best carrier for sleeping w/ newborn on chest

[alivia]

My newest dd is 6 days old & she prefers to sleep right on my chest right now. Fine during the day, but last night was rough, she wouldn't sleep at all when I laid her down next to me, and I got maybe 4 hours total sleep.

This is the first baby I've nursed, so I don't have that whole lying down latch thing to use yet. I've tried, but it's just going to take more time & experience for us to be able to do it. So I'm thinking when we have another night like last night, I'd like to have a carrier I can put her in so she can be comfy against my chest & I'll just sleep sitting up. It beats no sleep at all.

I have a NoJo sling, a WAHM-made sling, a Sutemi & an ABC, but none of those really fit the bill. The NoJo is too loose when baby is inside & the mama made sling swallows her. I have a large community of local baby-wearers & could probably acquire any type of carrier that might work to borrow.

Any suggestions?

[ommom]

i got our newborn into the moby wrap skin-to-skin on my belly/chest w/her belly to mine and she curled up and fell dead asleep & loved it. very womb like.

i didn't use the usual moby wrap tying instructions (which have been too difficult for me to master as yet).

instead, i used this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-gTJl6JZRg and it worked great for sitting at the computer or on the couch watching TV. i'm sure u could sleep reclining in this.

[mama.rye]

moby, or similar...

nak

[jenmichelle99]

I have a Sleepy Wrap and it is a little less expensive than a Moby, and I have heard it is a little less stretchy (more supportive, especially as the baby gets heavier) but it is still stretchy and very comfortable. I have never compared them directly, though.

[MamaKickyPants]

Those are all good suggestions. I know you`ll use your good judgement, but I just wanted to ask you you be very careful. Make sure you are not in any kind of situation where you could slump over to one side, or whatever. Babywearing while sleeping is generally not a great idea, but I kno whow hard it can be when your LO one won`t sleep anywhere else!

Good luck

[CHoney]

I used a Moby as well, and my baby loved to sleep in it against my chest.

For me, nursing laying on my side started to work when my DS was 2 1/2 months old, and his head seemed big enough to get a good latch. Before that I nursed in bed sitting up, and sometimes fell asleep with him in my arms. I was afraid he'd fall off, so I took off our boxspring and just have the mattress on the floor.

[Sheryl1678]

I second the Sleepy Wrap or a Precious Image Creations (but they are only good to 15lbs). My Sleepy Wrap is like a sleeping pill for my dd.

[lotusblossom9]

I'm a big Moby fan. I acutally forgot mine at my parent's house a few weeks ago. I've been going through Moby withdrawal!

[odenata]

A stretch wrap, like the Moby or similiar. It's not hard to make your own. I have a WAHM made one I like.

[alivia]

Thank you all. After I posted, I started thinking a wrap would be the only carrier I'd feel safe with, and it looks like I was about right. That video was great. I started an old wrap long ago that I could easily use with the directions in the video.

Re: safety, my plan would be to sleep in the rocker recliner, not on the bed. I guess I feel *more* unsafe falling asleep sitting up without something holding her to me. I sleep lightly with her anyway, but last night was brutal, gave new definition to "lightly". I'll try swaddling her next to me. Who knows, I might give in to a swing if I can't sleep well enough with her on me. It just got dark here, so now I'm getting all anxious about tonight. Geez! How did I forget so much in only 5 years? The sleep deprivation breaks me down faster than anything else.

[baturay]

Yep, definitely a stretchy wrap like a Moby.

[Lemon Juice]

Originally Posted by baturay

Yep, definitely a stretchy wrap like a Moby.

Ita

[Autumn Breeze]

yeah, I wished I'd had a moby when my daughter was that little. She was my 2nd nursling so sidelying came more quickly. She was about 3 weeks old when we moved off the recliner sofa and into the bed. But I loved the recliner sofa she would sleep for 3 hours in a stretch if she was on my chest. If she was on the floor (we made a palate) next to me, it was like she could smell the milk and me but wasn't close enough to sleep and was fitful.

And more than a few times I'd sit down with her in the hotsling in the evening after dinner. She was already asleep and I'd fall asleep in the rocking chair with her in the hotsling. But I didn't like that.