Babywearing questioned by total stranger at Costco, said he was a “former physician”

[mannyman]

I was in the checkout at Costco, wearing my one year old in an Ergo on my back.( I recently switched to back carrying because I’m about 11 weeks pregnant and was starting to get some back pain with the front carry.) An older white guy in line behind me said “Excuse me… I’m just wondering, how would you know if your baby was in distress when she’s behind you like that? I paused for a moment, then asked, “Well, what do you mean by distress?” He responded, “I don’t know… anything. I mean, it’s none of my business, it’s just that I’m a physician… well, former physician, so I was… curious” (Condescending smile here). I have lots of good answers for this question, but I was honestly quite taken aback, so I just mumbled something about being a (current) mother of 5 and just knowing from experience.

I wish I’d had a better comeback. How would you have handled it?

 

[gnewsbob]

@mannyman My children let me know whenever they are experiencing even the slightest hint of distress by shrieking like pterodactyls. They have never let babywearing stop them

 

[pshreve]

@gnewsbob My baby is also so helpful this way!

 

[lost1998]

@pshreve "helpful" lol

 

[josephjurg]

@gnewsbob Yup. Pulled my hair and screamed in my ear.

 

[gnewsbob]

@josephjurg Like an old-school bell pull chain from a BBC period piece, yep.

 

[clintmurphy72]

@gnewsbob Hahaha these kids are anything but shy, baby

 

[josephjurg]

@gnewsbob Yup. Pulled my hair and screamed in my ear.

 

[gmarie]

@gnewsbob The best response

 

[reebern]

@mannyman I honestly don’t think this guy warranted more than your brief mumbling. My in laws are retired doctors, and they have all sorts of random advice/criticisms that just have no merit.

 

[dantecak]

@reebern Yeah. Had a guy go off on us once because the kids had lollipops and one ran half an aisle to catch up. Because if he fell the lollipop would umm impale him?

Was it the best plan? No. But it’s not like we were on a playground or running laps. Grocery shopping is pretty sedate.

 

[seeing_glory]

@mannyman So many cultures are back wearing their children and have for centuries…kinda bizzare as a doctor he’s never seen it.

 

[katrina2017]

@seeing_glory He's probably a chiropractor or a pharmacist or something

 

[olympica]

@katrina2017 Yeah as a pharmacist, none of us would ever call ourselves a physician. Don't lump us in that group.

 

[ktonline]

@katrina2017 Lol strong “not a real doctor” energy that I am HERE for

 

[eve_marie]

@ktonline To me it’s “old man retired doctor” vibes. Worked 80 hours a week while his wife raised the kids, but he read the medical journals so he knew how to take care of his kids better. Cut back to 50 hours when he turned 60 so he could attend the grandkid’s Christmas program at school but didn’t fully retire until 75. Now he’s a Costco aisle opinionater

 

[elaguy]

@eve_marie OMG are you friends with my dad?? This is him, just move the timeline later lol. He would pull this bs in line at Costco if he were a member.

 

[theohpilus]

@katrina2017 Hey don't group pharmacists with the quacks. They at least had to study and pass in a science-based, regulated medical field. Chiro is legit bullshit.

 

[katrina2017]

@theohpilus That's fair!

 

[dannyd545]

@katrina2017 It’s definitely giving chiro energy