I love my Maya Wrap but...

I'm getting a little tired of feeling like an animal in the zoo!

Seriously, I don't think I've *ever* gone out with the baby in the
sling without getting comments and she does all my errands in the
sling. I mean, they are mostly compliments or just plain confusion, but
it gets a little tiring after a while. I just want to get my errands
done, man!

It's not as bad at home since it's not uncommon to see babywearing in
my area (greater Hartford area) but here in the Lakes Region of NH
people actually point and whisper. It's very odd.

Most of the time it's, "Oh, that's such a clever wrap". "I wish I had
one when mine was a baby." "Where did you get it?" that type of thing
but here are some real winners. These are real, honest to goodness
comments


*"is that something you invented?" I've been asked this *countless*
times.

*"did you order that fabric from Peru to make it?" Uh, no.

*"Isn't she uncomfortable?" I got this a lot when she was smaller. Now
that she's on my hip I don't get it as much.

*"I've heard of people like you. You don't believe in putting your baby
down, right?" Uh, no. She plays for 45 minutes by herself on the floor
thankyouverymuch.

I'm thinking of making a button to attach to the sling that says, "It's
a Maya Wrap".


Anyone else get bombarded with comments? I don't mean to sound whiney
because most of the time I really do enjoy sharing the benefits of
babywearing but sometimes, enough is enough! It's not that foreign of a
concept, people!


JennP.

JennP. wrote:

Anyone else get bombarded with comments? I don't mean to sound whiney
because most of the time I really do enjoy sharing the benefits of
babywearing but sometimes, enough is enough! It's not that foreign of a
concept, people!

Will it make you feel better or worse if I say that I
only received occasional comments and it's not all the uncommon
to see a baby in a sling around here? ;-)

Best wishes,
Ericka

"JennP." wrote in message
oups.com...
I'm getting a little tired of feeling like an animal in the zoo!

Seriously, I don't think I've *ever* gone out with the baby in the
sling without getting comments and she does all my errands in the
sling. I mean, they are mostly compliments or just plain confusion, but
it gets a little tiring after a while. I just want to get my errands
done, man!

It's not as bad at home since it's not uncommon to see babywearing in
my area (greater Hartford area) but here in the Lakes Region of NH
people actually point and whisper. It's very odd.

Most of the time it's, "Oh, that's such a clever wrap". "I wish I had
one when mine was a baby." "Where did you get it?" that type of thing
but here are some real winners. These are real, honest to goodness
comments


*"is that something you invented?" I've been asked this *countless*
times.

*"did you order that fabric from Peru to make it?" Uh, no.

*"Isn't she uncomfortable?" I got this a lot when she was smaller. Now
that she's on my hip I don't get it as much.

*"I've heard of people like you. You don't believe in putting your baby
down, right?" Uh, no. She plays for 45 minutes by herself on the floor
thankyouverymuch.

I'm thinking of making a button to attach to the sling that says, "It's
a Maya Wrap".


Anyone else get bombarded with comments? I don't mean to sound whiney
because most of the time I really do enjoy sharing the benefits of
babywearing but sometimes, enough is enough! It's not that foreign of a
concept, people!


JennP.


I live in a small town - about 6000 people and I think I was the *only*
person who used a sling during the couple of years that Angus was a
baby/toddler and I have only seen a few very people before and after me use
either a sling or pouch. In fact, I think I used to be known as "that lady
who always has her kid in a sling" at our local supermarket. I received
many questions, comments, looks, etc - (lots of questions like "are you sure
he is comfortable in there?) mostly positive but you did tend to feel like
everyone thought you were doing something completely out of the ordinary
which I could never work out.

Actually, about the only person who I saw using a sling before I got mine
was someone who was "slightly alternative" and I always wanted to ask her
where she got hers because I could never find what I wanted (just too shy to
talk to a complete stranger out of the blue) - just before ds2 arrived, we
became friends at playgroup and she gave me her sling which I used
frequently as my spare. I passed it on to a few people since but have
received it back each time unused.

cheers
Leah
Mum to Angus (3.5) and Patrick (8)

"JennP." wrote in message
oups.com...
Anyone else get bombarded with comments? I don't mean to sound whiney
because most of the time I really do enjoy sharing the benefits of
babywearing but sometimes, enough is enough! It's not that foreign of a
concept, people!

