honestly- how many hours do you babywear?

[BornFreeBaby]

Just curious. Many times I feel guilty for leaving my newborn asleep in the swing. I should be wearing her more during the day, but if I'm not walking, then she struggles around in it. How many hours should you babywear for?

Sometimes its hard to babywear Annie and play with my 2 y.o. But after reading the Mothering issue this month called "Car seats are for Cars", I feel compelled to stop letting her sleep for hours in the swing. :blush

[milkmommy]

Mine hated her sling untill she was about 5 months old but loved her swing :shrug from about a month on.. SHe also did nap and at times sleep much better in her car seat :shrug. Anways as a new born infant I slung anywhere between 1-10+ hours a day as a yong toddler as needed now at 3 pretty much only if shes sick.
Deanna

[emmalouise]

The sling is my best settling tool and the only way ds will travel if we're out (he cried in the stroller), I couldn't work out how to wear him until he was about 4 months I think. From then on it's been 2-4 hours a day on average I think.

[abbiroads]

i'm still just holding my newborn a lot but I do wear him about 2-3 hours a day.

[Naked Camper]

We sling maybe 30% of the day - some days more, some days less. He's just so darn heavy!! I or dh does hold him maybe 80% of the waking day (not night). He was in the sling a TON the first few months - maybe 60-70% of the waking day.

[MomToDM]

She is in the wrap usually at LEAST an hour and sometimes upwards of 5-6. It just depends on what we do that day, I always have her in the wrap when we are out and about, sometimes at home, and usually when ds plays outside.

[BeckaBlue]

we don't much anymore. ds is getting to be anti-sling, he wants to walk like his big sisters!
but when my babes would sleep, i would put them down (as long as they were willing to sleep that way) and i don't see a problem with it. no mater how much easier babywearing is, it is still even easier to be able to just hold yourself and move yourself around without any extra weight, kwim?

[Earlyriser]

I wear ds for 4-6 hours a day. Now that he is heavy and likes to kick he spends maybe an hour -hour and 1/2 on the floor, other than that he is in a carrier or sitting/ laying on our bodies. I don't even have an infant bucket, seat, swing etc. I do have a tired back at night though!
Storkunblu-I really like the I wear my babyboy blinkie- would you tell me where to get one? Thx-

[InglesideMomma]

It really depends with us. Ds is getting pretty big now (wow, it is so weird to say that!!) but when we're out, I wear him. Sometimes for hours on end. Not pulling 5 hours in a ring sling with him again though! OUCH! I had him in my CuddleNCarry for about 3 hours at the mall last week, and sometimes our hikes last a couple of hours, but he likes to get down and play around for a little while though. When he's sick, or having night terrors, he's in the sling, no matter what.

[DogwoodMama]

When Charlotte was a baby, she was in the sling basically all the time b/c she didn't like the bouncy or the swing. :shrug The new baby doesn't mind the swing so far (napped in it an hour this morning!) so I will probably try to put her in the swing some just so I can have some time when she isn't in-arms so Charlotte can still get laptime, etc. without her sister there. But I am sure I will probably sling her at least 3-5 hours a day once we get into our routine, maybe more depending on the day and if we are out & about. :grin

[Naked Camper]

Storkunblu-I really like the I wear my babyboy blinkie- would you tell me where to get one? Thx-


Here's a link to it, not sure if it will blink for you though. I honestly cannot remember where I got it from :scratch
http://www.dropshots.com/day.php?userid=95591&cdate=20060501&ctime=092939

[joyful mama]

:nak

i think it really depends, on you, baby, older sibs, etc, as a newborn i slung 6-8 hrs a day, but the baby liked to sleep in it and my older dd liked to attack her, so it wasn't safe to leave her out of my arms much... i don't see the problem in letting her sleep im the swing for a while? esp if it allows you to cook, spend time w/older sibs, etc. now at almost 8 months- if were out, pretty much she's in the sling... at home she likes to crawl (backwards :giggle), play with toys, etc. so only maybe an hour a day...

[Blue Aurora]

I use my slings primarily as a mode of transportation. Anytime we're out ds is in the sling. At home I don't use them so much right now b/c I have to pump or wash pumping stuff and that doesn't work with him in the sling. My ds also loves sleeping in the swing. I've definetely felt guilty about it at times but it works for us and I can only do the best that I can. If at some point he starts nursing normally and I don't have to pump then he'll probably be in-arms more. Oh I also have a 2 year old so that plays into alot too.

[Katherine]

How much I wear ds depends on a lot of different factors--what we're doing that day, whether is happy/having fun on the ground with his brothers, etc.

