Sling meets?!

[UmbongoUnchained]

A group popped up on fb to invite me to a local sling meet for "established baby wearers to gather and discuss baby wearing."

Do they literally just stand there with baby in sling and talk about their baby in the sling?
Am I the only one who finds that hilarious?
Anyone been to one of these?!

Ummm AIBU to think this is just mad?

It's a shame really as the group didn't seem to be about slings at all. It was just a congregation of parents who parent the same way with absolutely no time for anyone who doesn't fit their description.

On a scale of Joan Collins to Mayim Bialik, how'd they rate?

Mayim X 10000

Further details needed. Got the popcorn and beverages.

They were astonished that I:

Am going back to work straight away after popping this one out

That I don't want to even attempt breastfeeding

I won't entertain disposable nappies

I think Amber necklaces are shit

I have a life that doesn't involve my children, I'm not just a mother.

.... All I wanted to do was show off my Lenny lamb and have a moan about my swollen feet.

umbongo They sound 'delightful'

I don't have a problem with them at all, but they clearly had a huge problem with me! Oh well.

They liked disposable nappies? Shouldn't their babies be in hemp cloth or au naturel?

It's for advice and help with slings and baby wearing but does have a social element as well. There are a lot of guidelines about slings and if you want to use wrap slings (like big scarves, African style) it's bloody hard to figure out how to do it safely.

My friend runs several and she's trained to give demos and advice. She does this as well as hiring slings (there are bloody loads of types, who knew?) some of her meets people just come for help and others are more social as well.

I went to some but although I did the baby wearing thing I had zero in common eighths other mums there so I stopped going.

Hate to burst the sling-bashing hippie mama stereotyping bubble and at risk of outing myself... but I'm well into slings and most people would say I'm an "established babywearer". I own plenty of high end slings Artipoppe, Woven Wings and Handwovens as well as Didys, Girasols and Oscha and can use a variety of wrap sizes to do different types of carry. But I also own a couple of pushchairs, vaccinate, I don't clothe bum or use Amber and I most definitely have a life beyond being a mother. Shock fact! I even go out for nights out with mums I met through sling meets! Despite having a bf toddler at home!

I've never once been judged or looked down on for my choices at sling meets. And I've been to a lot of meets. The only places I've been judged is in regular parenting/play groups where using slings seems to give a greenlight to people to stereotype you and make assumptions about you. Hell, even my HV was surprised "mums like you don't tend to vaccinate"?!?!

My experience of sling meets and established babywearers is that they're a pretty widespread bunch. Generally skewed more to Dr Sears/AP type parenting but still a vast spectrum. So forgive me for being fairly at the idea that it's exclusively the domain of the uber-crunchy.

Fwiw I also worked full time in a "real job" whilst breastfeeding and using slings with my 2yr old.

I used to help run a sling meet to let new parents try out slings but, tbh, I stopped volunteering my precious time because people would regularly turned up late or not at all and it was disheartening after awhile.

It's not hard to see the attraction in meeting with people who are interested in geeking out over the latest release and who understand the obsession without having to go through the judgey stereotyping and the "why do you need more than one?" "It cost how much?!" questions (Answers: "No, but a bit like shoes or handbags or clothes it's nice to have different colours and blends for different situations" and "Too much probably but it's my money, I earned it and I can spend it how I see fit")

Wandering cloud did you even read the thread? It's not a sling bashing thread, I love my slings, I have 5.

And I've also said I don't have a problem with any of those mums, I went along with an open mind and wanted to just chill out and chat.

They were the ones with the problem. Comments like "Of course I'M not going back to work, I actually LIKE my children." And "What sort of mother wouldn't even ATTEMPT to breastfeed?"

They're a bunch of nobs and if it makes me a bitch then so be it. I'll find a different group.

Umbongo, which Lenny lamb? We have time (with skulls) as a ring sling. Had summer but traded it for a hop tye

Dr you need to try a black hemp pfau. Looks like a teatowel, is the most awesome sling ever. Some of the old school bamboo natis are lush too but I'm not a fan of the new bamboo.
My youngest is too old for slinging now and I miss it, am glad I tried so many when he was little even though my friends think its odd :)