When DD was 12 or 13 mo, someone asked if she walked yet and I said no. The
lady said it was because I was carrying her in the sling all the time. It
just happened that when I'm out, DD is in the sling and I only see this lady
when I'm out. So of course, she thinks DD is in a sling all day, never gets
to touch the ground. I'm wondering if she'd think DD would learn to walk
sooner if she was in a stroller?

"JennP." wrote in
oups.com:

I'm getting a little tired of feeling like an animal in the
zoo!

Seriously, I don't think I've *ever* gone out with the baby
in the sling without getting comments and she does all my
errands in the sling. I mean, they are mostly compliments
or just plain confusion, but it gets a little tiring after
a while. I just want to get my errands done, man!

It's not as bad at home since it's not uncommon to see
babywearing in my area (greater Hartford area) but here in
the Lakes Region of NH people actually point and whisper.
It's very odd.

aw Jenn, i'm sorry. i should have shopped more up there so
people would be used to it
i wonder if it's natives or summer folk who have the problem
though... i see a LOT of Maya wraps down in crunchy Concord,
although i was the only one that had one when Boo was an
infant (he's 5 on Aug.7 & we still use the Maya wrap
sometimes. he likes it for back carry now)

Most of the time it's, "Oh, that's such a clever wrap". "I
wish I had one when mine was a baby." "Where did you get
it?" that type of thing but here are some real winners.
These are real, honest to goodness comments

*"is that something you invented?" I've been asked this
*countless* times.

yeah, i got that one quite a bit. i didn't think it was that
odd if the person asking had really never seen baby wearing.

*"did you order that fabric from Peru to make it?" Uh, no.

heh, my Maya is solid black the Goth Mayag. it shows
Fauxy (Boo's odd-eyed, deaf white cat) hair really well, so i
should say it's black & white

*"Isn't she uncomfortable?" I got this a lot when she was
smaller. Now that she's on my hip I don't get it as much.

i used to get " There's a *baby* in there!", like i maybe
didn't realize that was what i was carrying. "gee! no wonder
that cabbage seemed so wiggley..." (BTW, once Boo started
walking more around age 2, i did use the Maya as a handy stuff
carrier since i don't carry a purse)

*"I've heard of people like you. You don't believe in
putting your baby down, right?" Uh, no. She plays for 45
minutes by herself on the floor thankyouverymuch.

never got that. i did get my wrap because Boo *was* a clingy
baby until he could sit up/walk. then it was only used when he
got tired.

I'm thinking of making a button to attach to the sling that
says, "It's a Maya Wrap".

i don't think that will help...

Anyone else get bombarded with comments? I don't mean to
sound whiney because most of the time I really do enjoy
sharing the benefits of babywearing but sometimes, enough
is enough! It's not that foreign of a concept, people!

i do notice that Baby Bjorns are a bit more popular than
wraps here. i seriously think people think they'll drop the
baby if it's in a wrap. the BB confines the kid more. i had
both actually & i liked the Maya better. the BB was good in
winter when i was wearing my huge leather cloak because i
could wrap the cloak around both of us easier, but when it
gets to 20 pounds of baby & 30 pounds of cloak, i'll go with a
fleece & the Maya wrap
lee
--
war is peace
freedom is slavery
ignorance is strength
1984-George Orwell

enigma wrote:
"JennP." wrote in

aw Jenn, i'm sorry. i should have shopped more up there so
people would be used to it
i wonder if it's natives or summer folk who have the problem
though... i see a LOT of Maya wraps down in crunchy Concord,
although i was the only one that had one when Boo was an
infant (he's 5 on Aug.7 & we still use the Maya wrap
sometimes. he likes it for back carry now)

