Sunday, February 18, 2007

Question to the Moms

And just to prove that I don’t come home every Sunday just to complain about silly things, and to show that I really do appreciate my wonderfully-fantastic-in-almost-every-way (really!) church, I will change the subject!

I have a question for my “mom” friends out there.

Except for breastfeeding purposes, is there a reason for a mom to carry around a newborn baby every moment of the day? Is there some sort of attachment being made?

My friends at work and I are wondering about this particular person we know, and I just wondered if we may be missing something. This woman hasn’t gotten a babysitter, even for important events. She brings the newborn everywhere. I was just wondering if maybe she has a good reason. She isn’t breastfeeding, if you were wondering.

Let me know. Our office is curious, and even the moms there are stumped. I’d appreciate your feedback! Thanks!

5 comments:

Heidi said...

Bonding is very important, especially when a mother is not breastfeeding and does not come as naturally. She wants every moment she can get when the baby is long awaited (9 months is a LONG time, I should know as I am nearing the end Yay!!).
When a mother is breastfeeding, the baby is with her for necessity and bonding happens naturally. I can imagine the mother would like to get away from the baby once in a while.
I plan on breastfeeding mine, but I did not with the twins and I kept them with me for their first two months before I reluctantly took to the church nursery.
I grew up in a church where the pastor did want any noise in the service, so he would have an usher take the newborn baby and mother to the nursery and the mothers were encouraged to put their babies in the nursery the Sunday after they were born. They are just so small and fragile (especially when they are preemies).
Maybe God will grant you the opportunity one day. :-)

Anonymous said...

Need to carry around a newborn 24/7? No, of course not. Need to get a babysitter within the first 12 years? No, of course not. Mom's have that special privilege of doing whatever they want in that regard. First time moms tend to be more clingy with the little tykes... I'm more clingy than Vem...and I work full-time. On the other hand, all of my babies have met the nursery within the first two weeks of their lives. A couple hours for church is one thing... leaving the baby alone while I go off galavanting is quite another. Just face it, there may not have to be a goo reason, but the mom is the mom and that is her baby... whereas it may not be recommended to carry it all over for developmental reasons, there's not law against it either. Thanks for asking =)

Jennittia said...

You brought a smile to my face!! I sit typing with one hand and holding my screaming four day old son in the other longing to put him down long enough to rest my sore arms! This little one just spent 40 weeks squished up in a tiny spot only to get thrust into a big, wide open world. Imagine how different that must feel. But, oh the bliss, of new life close to you. There are certainly times when I just sit and hold the kiddos just because I can- the time is so fleeting. As for taking them everywhere- to each his own. I plan to be in church tomorrow night and I will probably leave my five day old in the nursery. I welcome the break. But we have a mom with a six week old that will not allow even adults to walk her baby downstairs because she is not comfortable with that!

Heidi said...

Apparently I didn't say enough earlier.
I will possibly be in church the Sunday after I have my c-section (depending on how my healing is going), but the baby will probably be with me, not in the nursery for a good two-three weeks anyway.
I will, however, hand her off to those waiting arms at church who can hardly wait to get their hands on her. :-)

mom2mine said...

In my own experience, in the first year of my childrens' life, my kids have gone almost everywhere. Especially in the first 6 months. I know that being an exclusively breastfeeding mother taints my opinion because that is the reason we can not be seperated. I didn't have a dinner out until #4 was 7 or 8 months old.

However, I had children who did take a bottle and still rarely left them. I am quite protective of my young infants. I will let other's hold them with no issue. But, I only have left them for a short time with family or close friends. #4 is 15mon and he still isn't left without an adult I REALLY trust. Being a preemie with compromised health born in the winter, I don't think he was in the nursery for at least 4 months.

I say to each his own. If you want to have a baby and keep him with you the first five years, more power to you. Just don't whine that he is a momma's boy. If you want to put them in daycare at 6 weeks old that is your choice too. Why are we as women so judgemental or every other mother's decisions? We are all just trying to be the same thing - a good mom.