Anti-Babywearing? I think so.

Motrin has released a new ad campaign that I find absolutely infuriating. Maybe they didn't set out to be so negative, but it's pretty clear that if you are "stupid enough” to wear your baby simply “to be in fashion” or look cool then you should turn to Motrin for the backaches that you are most surely going to get.

Using a voice over artist that sounds like she just fell out of the lastest trendy urban center, she makes statements seeped in sarcasm like “Wearing your baby seems to be in fashion” and “Supposedly it’s a real bonding experience…”

If that isn’t bad enough, she continues with the ever so current rising trend of narcissism “What about me?” Wah, freakin’ wah! …”Do moms that carry their babies cry more than those who don’t? I sure do.” Me. Me. Me!

But she claimes she'll do it because it’s for the good of her “kid” “PLUS, it totally makes me look like an official mom.” Seriously, if you are shallow enough to think that being a mom is only about the way YOU look doing it, then you missed the whole point of being a mom in the first place. Apparently, ya’ missed the memo that motherhood is about giving yourself to the needs of another and self-sacrifice. BUT it doesn’t mean you have to break your back doing it.

I actually have friends that have back problems and tried different types of carriers, a couple found the one that worked for them and a couple friends just couldn’t get the right fit. And that is okay, it doesn’t make them ANY LESS OF A MOM. They have the common sense to know that trendiness doesn’t equate to good parenting.

While it’s true that baby-wearing isn’t for everyone, that doesn’t mean that it should be demonized by a large, corporate drug manufacturer. And as much as it seems like a cool, new trend, it’s been around for hundreds of years in many cultures around the world. There are benefits to baby-wearing for mother and child that go beyond the information found here. But it is not the end-all to mothering, I wasn’t “worn” as a baby, I also wasn’t breastfed and I came out okay. (except for that drop in the head…kidding) But I do wonder about the marketing team that came up with the brilliant idea to exploit the raw emotions of new moms . Were some of them dropped on their heads?

Motrin is telling consumers that this is trend and they will get backaches. Not necessarily true. Most backaches stemming from baby-wearing can be traced to preexisting conditions or improper wearing of a carrier. Not all carriers are made equally and if you are not shown how to use one, it can be uncomfortable. Like most any product, it needs to be fitted correctly for the comfort of both mother and child. That’s not hard to do.

I wore Harrison in a carrier; in fact, 3.7 years and 36 lbs later, I still carry him in a Mei Tai. I’ve even hiked with him on my back, and I don’t have a super strong back.If you want to find out more about babywearing, check out these sites:

www.thebabywearer.com
www.llli.org - The La Leche League
www.wearsthebaby.com
www.mahalo.com


You know what else? I cried a lot less when I started carrying Harrison.

As for Motrin...

I'll take Advil any day, thank you. Or better yet, generic.

Adeu'