The Best Infant Swing

 

“The BEST infant seat is mother’s arms,
The BEST baby swing is mother’s lap in a rocking chair,
The BEST stroller is mother’s body,
The BEST nursery record is mother’s own heart beat,
The BEST lullaby record is mother’s singing, and of course,
The BEST food, pacifier, electric warmer, and tranquilizer can be found at the mother’s breast.”

 

I read the above quotation in a Bible study book I was studying a few years ago on mothering … it struck a chord with me.  I never forgot it.

 

 

Maybe because I remember shortly after having our second baby, I was suddenly convinced that our society carries our babies around in “items” far too often. There are swings, baby car seats, bouncy chairs, seats, musical toys, all of these gadgets for babies. I have even seen a stroller and a car seat with a specific holder for an i-pad so the baby can watch a movie while they are driving or strolling.

I suddenly felt, as a new young mom, that we had missed the point.  I also recalled seeing beautiful African mothers, during my month stay in Zambia with my husband two years earlier …. they carried their babies everywhere. Tied to their backs, babies on hips, toddlers holding on to their momma’s skirts … the mothers always seemed to know where their little ones were and their babies were always snuggled warmly against their mother’s bodies. It seemed so lovely, so natural.

 

But not in North America.

For example, does a baby need to be in a car seat beyond the car, I questioned? …. so,  I began to carry my two week old infant around, in public areas, in my arms instead of in a car seat or in a stroller. I would just carry her – to church, to the store, to wherever I was going. It was simple, it worked and it was healthy for her, I believe.
I realized how silly it was to walk around with a baby strapped in a plastic bucket car seat when this wee, cozy baby could have been snuggled in my arms while I walked about doing errands. Hadn’t I waited 9 long months to hold my baby in my arms? Why then would I quickly find a store bought object – a swing, a bouncy chair, etc. – to hold my baby when my arms were ready and waiting?

Parked in the doctor’s office parking lot, I unbuckled my little baby from her car seat. I remember leaving the infant carrier in the vehicle and tucking my baby in my arms, wrapped in a pretty pink blanket. I walked in to the the doctor’s office, a little pink bundle in my arms, for her two week checkup, and my toddler holding my other hand. It felt odd to the be the only mother in the waiting room without an infant strapped into a car seat.  I do remember some stares and I actually felt like someone would ask me why I was not putting my infant in a carrier.

Fast forward ten years …

The personal idea of avoiding store bought items to help hold my babies continued with each child I birthed. Slowly and eventually, we got rid of the swing, the bouncy chair, the bumbo seat and the likes and replaced all these items with our arms, our laps and our attention. And siblings. 🙂 Siblings definitely help when it comes to playing with the baby and entertaining the littlest one of the family.

Since that day 10 years ago, I have always left the baby car seat in the vehicle {once the vehicle is parked} and carried our babies about – either in a sling or simply in my arms. We actually rarely even use a stroller as it is easier to use a sling or wrap or carry the baby in your arms (in case of long outings, we will indeed bring a stroller to carry all the food and goodies, etc. as a stroller is very handy for such items!). With our seventh baby now in our home, it has meant an intentional slower pace, a longer time rocking him in the evening & singing his favorite lullaby to him as he falls asleep. I can use this time to pray over him, to think about my day, to be quiet, to be un-hurried.

 

And personally, I wouldn’t trade it for the fanciest baby swing or newest trendiest stroller in all the world.

 

P.S. A really great article about this is posted here, entitled “In Africa, We Carry our Children so They Feel Loved.” I found it very fascinating.

 

 {Linked up with Strangers & Pilgrims}