Things You Maybe Didn't Want To Know About Adult Babies
When you think about the phrase "adult baby," what flashes through your head? Facts about adult babies describe a misunderstood community. What does it mean to be an adult baby? What are they into, aside from the obvious? And is there a reason why fetishes like this crop up?
The things you didn't know about adult babies could fit in a ten-gallon diaper. The members of this world live a normal life outside of acting like babies, and the things that attract them to being infantilized are likely totally different than what you might expect. At the end of the day, adult babies are just people - albeit people with a unique perspective on the world.
There Are Lots Of Ways Of Being An Adult Baby
The ABDL (Adult Baby Diaper Lover) community is a wide and varied group of people who enjoy a plethora of activities related to diapers, and being treated as a child. Some of them role play as babies, while other members of the community are simply comforted by clothing and items related to infancy.
The one thing adult babies are not interested in is sexual contact with children or babies - a common misconception of the fetish.
Adult Baby May Not Be The Appropriate Term
Not everyone who roleplays as a baby wants to be called an "adult baby." In some cases, the term carries a negative connotation. Many members of the ABDL scene prefer to be referred to as a "little," the submissive partner of an ABDL relationship.
There's No Known Trigger For The Fetish
What causes someone to become an adult baby? No one knows for sure. Some people believe that imprinting causes infantilism; a mother putting diapers on a child creates associations between humiliation and sexuality. Another theory is that being an adult baby is an identity disorder that's based on the self rather than a partner.
Adult Babies Have Their Own Store
Where do you to find diapers made for adult babies? You can shop online, but if you live near Chicago, IL, you can go to Tykables, the country's only physical store for adult babies and diaper lovers. John-Michael Williams, the store's owner, says that Tykables caters to more than just adult babies:
We also have a lot of people who are incontinent or require, physically, to wear diapers, and who prefer our style and branding. And then the third category includes people on the autistic spectrum. They prefer our products over some of the medical products because we don’t focus on the medical aspect - we actually help them remove some of that stigma that’s associated with these products.
Physical Gratification Is Often Involved
Like any fetish, being an adult baby involves gratification. John-Michael Williams, owner of Tykables, broke down what littles enjoy about the ABDL scene for the Huffington Post:
They are aroused... either through role play or from the product itself - the sound, texture or feeling. Or, for some people, there’s a humiliation aspect. It could be any one of those things, or something else I haven’t mentioned. It’s a really individual thing. It has nothing to do with actual children. The gratification comes from the objects or the role play and the persons themselves 'being' the child.
Some People Feel More Protected As A Baby
Jess, an adult baby living in Lakeland, FL, spoke to the New York Post about her life role playing with her boyfriend as a baby and daddy. According to her, it helps her get over her childhood as a survivor of sexual abuse:
For us, it is more about enjoying the dominant/submissive dynamic in our everyday lives. I enjoy the feeling of David being a protector and a person that I can depend on to look after me and he likes feeling needed.