What can YOU do wearing a newborn?

[Ellien C]

So I've mastered the pouch sling with my newborn (7 weeks). Physically I feel great, thanks I think to a really quick labor. I never mastered a sling with my first child and I was pretty incapacitated for the first 6 weeks. I'm short - 5'2" but not particularly short-limbed. But I still can't do ANYTHING with him in the sling except take a walk. I can't lean over anything - so laundry is out. Getting up and down is difficult so picking up around the house is out, gardening is out. Can't stretch over my head, really. Can't quite lean over to be on the computer. What exactly can YOU do with a new born in some kind of carrier? What am I missing?

[Right of Passage]

Hi my March mama! DS3 is 7 weeks old as well.

Mastering the back carry has been my saving grace! Below is a list I've done withboth the back and front carry using a mei tai or woven wrap.

• I can do dishes, by hand or loading the dishwasher
• I squat or use my toes to pick things up.
• Vaccuming/sweeping/mopping.
• Load and unload the washer/dryer.
• Play with my bigger boys.
• hang things on hangers and put that in the closet.
• scrub a toilet while squating.
• prepare dinner/lunch/breakfast/snacks
• fold clothes blindly
• I can grocery shop
• I can even help coach 3&4 year olds in soccer!

I've been working on this for 4 weeks, so it's taken 4 weeks to get here. I spent 2 weeks pretty much planted in bed, per midwife suggestion, then did very little that third week. I'm not super woman. I have short arms. At the end of pregnancy I could not reach the faucet on the sink my belly was in the way. I was lucky that I could wipe my bum after using the bathroom.

ETA: I do a lot of this one handed, I often have a hand on him in the front carry.

[sosurreal09]

i had the same problems! im only 5'3 the wrap works waaaaaaayyyy better for me and DD ad she likes it alot more too. shes not the biggest sling fan with the wrap they are right up against you and you dont have to worry about them moving or anything no matter what you do

[Nicole730]

My DD is 8 weeks and I've been using a stretchy wrap (Moby) and a buckle mei tei. Only front carry so far, I'm afraid of the back carry, but I hope to get the hang of it soon. I'm 5'5", just for reference. It is hard for me to reach things up high when wearing her, I can't stretch quite as far.

I have used the washer and dryer, dishes (a little hard to reach around DD), swept, vacuumed, played on the jungle gym with DS, played in the sand box, hung laundry on the line, picked up the toys, cook dinner, eat dinner, pick weeks and other gardening hmmm...I am sure there are more.

I would not feel comfortable doing any of those things in a pouch sling, maybe a ring sling. I really like the moby-type wrap I have, I can pull it nice and snug and she is all covered up.

ETA: Must add - go rummaging! We had a fun trip on Saturday and I was able to carry all my loot to the car without needing a hand on DD at all. Which is a good thing because I needed both hands to carry everything.

[marinak1977]

With the ring sling I have - vacuumed (although the last time I did something to my back while wrestling with the vacuum), unloaded the dishwasher, did the laundry and folded it, played fetch with the dogs. Put things away - I didn't bend down - did lots of squatting instead. Now I also use a mei tai and an ergo - I have swept floors, fed dogs, picked up things around the house.
The things I can't do yet (but I haven't back carried yet) - washing dishes (I'm 5'3" and have a hard time reaching across the sink, cooking (would worry about all the hot/sharp things anyways)...
Ergo is my absolute favorite for hiking.
That's about it. DS is now 4 months but I had him in a RS since 2 weeks or so. I love it for quick on/off trips, although I'm thinking about adding a slingling to my diaper bag.

[staceychev]

I think it's your carrier, not you! I wouldn't be comfortable doing much of anything with a pouch sling either.

Now, with my Babyhawk MT, it's a different story!

[InMediasRes]

I second a different carrier. With a stretchy/woven wrap or even a ring sling which you can pull much tighter to yourself, you should be able to do almost anything. I ended up never using my pouch slings with my second just because there seemed to be too much room for error unless I was just out walking.

[CanBoo]

I can't do much other then walking with a pouch or ring sling sling either.
Had babe in it to play piano and walk around. I like them for ease of popping in and out but that's it.

But I found a stretchy wrap much more secure when my girls were wee ones.

With a stretchy wrap (front carry), I did the house cleaning, climbed in the indoor gym following dd1.
Used to put dd1 in there while sewing.

Shortly after dd2 was born, I learned how to do a secure high back carry in a woven wrap. Was well worth the learning curve. That's the only way dinner got made for a few months. With her on my back I could pretty much do anything, as long as it was around the house, because I had trouble removing her from there on my own, I had to lay on the bed to extract her...

