by Betsy Shaw posted in Mom Stories

I've seen lots of advice telling new moms how to politely decline requests from people who want to hold their baby. I have a different problem. More times than I can count, I've been caught in the awkward position of being asked if I wanted to hold someone's tiny, limp infant and not knowing how to say, "um. No thanks."
I'm just not the baby holding type.

I'm not talking about my own babies. My babies, now too big to carry, got major arm time from me when they were small.
I'm talking about other people's babies. I especially don't like to hold them when they are super new, super tiny-- so light they practically levitate --and especially not if their head still lolls around on their neck. Eww. So what's the matter with me"
Am I some kind of maternal-instinct-devoid ice queen who can't warm up even the face of an adorable, sweet baby"
No. I'm skittish, or maybe it's squeamish. That's all.
Much like if someone were to hand me a Stradivarius violin to hold for a second while they tied their shoe, I'm not eager to accept the responsibility of breaking someone's precious baby. And often, to be more honest, while I'm happy to ogle and coo, the desire to touch other people's babies just isn't there.
While I've grown more confident in my baby holding skills, and more appreciative of the new baby scent since having two deliciously-fragrant babies of my own, I still don't jump at the chance to hold other people's babies. Unles...