Lots of Malaysian mums are babywearing advocates, and its really no surprise given the many benefits of wearing babies in wraps, slings or carriers. Often, especially as new moms, it can feel impossible to get anything done because baby seems to require Mom constantly.
Even a trip to the toilet seems like a distant dream, when the baby won’t sleep anywhere but in your arms, what more chores like cooking or washing. But the reality of life is that things do need to get done.
Babywearing may seem like the perfect solution, because you can hold your baby close while still having both hands free. It’s a win-win situation!
But one mom’s scary injury, shows that babywearing while cooking may not be worth the convenience.
New mum Molly Landis’ photograph has gone viral since she shared it on her Facebook page on 2 December.
Her caption explains that her stove exploded while she was cooking, sending a fireball up her face, neck and chest, causing serious burns. The most disturbing part is where she shares that the most severe injury was to her chest, in the exact spot where her daughter’s head would normally rest, if she had been in her carrier.
Fortunately, while Landis frequently carried the baby in the wrap while cooking, that night the baby had fallen asleep in her swing, avoiding serious harm.
Cooking may seem like a routine daily activity that mums have been doing for ages. It’s easy to think that accidents can never happen. While we all know to not allow toddlers near easy reach of a knife or hot pan, babies (even in carriers) can still be in danger, with loose scraps of fabric catching fire, hot grease splattering or an unforeseen accident, like Landis’ case.
Landis cautions other mums to be careful of the activities they perform while carrying their babies, since freak accidents do happen and we can never really predict them. It would be folly to think that it could never happen to us.
