Real Men Carry Their Babies

Kevin was never shy about carrying Aodhan in a carrier. He definitely had his preferences when it came to carries; he always opted for carriers that offered more structure, like the Ergo and Beco. You would be hard pressed when scanning through our endless supply of photographs to find an image of Kevin using the Moby!

Right from birth, Kevin was strapping Aodhan onto his front and willingly setting off for long walks around our commune in Brussels, giving me a chance to stretch my arms and feel a little less occupied by our newborn. Babywearing became essential in Kevin’s ability to soothe Aodhan during the rare instances when I had an appointment or commitment during his infanthood.

I think that for as wonderful as baby-carriers were for me, they were equally as important to Kevin. They really did seem to give him the opportunities for closeness and bonding that he expressed were difficult for him to cultivate during Aodhan’s intense periods of breastfeeding.

Now that Aodhan’s carrier days are done, it is still Kevin that ‘wears’ Aodhan when we head out. Though, it is no longer is it with the assistance of a carrier – but rather as more of a scarf/hat, as Aodhan prefers to ride on his dad’s shoulders.

 

I am not the only one that will miss wearing our boy. I am thankful and happy to have had a co-parent that was so equally interested and committed to babywearing our little guy.