‘But we were babes in the midst of you, as when a nurse cherishes her own children.'
‘Babes' is the majority reading of the most ancient manuscripts and is powerfully supported. The alternative ‘gentle' has relatively little support. The idea is of innocence and no pretence. A baby expresses itself totally honestly. Paul then illustrates it with the example of the way a nanny cherishes her children, completely open and honest and thoughtful. A relationship of total trust and faithfulness. Some see Paul as having here the idea of a nurse indulging in ‘baby talk', adapting herself to her listeners.
The Old Testament uses a similar picture of the people of God being comforted by Jerusalem (Isaiah 66:10-13 compare Isaiah 49:15 of God Himself)