baby bunching, babywearing and motrin

The blogosphere and twitter is all a buzz today about this recent Motrin commercial about babywearing. Ironically, this is National Babywearing Week.

For some reason I feel the need to be proactive in taking a position on this, even though when I first saw this my response was, "boy, that was kind of a reach for a marketing campaign." Mainly because many new moms are probably already taking Motrin, Advil or other pain medication for their post natal ouchies or headaches from being up all night with infants and toddlers. Babywearing...really?

As Baby Bunching moms, we all know babywearing is one of the easiest ways to keep your bunch contained and delay the purchase of a double stroller. But with everything else you do as a mom, wearing your baby should be a decision you make based on you and your baby. Don’t do it because it’s trendy or feel you need to do it.....kind of like breastfeeding. If your baby wrap hurts you in any way--readjust. Have a mom friend help you. Go online and look for tips on your carrier/wrap/sling. Or borrow another one to see if something else works for you.

This particular advertisement strikes a chord similar to that of the formula companies--they prey on tired and stressed out moms. Next they'll be doing ads for pain relievers for those of us who carrying toddlers on our shoulders when they give out at the zoo or have to push the 50-pound double stroller up the hill.   

Comments

[JessPond]

Oh that's annoying.

It's almost as annoying as the VW Routon (sp?) Boom commercials. About how there's more and more ppl having babies to get their VAN because of the "cheap IF treatment" and "easy adoptions." WTH? Where are they going for this cheap treatment and these easy adoptions? SIGN ME UP!

And of COURSE you're going to have babies to get a VAN. Who doesn't DREAM of a VAN? :p

[Kristi]

I did see this posted on one of my mommy message boards. I agree it's a stretch-but it made me giggle a bit. I mean they'll do anything to get our attention. I'm a pharmacist by career and I can honestly say I've never bought name brand Motrin in my life. The generic stuff is just as good for me!!

Oh-I did my shout out on my blog-
http://mom-kristi-e.blogspot.com/2008/11/baby-bunching.html

Is this where I post it? Or do I go back to the other post? I'm such a blog/baby bunching newbie-so sorry!!!

[AmyS]

I gotta tell ya, I struggle with this "trend" of wearing my baby. I see all the cool moms with their wraps and am in awe of them. How do they put their kid in it without an entourage of people to help them out? I used the baby bjorn when my 2nd was born so I could chase my 18 mo. old around. Tried the Mayan wrap--could not get the hang of it. I bought the hip hammock by Playtex--think I used it twice. Now I feel so hip and trendy since I bought the Moby wrap--have I tried it, yet? No...it scares me. I am not graceful or suave by nature, so attempting to put baby girl in it seems to be hazardous to her health. Hats off to those moms who make it look easy!!

[Jenny P]

I dunno, but I felt EXACTLY like this after #1. Yes, the ad is irreverent, but it takes the same tone as other past ads about menstrual cramps and motherhood. Some of the buzz makes it sound like Motrin walked up and started slapping Moby-wrapped infants.

Since Motrin is recommended (by brand-name) by hospitals for post-natal pain, the company has an interest in getting new moms to keep buying it after those first few weeks. They want Motrin to be your go-to pain reliever, which is hard since generic ibuprofen is cheap and plentiful not to mention all the other OTC pain relievers.

I think some babywearers are getting a little too sensitive. For those of us who were flabby, out-of-shape, and thought the laptop got pretty heavy pretty quickly, motherhood can bring a whole lotta muscle pain. I think the ad speaks a lot more to that. I don't think it implies that babywearing is a bad thing.

Like breastfeeding, just because something is "natural" or "been done for hundreds of years" doesn't mean that many women won't struggle with it. The ad takes a light touch and suggests, "You're not a bad mom, you just need the help of our product."

[G]

I thought the ad was kind of funny. I mean, I thought all those things. And I could never wear my baby... oh, I tried. It just never felt safe no matter the device. I couldn't trust anything other than my own arms. Kudos to those who figure it out!