We've had troubles with baby wearing from the beginning. At first I just waited until he was 4 months, hoping that he would like it better by then. He did, but he insisted on facing out, he likes to see. That worked okay until he got too heavy. My shoulder started to hurt after only about 15 minutes in a sling. So I tried a wrap. Forward facing in front. The whole crotch support thing bugged me. It feels like he is just pasted on my front like an insect, his limbs flailing. He has liked it okay though. I've been trying back carries lately. (He's almost 11 months now.) The first two attempts at a rucksack carry (with a helper) brought on screams way too soon and I gave up shortly thereafter. Then I finally tried this crazy wrap on you tube called "my favorite back carry with a wrap". Its great! It uses three diagonals.
Then I thought: Why haven't I tried a back cross-carry (or whatever its called)? It worked fine over the weekend. I wore a huge coat and put the collar down around hiss neck (I didn't get him on as high as I would have liked) and then it went around my shoulders and I rigged the velcro to keep it closed in the front. I figured neurotic moms would probably think I was abusing my baby taking him out like that in 30 degree weather. But he loves being out there. And my body heat keeps him pretty warm, most of him is under my coat and I keep tabs on the feel of his limbs and he was fine.
So yesterday I thought I'd brave it w/o DH. He helped me get DS on and off we went. Everything was fine. DS even made some happy noises from his perch. Then we got to almost the furthest point in our loop and I heard the beginning of the end. A funny noise and a back-arch. Moments before we had been bouncing about. When I stopped bouncing DS would try to bounce a little himself to get me going again. He was happy for a few more steps but then let out some more "ech"s and I had to let him out. Dr. Sears says just bounce them a bit and they'll settle down. I have NO patience for his unhappiness.
So I got him out. His face was pretty pink. He probably could have used a scarf, but otherwise he seemed okay. I tried to warm up his cheeks with my fingers but he seemed like he wanted to go home. So I finagled the wrap back on me so it wouldn't trip me, picked him up and held him in front of me with both arms, wrapped the coat around the both of us and headed home. He fussed and screamed and wanted to face forward. I put him on my hip so he could see better, but he just got madder and madder. I tried to kiss his cheek and hold it against mine to feel warmer and he didn't care. Arching, fussing, mad.
It took about 15 minutes to get home and he just got madder and madder and screamed more and more and even started up with those sobs that are so desperate they barely make a sound. It was terrible. I stopped a few times to try to get him comfortable. Considered wrapping the wrap around him to keep him warm but the time to take to get the wrap off of me just made him madder. I put my hat on top of his but it fell in his eyes and pissed him off. Most of the ground had snow on it and he only crawls so I couldn't really put him down. Plus he was cold, so he didn't want to be down. He nursed a little. Eventually I just took my coat off and put it on him and motored as fast as I could which was way too slow. I left our hats and my wrap in the woods. I held him as snug as I could and he arched and screamed and hated every minute of if but when I put him down he was still pissed. It was torture. It was the worst, gut wrenching cry-it-out crying, right there in my arms. I just ignored the burning in my fatigued arm muscles and kept trudging along. I'm glad I was wearing my boots and not my sneakers. I had good traction in the snow.
The dog stayed with us the whole time. If only she were smart like Lassy and could go get help. I worried the neighbors would hear him screaming and come to rescue us only to find out it was all my fault he was miserable. When we finally got home he still didn't stop. I stripped down from the waste up for some skin-to-skin (learned that in First Aid class for hypothermia). But he wouldn't have any of it. DH tried to help but couldn't. We headed for the down comforter and bed but DS wouldn't lay still for that either. (Should I have pinned him down?)
An eternity (a couple of minutes) passed and he finally agreed to nurse and settled down. I held his cold feet against me and they slowly slowly lost their chill. Its not like he was frost bit. I'm guessing his face got to that sort of painful feeling before the skin kinda goes numb and it isn't annoying anymore? He didn't know he could hold his warm hands to it to make it feel better and I couldn't reach. So he got mad and then he just got colder and colder because I couldn't hold him close because he was flailing so much. Poor guy. After he was asleep I realized my arms felt like jello.
He seems to have forgiven me though. He was just as chipper and adorable as ever at 4:30 this morning. Today my arms are quite sore. Now I feel like I can't go out unless its at least 40 and calm and I better use the stroller :-(. Sometimes I think I should try a Mai Tai. I hate the stroller, but I hate torturing DS too.