So I'd also say like other mamas, don't give up on babywearing and try other carriers, or possibly even just a change in position.

[Juvysen]

LOL... I was just coming on here to ask what the easiest carrier for a newborn back carry is! I can agree with everyone else that a pouch sling isn't ideal for getting a lot done - I like mine b/c it folds up small and is "pop"able - I keep it in my diaper bag for easy carrying when out and about.

I've been using my stretchy wrap if I'm carrying him for a longer time, though. He's over 13 lbs, now, and until I can do a hip carry with him, it's no longer ideal to have him in the sling on my front, imo. That said, i don't really feel good about the stretchy wrap and, say, doing laundry... I'm considering maybe a mei tai? i don't know. i wanna get him on my back and I'm nervous that I'll hate a woven wrap and thus not use it much... which feels like a big waste of money to me.

[CanBoo]

Originally Posted by Juvysen

I've been using my stretchy wrap if I'm carrying him for a longer time, though. He's over 13 lbs, now, and until I can do a hip carry with him, it's no longer ideal to have him in the sling on my front, imo. That said, i don't really feel good about the stretchy wrap and, say, doing laundry... I'm considering maybe a mei tai? i don't know. i wanna get him on my back and I'm nervous that I'll hate a woven wrap and thus not use it much... which feels like a big waste of money to me.

Personally, I have not felt comfortable with a back carry in a mei-tai/podeagi/ergo until 4-5 months, even with my second baby.

The woven wrap in a high back was way more secure. Is it worth it? For me it was because it saved me for the first few months. I'd say have a look at your day and see realistically how long he'd be in there.

I do use my woven wrap less now, but have not ditched it. It feels so snuggly I'd say that I use it in average 2 hours a week now. But last summer, it was more like 2 hours a day

[Nicole730]

I so want to get my baby on my back but I'm afraid! Is a woven wrap just a not stretchy piece of materiel? I made my own stretchy wrap and I'm ready to make a non-stretchy one. I'm just not sure how to put her on my back. Did you use an online tutorial to see how to get her up there?

[Juvysen]

Originally Posted by Nicole730

I so want to get my baby on my back but I'm afraid! Is a woven wrap just a not stretchy piece of materiel? I made my own stretchy wrap and I'm ready to make a non-stretchy one. I'm just not sure how to put her on my back. Did you use an online tutorial to see how to get her up there?

this site gives suggestions on choosing material for non-stretchy woven wraps: http://wearyourbaby.com/Default.aspx?tabid=121

Maybe I'll just do that, myself, to try it out. It's cheaper than buying a pre-made one...

[Ellien C]

Thanks. I used a back carry and wrap very successfully with my first child, but only when she was a good bit older. I may try some different wraps techniques.

[MammaG]

I use a wrap with the little ones until about 3 months, then a ring sling (I did do the back carry with my mai tai at about 3 months on). I usually use the ring sling.
I can vaccuum, unload and reload the DW, wash the hand-wash dishes (but this makes my lower back ache). I do laundry, go for walks holding a hand of each of my big boys, dug a veggie garden (OK that was using the mai tai), put away groceries, cook dinner, EAT dinner (!), bathe big kids, pick up endless toys. Nurse the baby...with #3 you HAVE to nurse on the go! I do homeschool and art projects with the bigger boys wearing baby, too.

And when DS3 was about 8 weeks I bowled a better game wearing him in the ring sling than I did when he was still sleeping in his car seat!

I agree with pps...you need to try a new sling and try out various ways of using it.

[lunita1]

Originally Posted by Ellien C

So I've mastered the pouch sling with my newborn (7 weeks). Physically I feel great, thanks I think to a really quick labor. I never mastered a sling with my first child and I was pretty incapacitated for the first 6 weeks. I'm short - 5'2" but not particularly short-limbed. But I still can't do ANYTHING with him in the sling except take a walk. I can't lean over anything - so laundry is out. Getting up and down is difficult so picking up around the house is out, gardening is out. Can't stretch over my head, really. Can't quite lean over to be on the computer. What exactly can YOU do with a new born in some kind of carrier? What am I missing?

I just walk or do grocery shopping in my ring sling (I have a seven week old too). With my Mei Tai, I worked in my 4 yo's preschool class today -- wiping down preschooler-height tables, putting smocks on kids, serving snacks, preparing art supplies, vaccuuming, etc. The key (even with my babyhawk) is bending at the knees.)