs without a huge rigmarole. My husband is starting to “wear” our daughter more and it is lovely to see, she loves being that close to her Daddy. We recently went on a 3 week holiday and did not take a stroller/pram, just our baby carrier!
I love baby wearing! I love the warmth of their little bodies so close to mine and the happy peaceful smiles on their faces, i love being able to hear their soft coos and sounds and kiss or stroke or pat them whenever they need a little extra comfort. We can go anywhere when i wear my baby… no need to worry about a clunky pram and i love having her safe close to me where no one can get to her… she is safe and close to her mummy – right where she belongs
I love baby wearing because it reminds me of being pregnant still carrying my baby as close to me as I can. The best thing is, it is something my husband and other family members get to experience, developing a lovely close bond between baby and the whole family. I now have a loving and caring little 2.5 year old who loves cuddles and another baby on the way who we plan to wear lots!
ALL of these comments have made me smile! But really, yes, babywearing is the best! I see alot of unhappy babies being pushed around in prams crying and upset because all they want to do is be held, and the mother is getting angry and upset weith the poor little baby because they just want the baby content while they do their shopping and errands.. babywearing mums have BOTH, and it really makes me smile to see an happy content bub being worn, sunggled in close to mum or dad getting so much love!
I also think of that horrible incident where a baby strapped into a pram drowned when the pram rolled into water – babywearing would have prevented such a horrible tragedy! 
I wear my little boy when i go shopping, if hes not sleepy i wear him facing forward with little frog legs in the sling, I call him my little joey. People comment every time i wear him this way because he just looks soooooo cute, and he loves being able to see whats going on around him!
I haven’t tried baby-wearing because I haven’t found the right sling to make me comfortable and secure enough. However, it makes me smile whenever I see someone doing it. When I was in the bus going to work, I saw a mum wearing her baby and it made me smile… (and my breasts ache!) I envied the closeness they had, and how the baby looks so peaceful and calm to be that close to her mummy. I think I’m ready to try it with my little one too.
Babywearing makes me smile simply because my baby is close to me
I carried him 24/7 for the first few months of his life and I treasure those memories with smiles.
Now he’s a big almost 2 year old he hops on my hip or has a ride on Mummy or Daddy’s back and off we go- he is close, we are connected, we can share and hug and chat… and the part that makes me smile the most is when he has a nap while enjoying a cuddle and a walk in the great wide world.
Usually I’m the babywear-er but I have to say my husband gets major brownie points for the times he offers to do the wearing.:-) And I do love the smiles exchanged when I pass another babywearer in the shops. Have had some lovely comments from older mothers–most recently a lovely “everybody’s nana” at church saw me with my 2 month old snuggled up on my chest in a sling and said, “That’s right, keep him next to your heart. That’s what he knows and wants to hear.” As parents we can get so much advice, both well meaning and not so much, so the comments like that, that affirm that someone sees how much we love our little ones and support our desire to keep them close–they mean the world to me.
Last year hubby and I were going overseas and found ourselves on a marathon 17 hour flight from Bangkok to New York! There were quite a few bubs on the plane who were understandably unsettled at times.
I couldn’t help but notice, however, one dad who would walk up and down the aisle occasionally with his little bub in the Ergo. This little bubba looked so safe, comfy and content and was by far the most calm and relaxed on the whole flight.
From this experience I learned that babywearing can truly make for both a happy bub and parents and I now smile everytime I see a baby being worn when I’m out and about.
We’re expecting our first in April and I know that the Ergo’s the carrier for me!
I love seeing babies in slings cause it reminds me of how good it feels to see my own baby in mine, knowing that she is “home” right where she wants to be. I also love seeing parents who babywear and do great things like give talks at seminars etc. There’s nothing quite like seeing a mum talking /teaching in front of a crowd with a baby attached to her as if it is all so normal and comfortable! I think what a supermum!
What makes me smile about baby wearing is the near instant settling that occurs when my daughter is being fussy and needing to be held. I’ll put her on my back so I can get things done around the house and she’ll try and peak over the side to see what I’m up to. Then as I go about my chores I will find that she has fallen asleep without much of a peep which is a complete contrast to when I try to put her to sleep on her own. She loves the closeness between us and so do I. I feel so lucky that she wants to be with me all of the time.
I love wearing my 11 week old in his sling, he relaxes so much easier, not to mention sleeps better. Plus the added looks exchanged between us and all the forehead kisses are extra bonuses.
I had been looking at getting a sling whilst I was pregnant but was unsure which style to get, one of my friends wears her baby whilst at Church and bubs hardly makes a noise. At my wedding herself and another friend with a newborn both stood at the back of the Church swaying with their baby’s in slings, it made me smile watching the 4 of them, mothers and baby’s, so content and happy. I ended up buying the same sling as her and have also used it to keep my bubs content during mass.
What also made me smile was when hubby voluntarily did the ‘wearing’ for an outing at the shops, bubby was just so comfy cuddled up to his daddy and we received many stares and comments about how nice it was to see the man doing the carrying and how comfy the sling looked.
I smile for the parents who get to enjoy such preciousness. It really is so sweet. I have twins and so babywearing was not something I got to do very much of.