You know, the only person up here who knew what it was is from Bow
which is next to Concord. I didn't know Concord was cruncy, intersting.
She said that there are several young moms in her church who use them.
Her 18 year old daughter told her that she (the mom)needed to get
pregnant so that she could use one, lol! She's a mom of four, the 18
year olds are twins. I also think it's mostly natives because it's when
I'm around town, people working in the stores, etc. I'm in Bristol up
here, fwiw.

i used to get " There's a *baby* in there!", like i maybe
didn't realize that was what i was carrying. "gee! no wonder
that cabbage seemed so wiggley..." (BTW, once Boo started
walking more around age 2, i did use the Maya as a handy stuff
carrier since i don't carry a purse)

I got that too. Or, "What are you carrying in there?".


i do notice that Baby Bjorns are a bit more popular than
wraps here. i seriously think people think they'll drop the
baby if it's in a wrap.

Which I don't really understand because a BB doesn't have the
flexibility or shelf life that a ring sling has.

JennP.

"JennP." wrote in message
oups.com...
I'm getting a little tired of feeling like an animal in the zoo!

Seriously, I don't think I've *ever* gone out with the baby in the
sling without getting comments and she does all my errands in the
sling. I mean, they are mostly compliments or just plain confusion, but
it gets a little tiring after a while. I just want to get my errands
done, man!

It's not as bad at home since it's not uncommon to see babywearing in
my area (greater Hartford area) but here in the Lakes Region of NH
people actually point and whisper. It's very odd.



As a person who grew up in NH, I feel confident in saying that NH is
backwater nowhereville when it comes to social issues. (I *do* recognize
that tends to be offensive to NHites who do not feel that way. Sorry. But
each time I try to rewrite the sentence, well, I just can't.) When my DS was
born, I got hairy eyeballs and nasty wispering for feeding him in a
Friendly's! It is not like were at Chez Francois or anything. People on this
group and mkb complained about people giving grief for nursing in public,
and I always shook my head. Until I visited NH!

Most of the time it's, "Oh, that's such a clever wrap". "I wish I had
one when mine was a baby." "Where did you get it?" that type of thing
but here are some real winners. These are real, honest to goodness
comments


*"is that something you invented?" I've been asked this *countless*
times.

*"did you order that fabric from Peru to make it?" Uh, no.

*"Isn't she uncomfortable?" I got this a lot when she was smaller. Now
that she's on my hip I don't get it as much.

*"I've heard of people like you. You don't believe in putting your baby
down, right?" Uh, no. She plays for 45 minutes by herself on the floor
thankyouverymuch.

I'm thinking of making a button to attach to the sling that says, "It's
a Maya Wrap".


Anyone else get bombarded with comments? I don't mean to sound whiney
because most of the time I really do enjoy sharing the benefits of
babywearing but sometimes, enough is enough! It's not that foreign of a
concept, people!


JennP.


I got happy smiles from little old ladies, but that is it. If it bugs you,
maybe you can practice the skill of never *quite* making eye contact with
people you pass by. That will take care of most people, and/or you simply
won't notice their reaction.

"enigma" wrote in message
. ..
"JennP." wrote in
oups.com:

I'm getting a little tired of feeling like an animal in the
zoo!

Seriously, I don't think I've *ever* gone out with the baby
in the sling without getting comments and she does all my
errands in the sling. I mean, they are mostly compliments
or just plain confusion, but it gets a little tiring after
a while. I just want to get my errands done, man!

It's not as bad at home since it's not uncommon to see
babywearing in my area (greater Hartford area) but here in
the Lakes Region of NH people actually point and whisper.
It's very odd.

aw Jenn, i'm sorry. i should have shopped more up there so
people would be used to it
i wonder if it's natives or summer folk who have the problem
though... i see a LOT of Maya wraps down in crunchy Concord,
although i was the only one that had one when Boo was an
infant (he's 5 on Aug.7 & we still use the Maya wrap
sometimes. he likes it for back carry now)

It seems to me that the cities; Concord, Lebanon and Manchester for instance
are different planets from some of the other areas.