Do others go for walks in the winter? Tell me I'm not a bad mama?
You know, Sacagawea had an infant on her trip west with Louis & Clark? I think they spent 2 winters in the wild before they got to the coast. I wonder how she did it.
Then I thought: Why haven't I tried a back cross-carry (or whatever its called)? It worked fine over the weekend. I wore a huge coat and put the collar down around hiss neck (I didn't get him on as high as I would have liked) and then it went around my shoulders and I rigged the velcro to keep it closed in the front. I figured neurotic moms would probably think I was abusing my baby taking him out like that in 30 degree weather. But he loves being out there. And my body heat keeps him pretty warm, most of him is under my coat and I keep tabs on the feel of his limbs and he was fine.
So yesterday I thought I'd brave it w/o DH. He helped me get DS on and off we went. Everything was fine. DS even made some happy noises from his perch. Then we got to almost the furthest point in our loop and I heard the beginning of the end. A funny noise and a back-arch. Moments before we had been bouncing about. When I stopped bouncing DS would try to bounce a little himself to get me going again. He was happy for a few more steps but then let out some more "ech"s and I had to let him out. Dr. Sears says just bounce them a bit and they'll settle down. I have NO patience for his unhappiness.
So I got him out. His face was pretty pink. He probably could have used a scarf, but otherwise he seemed okay. I tried to warm up his cheeks with my fingers but he seemed like he wanted to go home. So I finagled the wrap back on me so it wouldn't trip me, picked him up and held him in front of me with both arms, wrapped the coat around the both of us and headed home. He fussed and screamed and wanted to face forward. I put him on my hip so he could see better, but he just got madder and madder. I tried to kiss his cheek and hold it against mine to feel warmer and he didn't care. Arching, fussing, mad.
It took about 15 minutes to get home and he just got madder and madder and screamed more and more and even started up with those sobs that are so desperate they barely make a sound. It was terrible. I stopped a few times to try to get him comfortable. Considered wrapping the wrap around him to keep him warm but the time to take to get the wrap off of me just made him madder. I put my hat on top of his but it fell in his eyes and pissed him off. Most of the ground had snow on it and he only crawls so I couldn't really put him down. Plus he was cold, so he didn't want to be down. He nursed a little. Eventually I just took my coat off and put it on him and motored as fast as I could which was way too slow. I left our hats and my wrap in the woods. I held him as snug as I could and he arched and screamed and hated every minute of if but when I put him down he was still pissed. It was torture. It was the worst, gut wrenching cry-it-out crying, right there in my arms. I just ignored the burning in my fatigued arm muscles and kept trudging along. I'm glad I was wearing my boots and not my sneakers. I had good traction in the snow.
The dog stayed with us the whole time. If only she were smart like Lassy and could go get help. I worried the neighbors would hear him screaming and come to rescue us only to find out it was all my fault he was miserable. When we finally got home he still didn't stop. I stripped down from the waste up for some skin-to-skin (learned that in First Aid class for hypothermia). But he wouldn't have any of it. DH tried to help but couldn't. We headed for the down comforter and bed but DS wouldn't lay still for that either. (Should I have pinned him down?)
An eternity (a couple of minutes) passed and he finally agreed to nurse and settled down. I held his cold feet against me and they slowly slowly lost their chill. Its not like he was frost bit. I'm guessing his face got to that sort of painful feeling before the skin kinda goes numb and it isn't annoying anymore? He didn't know he could hold his warm hands to it to make it feel better and I couldn't reach. So he got mad and then he just got colder and colder because I couldn't hold him close because he was flailing so much. Poor guy. After he was asleep I realized my arms felt like jello.
He seems to have forgiven me though. He was just as chipper and adorable as ever at 4:30 this morning. Today my arms are quite sore. Now I feel like I can't go out unless its at least 40 and calm and I better use the stroller :-(. Sometimes I think I should try a Mai Tai. I hate the stroller, but I hate torturing DS too.
Do others go for walks in the winter? Tell me I'm not a bad mama?
You know, Sacagawea had an infant on her trip west with Louis & Clark? I think they spent 2 winters in the wild before they got to the coast. I wonder how she did it.
Even bw babies get those sometimes.