I had 2 that hated the swing and one that loved it. The one that loved it would not sleep anywhere for several months except his swing, his carseat, or on my chest while I was propped up. He wouldn't straighten out, and he wouldn't sleep on a horizontal surface. So, although we co-slept, there were many nights that he spent time in the swing or carseat so Mommy could spend time with daddy, take a shower, or just lie *all the way* down for awhile. :shrug

If he's naping in the swing at a time when he would normally be sleeping anyway, then I wouldn't worry too much about about it. :shrug (Would you feel guilty if he was lying on a bed or pallet or crib? :think) At 5 months, mine frequently *goes* to sleep in the sling, but it's not uncommon for me to lay him down somewhere after he drifts off. I use that time to give my back a much-needed break. :giggle The times I carry him in the sling while he's sleeping are when I just don't want to risk waking him ( like b/c he's sick/fussy) or when I'm right in the middle of something or when we're out somewhere. :shrug I did carry him around almost continuously when he was a newborn, partially for the closeness/security but also to keep him safe from his rowdy brothers. :O :mrgreen

I am a HUGE fan of baby-wearing, but I also believe that Attachment Parenting is not about following a list of rules (or wearing your baby a certain number of hours ;) ) If everyone's needs are being responded to in a prompt and connected way, then you're doing good! :tu :hug

[BornFreeBaby]

If he's naping in the swing at a time when he would normally be sleeping anyway, then I wouldn't worry too much about about it. :shrug (Would you feel guilty if he was lying on a bed or pallet or crib? :think)

The mothering article 'Car seats are for cars" got me thinking about this- according to them, long periods of time spent in the car seat causes plagiocephaly- where their little heads get misshapen (flat-headed)This happens when baby spends his day napping in the car seat as he gets carried from the car to the grocery store, into the matching stroller and such- they also mentioned that spending large amounts in the swing can have similar effects. Lying on a bed on their backs can also cause a flat spot, but not as serious as the other positions. And up until I read this, Annie was spending large amounts in the swing- sleeping in it for 4 or 5 hours during the day and 4 to 5 hours at night- almost 10 hours a day! :eek So my slinging for a measly 2-4 doesn't compete with that. So I stopped letting her sleep at night in the swing, and I try to only put her there when I really need to make dinner or help Sarah- other wise I'm training myself to babywear her more or even put her on her tummy or back while I play with Sarah.

[Dana Joy]

Terese- I honestly think that the more "in arms" time you can manage the better, but don't feel guilty about using the swing- you are lucky she likes it!!!
At the toddler stage I babywear only when more mainstream parents would use a stroller, or the shopping cart. So walking around the neighborhood, grocery store trips, big kids school events- my guess would be about an hour a day tops. (But last night at a cheer event for Shae, Jess stayed on my back, awake for 2 and a half hours :jawdrop its amazing the power of bubbles- there was a bubble blowing machine right next to us)
Dana

[mamatia]

for us, it totally depends, too. to be honest, it is hard for me to help gracie with what she needs if i am wearing claire...she is a sweet baby, but she doesn't like to just "hang out" in the sling. lol she needs to be moving, or bouncing or something. if i need to help gracie with crafts, or something, it just isn't realistic and she needs me, too, kwim? now if gracie wants to dance??? claire goes in the sling and we are all happy (for about 10 min anyway... :giggle)

i only wish claire would sit in her swing just *some* of the time!! she hates it!! gracie used to sleep like 4 to 5 hours a day in her swing and i would feel guilty until i read (i think it was on gcm as a matter of fact! :mrgreen) that ap is about responding to your baby's needs - not what you think your baby needs. if your baby is happy there, then i wouldn't worry about it. dr sears said in his book that it is only a problem if you have a combination of a baby who would be content all day in the swing and a mother who would be content to let her stay there...you are NOT that kind of mother, so no worries! ;)

that being said, i almost ALWAYS wear claire if we go somewhere, although lately, she likes to sit in her carseat and have me talk to her sometimes...but i only carry her in her carseat if she is asleep when we get somewhere. i used to put her in the sling asleep and she would stay that way, but not so much anymore...now she wakes up and is MAD i disturbed her...so i don't... :shrug

[tree_hugger]

I wear Joshua when we are out and about - I don't even own a pram for him.

When we are home I wear him if he is fussy or upset for any reason, but if he is happy to lay on his mat (either on his back or tummy) watching me or his brothers than I usually let him be. I take him out with me to hang the clothes on the line, mostly so he is safe from the other two!

I agree that it is hard to do stuff with your older DC while wearing a baby, and he does prefer constant movement, which can be a challenge!

Maybe 4 - 5 hours a day in total. :)

[Katherine]

Kathleen... what you said pretty much describes me, too. (and ours sons are all very close in age/spread)