> I personally think it is the baby bucket phenomenon.  I'd love to know how
> many moms put their babies on the floor at all.  Since I'm from the era where
> the baby bucket was left in the car because it was a CAR seat, my babies were
> all on the floor -- on blankets until they could crawl, or in arms, or
> occasionally in the swing -- or whatever.  Of course, I'm also from the era
> of the tummy sleeping....

I remember at the beginning of my pregnancy with my daughter, my nephew
was 4-5 mos old & constantly in his bucket.  He practically lived in it,
& even slept in it when they took an overnight trip.  I mean those
buckets have hard plastic under the thin foam cover.  Even a crib
mattress is likely not so hard on the poor head.  He also had his bottle
propped up on a towel in front of him to eat.  I saw him once when he
was 2 days old, and then not at all until he was 4 months old (I was
away for a while), and by the time I came back, he would NOT take his
bottle in anyone's arms, as it was too much of a distraction to be able
to turn his head around and look everywhere.

I was so disgusted at all this that I refused to buy one for my daughter
& got her a convertible carseat instead that stayed in the car.  I
didn't even want anyone to be able to say "you should carry her around
in the bucket".  When she was 5 weeks my in-laws came to visit & seeing
me with her in the sling at a restaurant (i.e. eating over her, albeit
not hot food!) they were shocked & insisted that i had to have a bucket
that would make my life "easier".  Well, a long argument ensued, whereby
I said that I refused to cart around an extra 10 lbs where it was
un-necessary, and at arm's length at that.  The sling likely weighed
about 1 lb more than the baby, but those buckets are heavy.  I said I
knew I would not like it anyhow.  Eventually, after arguing back and
forth, I said "ok, listen, how would you like me to have told you 'you
WILL enjoy XYZ' when you had children?" and also said that if they
really really insisted on buying me one, I'd use it, but only in the
car.  I stated that it would STAY in the car, and that was the end of
that.  Well, they stopped getting on my case after that, though they
made subtle remarks from time to time about "if I'd taken them up on
their offer I could have...", but my mother in law offered me a
breastpump instead, so I got one of those on them.  Which I have found
to be a much more practical gift.

I had a bucket on loan for 2 weeks when I was visiting my parents when
my daughter was 3 months of age.  I brought it into their place to
adjust the straps, and carried her in it ONCE down to the car after that
(rather than carrying the 2 separately) and said that was the first and
last time I would EVER do that.  I found it to be so heavy, and thought
I would prefer to carry the 2 separately if I had to again, because at
least then I could carry the bucket upside down, or however was most
comfortable (not something you can do with a baby in it).  I knew
already I would not enjoy carrying her around like that, which was why I
invested in a (several) sling(s), and used them.  I don't see how my
sister-in-law could enjoy carrying around her son in his for so long,
but it was not for me, that's for sure!  :-)

We did, however, have a bouncy seat in the house, which I put my
daughter in on occasion.  It stayed in the house, but it was something
that she could sit in if I needed my hands free and couldn't sling her
for a short time.

And to link this to breastfeeding, that sling made it so much easier to
nurse her.  I remember pointing this out to my in-laws, that I could
nurse her in the sling if need be, which I couldn't do if I had no sling
and was just toting her about in the baby bucket.  I'd have to get her
out, find a place to sit down, and then nurse her.  With a fairly young
infant who nurses frequently, this was a bit much to ask (though of
course their solution would be to bring along bottles to feed her with
while out...for 'ease'??????!?!?!).  Later the day of the
bucket-argument, I did nurse her in it, and they didn't even notice.  I
think that was when they (after I mentioned that she was having a good
meal) realized that it DID have its useful-ness and that perhaps the
bucket was "better for moms who choose to bottle feeed" (like my
sister-in-law).  :-(

Fio.

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