Wearing very differently - an interview

I met Julia during my training as a cloth diaper consultant in 2016 and I don't want to tell you more about her at this point. This field report is an interview with her.

Natalie: Julia, tell me a little bit about yourself. Who are you and what do you think is important to know about yourself?

Julia: I am 33 years old and the mother of a soon-to-be two-year-old son. Professionally, I researched and worked on issues related to cultural conceptions of nature and their influence on society and nature until I gave birth. Currently, I care for my son and blog about sustainable diapers and less waste in everyday family life. Closeness is a basic baby need for us, there can't be too much of it. Babywearing was natural for us from the beginning and we explored cloths and tying methods during pregnancy.

Natalie: So you knew you wanted to carry when you were pregnant. Can you say how you came to that? Or is it mainly about the idea of naturalness and closeness for you?

Julia: A good family friend carried her baby when I was young. I saw the child sleeping peacefully for hours in the wrap-around cross carrier. She mucked out stalls with the baby on her back. That made a lasting impression on me and that's what I wanted to do.

Natalie: That sounds nice! Did you want to carry in a sling from the start, or did you not have an exact idea yet? What tying methods, slings, or even carriers did you use?

Julia: In the beginning, I only knew the Didymos sling of the friend in question. At an Advent bazaar I saw a baby carrier during pregnancy and we then bought both to see what fits. From birth, after some research, only the Didymos came into question. We practiced during pregnancy with Youtube videos the wrap cross carrier back and forth. With baby, however, that was a whole different ballgame and it didn't fit right. Our newborn was very uncomfortable and it took forever for everything to fit. The time was right for a babywearing consultation. She visited us during the postpartum period.

Our child was suffering from severe abdominal pain and any change in position was met with crying. It was also impossible to find a really good position for lying down. It was no different when carrying the baby. We slept only 4-5 hours for months and nothing really helped.

The babywearing consultant continued to practice the wrap-around cross-carry with us and gave us good tips. Unfortunately, we did not shine with tying talent and the child was, in the now much tighter sling, completely freaking out. Tightness was a big problem, also pucking was a disaster. Despite absolute dream birth without stress and osteopathic examination. The lady gave up tying with us and we swung to the MeiTai. This went much more quickly and the baby was not so tightly bound. In the course of time, we tried the wrap-around cross-carrier a few more times, sometimes with success (but only in his sleep, he had to get out of it immediately when awake).

The Fräulein Hübsch worked really well, even if only briefly. At 8 months we were even hiking in the Allgäu with the child. Without having the stroller with us at all. Stroller, by the way, went just as little. The best way to carry the baby was actually on dad's arm facing forward. So we went for a walk every evening until dark (there were many stupid looks) and then put him in the family bed with us.

Natalie: That sounds exhausting. Can you say when and if it got better?

Julia: From the sixth month on, the tummy aches were almost gone. In combination with diaper-free (especially at night he wanted to be held, but not in the bedroom but only on the balcony). Diaper-free was an important key. Although not a panacea.

Natalie: Glad it got easier! Where do you see advantages or even disadvantages to carrying? Have you encountered any prejudices? If so, which ones?

Julia: I would have liked to have a carrying culture in my own family, so that people can help each other and experiences are there. I often had to hear that I grew up without a sling and never cried. In the midst of tangled sling lines and screaming infant, you can wish for nicer words. One is just so insecure in the beginning. With another child, however, I would start again with a sling (in the meantime we have it down to a certain extent) and then not worry if he doesn't like the sling. Sentences like: 'Every child wants to be carried', made me feel totally insecure at that moment. Yes, every child wants to be carried, but some not tightly and in the arm. That would no longer be a discussion for me today.

Natalie: That's true. Less dogmatism would do us a lot of good here, too!

Julia: Yes, exactly!

Natalie: Dear Julia, thank you for the interview and sharing your experiences. I wish you all the best in the future!