Questions and Answers

Over the course of the last week, as I posted about my trip to Paris, many of you asked great questions.  Since the Kiddo is peacefully sleeping right now, I thought it would be a good time to follow up with answers to some of them.  Thanks so much for your curiosity!  I hope you find my responses illuminating and interesting:

Rogue asked:

What carrier are you using?

I took two of my favorite carriers with me on the Paris trip, my Ergobaby and my Didymos Wrap.  I used the Ergo on all of our excursions around the city, so that is the one you see in the photos.  I relied on the Didymos when we were chillin' at the apartment -- i.e. before bed if the Kiddo needed to nurse and be soothed to sleep but was too wound-up to lay down in the bed.

Grace asked:

What is your favorite sling for nursing?

Personally, I have never found slings to be all that comfortable, but that's just me.  I am a big fan of carriers that can be worn centered on my front or back, such as a Mei Tai, Ergo, or wrap-style carrier, like the Didymos.  I find all of these to be extremely comfortable and easily wearable for long periods of time, even with a toddler.  As for nursing, I do it all the time in all of the carriers I just mentioned, but if I had to pick one that is my favorite for nursing, I would say the Didymos wrap.  The Didy is just exceptionally cuddly, supportive, and cocoon-y.

Allegra asked:

Does your back ever hurt after "wearing" the kiddo all day? Also, how tall are you? Weird, I know, but I ask because I wanted so much to be a baby-wearer, but it never worked out for me. I think part of it is that I'm short (5'2") and have a very short torso. What do you think?

The first carrier I tried, right after the Kiddo was born, was the Baby Bjorn, which I found to be extremely uncomfortable to the point that I hated it and thought I was just not cut out for babywearing.  Not only did it put an awful strain on my neck, shoulders, and back, it also was impossible to breastfeed in.  It just seemed like way more trouble than it was worth.  Then I tried a Babyhawk mei tai and I realized that I too could babywear and enjoy all of the freedoms and convenience that go with it!  My husband and I are on the small side (5'5"), and our child has more than doubled in weight, and and yet we both enjoy babywearing now.  I see no reason why your height should preclude you from wearing your baby since all the best kinds of carriers (from slings to wraps to mei tais to more structured carriers like the Ergobaby) are completely adjustable to the individual.  I would encourage you to give it another try.  Check out this website for a wealth of information, community, and resources related to babywearing.  You can also find helpful instructional videos on YouTube if you search "babywearing demo."

Nell asked:

Have you noticed a difference in how [Europeans] look at you (or maybe don't even notice) breastfeeding and how Americans look at you?

To tell you the truth, I didn't even think about it or notice any looks (approving or disapproving) while we were in Paris.  T might be a better gauge of this, as he often tells me when we are together if I'm getting looks while breastfeeding -- I'm usually too busy gazing at the Kiddo to notice reactions.  Unless, of course, a situation like this arises.  I nurse the Kiddo on demand, and as he has gotten older (he's nearly 18 months now) breastfeeding him in public in an unabashed way does certainly raise eyebrows sometimes.  I don't think people are necessarily judging it, it's just that it is a rare sight so I'm sure it can be a little jolting to some people.  Right after the Kiddo was born, while I was still developing my skills and confidence with nursing (heck, we were still getting to know each other, period!) I was kind of shy about breastfeeding openly in public.  But as nursing has become a comfortable, important and cherished part of our lives I have become much less concerned with the opinions of others.  If anything, now I feel that for every person who I risk scandalizing by breastfeeding in public there might be ten more who are moved, encouraged, or heartened by it, or who at least will start to see it as something healthy and normal because I'm not hiding it away in a bathroom stall or under a blanket.

Rach asked:
I'd love to know about what it was like traveling with a toddler abroad... any unique challenges/considerations?

The Paris trip was the first time we've traveled abroad with the Kiddo, but he had flown many times before that (including several trips to California and back to NYC).  SO, we are starting to get the hang of airports/airplanes, although the Kiddo still hates being constrained during takeoff and landing, which makes him scream, which is really hard for all of us (and torture, I'm sure, for the other passengers!  Sorry guys!).  But other than that, he kind of likes being on the plane -- he likes the view, the tv screens, the food, flirting with the flight attendants, etc.  And he sleeps a lot, which is wonderful.  

When we were sightseeing in Paris, it was just such a blessing to be able to babywear!  I can't imagine doing it any other way.  We could just go anywhere and do anything.  With a stroller so many hikes and treks and cute little shops would have been impossible (or a pain) to navigate.  Yay, babywearing!

One thing that is more difficult with a toddler who is really good at asserting himself, is that eating in restaurants can be hard.  Still, we managed to have many good meals by eating in shifts and taking turns walking around/entertaining the Kiddo or by timing it so that we were sitting down to eat when he was soundly asleep in his carrier.  

Stephanie asked:

1. What was the best thing that you ate [in Paris]? 

2. Is the food quite different?

3. What camera did you use ?

1.  Hmmmm.  So many yummy things were eaten!  But if I had to single out one thing, I would say a positively transcendent Chocolate tart, which I ate on my birthday.

2. The food is absolutely delicious.  There's a freshness and purity to the ingredients in the food that makes it feel very different from what I'm used to in the U.S.

3. I used three cameras on the trip:  a Sony Cybershot, a Canon Digital Rebel SLR, and my trusty Diana.  I have yet to get the Diana pictures developed, but when I do I'll post them here! 

Typewriter photo found here.