Motrin's babywearing ad pulled down after outrage by moms

November 17, 4:16 PMEarly Childhood Parenting ExaminerAngele Sionna

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Internet outrage about an ad for Motrin has ended in the ad being pulled by the drug company.

The commercial, which you can watch below, made parents who choose to wear their babies angry because, as many have said, the commercial belittles and makes fun of babywearing's benefits, of which in reality are many.

The now pulled ad is still on YouTube here:

Motrin's website has replaced the ad with an apology to parents and a pledge to remove the advertisements.

Babywearing is a great way to keep your little one close and unlike the ad claimed, it shouldn't hurt your back if you're doing it right and using a good baby carrier.

There are many benefits, from less crying to better sleeping. It's an easy way to breastfeed in public or at home. It keeps baby close while shopping or on a walk.

No matter what you use it for, babywearing leaves your hands free to do what you need  to... even chores around the house like vacuuming or typing on the computer to reach out to other moms.

WearYourBaby.com says babywearing has the following benefits: 

1. Baby cries less, learns more, grows better
2. Easier to get work done
3. Eliminates the need to choose between holding the baby and "having a life"
4. Reduces postpartum depression and child abuse
5. Easier to nurse with sling than without
6. Mom has two free hands to play with older children, so less sibling rivalry
7. Gives Dad bonding opportunities
8. Keeps baby safe and out of harm's way

Wraps and slings come in many varieties, all with pluses and minuses depending on your activities and body type. There's the Pareo, Podeagi, Shawls (also known as slings with knots), and Ring Slings. You can make most of these yourself. For how to do that see my post: Make Your Own Carrier.

Professionally made carriers provide the same benefits to you and baby but they save you time. For my guide to "The Best Baby Carriers," click HERE.

A great resource for everything you want to know about baby wearing is WearYourBaby.com. That site has helped me get lots of ideas and easy, cheap ways to wear my girls. The site also has several how to videos and step by step instructions. There's also a book by Dr. Maria Blois, with the forward by the famed Dr. Sears, called Babywearing. It explains, in depth, the benefits of babywearing.

Now that you're ready to wear your baby, you may wonder just how it works. Here's a few videos from YouTube that show a mom demonstrating how to use a simple wrap to carry your baby.

Front wrap demonstration:

How to carry baby on your back in a back wrap:

 Baby wearing is easy and fun, and best of all makes for a happy baby.