Baby Slow Down!!!

Let's take a little hiatus from talking about babywearing. Ok, I'm still going to talk about babywearing some but this post has another topic as it's basis. Our babies growing up! I hear all the time in the babywearing community this idea that once your baby is off and running that you will no longer babywear. It's like your child is going to hit this major milestone and they are no longer going to want to be close to you and be held or snuggled. OR, that your child is going to turn into a toddler and automatically sleep amazingly. As if one night it's just going to click and they are going to decide they don't need your kisses in the middle of the night to calm them in the dark. Or how about a topic that is even closer to my heart than babywearing, feeding your baby! My child is formula fed so I kept hearing the expectation that as soon as my child turned one she would automatically switch from formula to cows milk. For what it's worth, I reject all of those ideas, especially the last one and let me talk a little more on the last one since it's pretty close to my heart.

Formula can be touted as an evil processed substitute to beautiful and creamy mother's milk. Well guess what, my child is formula fed and she is just fine. I didn't choose this route but it happened. When that 12 month mark loomed in my future and I heard other moms talk about the switch I panicked! I worked really hard emotionally to get to a place where I wasn't constantly feeling guilty or imagining a world where I had been able to continue breastfeeding well into toddlerhood. And now, I was going to have to face another emotionally charged change for both me and my child because taking her off formula meant she was getting big! And not only that, she loves her formula! So, it wasn't about to be an easy transition. However, here is what happened. I realized that my baby is still my baby. We choose to reject society's expectation that my child wasn't a baby anymore once she hit that magical mark of one year old. I started asking the question, if it can be normal for moms to continue to breastfeed, why can't it be normal for me to continue to let my child continue drinking formula from a bottle. And it can be. I don't feel guilty about it and I recognize this decision wasn't all about her but also about me. My child happily takes her organic cows milk as she is running around but before bedtime she wants her bottle with her formula. And I'm ok with that for now. She is able to slowly make that transition herself without me pushing her because someone out there has made it the normal thing to do.

This is how we function as parents in general. Our motto is "why make things hard when they don't have to be". It's been true for transitioning to food, to cows milk, from bed sharing to sleeping in her own room, from the crib to the toddler bed and for babywearing! It works for us. It also allows is to cherish those moments that won't be there forever. It makes transitions so much easier because we wait until she tells us it's time for a change and then, we change!

And all of these words to tell you, let your baby be a baby. Don't make them grow up too fast because you will never get that time with them back. Your baby will eventually not want to be rocked and cuddled and will at some point grow up and move out to have their own babies. Enjoy the time sitting on the floor playing silly games. Enjoy the sick baby snuggles. Enjoy the goofy pacifiers if it keeps them calm. Reject the "normal" if it doesn't work for you. Do what is best for your family and stop feeling so guilty about everything. Stop second guessing your parenting decisions and slow down and enjoy the moment. Stop wasting those precious moments defending your decisions to do what is best for your baby and just do what is best for your baby and live it! Embrace it! Embrace your child and your family and stop putting timelines on everything from the tiny to the huge. Make your own decisions for you and your child and it will all turn out ok!