Most of the time it's, "Oh, that's such a clever wrap". "I
wish I had one when mine was a baby." "Where did you get
it?" that type of thing but here are some real winners.
These are real, honest to goodness comments

*"is that something you invented?" I've been asked this
*countless* times.

yeah, i got that one quite a bit. i didn't think it was that
odd if the person asking had really never seen baby wearing.

*"did you order that fabric from Peru to make it?" Uh, no.

heh, my Maya is solid black the Goth Mayag. it shows
Fauxy (Boo's odd-eyed, deaf white cat) hair really well, so i
should say it's black & white

*"Isn't she uncomfortable?" I got this a lot when she was
smaller. Now that she's on my hip I don't get it as much.

i used to get " There's a *baby* in there!", like i maybe
didn't realize that was what i was carrying. "gee! no wonder
that cabbage seemed so wiggley..." (BTW, once Boo started
walking more around age 2, i did use the Maya as a handy stuff
carrier since i don't carry a purse)

*"I've heard of people like you. You don't believe in
putting your baby down, right?" Uh, no. She plays for 45
minutes by herself on the floor thankyouverymuch.

never got that. i did get my wrap because Boo *was* a clingy
baby until he could sit up/walk. then it was only used when he
got tired.

I'm thinking of making a button to attach to the sling that
says, "It's a Maya Wrap".

i don't think that will help...

Anyone else get bombarded with comments? I don't mean to
sound whiney because most of the time I really do enjoy
sharing the benefits of babywearing but sometimes, enough
is enough! It's not that foreign of a concept, people!

i do notice that Baby Bjorns are a bit more popular than
wraps here. i seriously think people think they'll drop the
baby if it's in a wrap. the BB confines the kid more. i had
both actually & i liked the Maya better. the BB was good in
winter when i was wearing my huge leather cloak because i
could wrap the cloak around both of us easier, but when it
gets to 20 pounds of baby & 30 pounds of cloak, i'll go with a
fleece & the Maya wrap

BB is also better for things like hiking, I found. The sling weight moved
too much and unpredictably for my less than sure feet.

lee
--
war is peace
freedom is slavery
ignorance is strength
1984-George Orwell

i do notice that Baby Bjorns are a bit more popular than
wraps here. i seriously think people think they'll drop the
baby if it's in a wrap.

Which I don't really understand because a BB doesn't have the
flexibility or shelf life that a ring sling has.

JennP.

My guess would be no learning curve. I, for one, did not find the sling all
that easy to figure at first.

"JennP." wrote in message
oups.com...
I'm getting a little tired of feeling like an animal in the zoo!

Seriously, I don't think I've *ever* gone out with the baby in the
sling without getting comments and she does all my errands in the
sling. I mean, they are mostly compliments or just plain confusion, but
it gets a little tiring after a while. I just want to get my errands
done, man!

It's not as bad at home since it's not uncommon to see babywearing in
my area (greater Hartford area) but here in the Lakes Region of NH
people actually point and whisper. It's very odd.

Most of the time it's, "Oh, that's such a clever wrap". "I wish I had
one when mine was a baby." "Where did you get it?" that type of thing
but here are some real winners. These are real, honest to goodness
comments


*"is that something you invented?" I've been asked this *countless*
times.

*"did you order that fabric from Peru to make it?" Uh, no.

*"Isn't she uncomfortable?" I got this a lot when she was smaller. Now
that she's on my hip I don't get it as much.

*"I've heard of people like you. You don't believe in putting your baby
down, right?" Uh, no. She plays for 45 minutes by herself on the floor
thankyouverymuch.

I'm thinking of making a button to attach to the sling that says, "It's
a Maya Wrap".


Anyone else get bombarded with comments? I don't mean to sound whiney
because most of the time I really do enjoy sharing the benefits of
babywearing but sometimes, enough is enough! It's not that foreign of a
concept, people!


Funny , but I saw a woman in the grocery store yesterday with a baby in a
front-facing pack, not sure what kind because I didn't want to stare. She
was wearing a batik sundress and some funky sandals (I'm a sandal freak but
these were a kind I'd never seen), and was talking loudly about how she
couldn't buy anything that needed refrigeration because they didn't have a
fridge. I thought to myself "Gee, she must not be from around here!"