suggestions for when you just simply cannot have the baby attached to your body?

[anarchamom]

I wear my boy pretty often, and I like it. However, I need an alternative sometime for a few different reasons.
1. he is a chunk (nearly 20lbs at 5 mo.) and my body needs a break (am i the only one who gets tired from wearing a baby for hours?)
2. i need to cook (safely)

Occasionally I will put him on a blanket with some toys, but he won't have this for very long. Everyone is telling me to get the bouncer or the "activity center", or the excer-saucer, including people I don't even know that well (server at my favorite sushi place), but I just don't want to. Every one says that babies just love these things, but... I think he probably loves being held and playing with me more.

i have started to use the stroller when we take walks in the evening, b/c I'm so darn tired. he doesn't sit up by himself yet, but I've thought that when he is ready i can put him in a high chair in the kitchen so we can still chat and he can see what I'm doing.

any suggestions?

[happysmileylady]

Every baby is different and different babies like different things. That's why they make so many different pieces of baby furniture. The other reason that they make so many is because just like you, sometimes mamma HAS to put the baby down for some time, even if he does like being held more. And, to be cliche', don't knock it till you try it-if you haven't ever put him in a bouncy or exersaucer or whatever, you don't know if he will like it more or less than being held.

I would suggest starting with a bouncy seat. Because it's the smallest and most versitile in terms of where to put it. When you cook, you can put it on the counter at a safe distance, but where he's still at eye level and you can talk to him and look at him and such. That way, the two of you still have the interaction that you both crave, but your arms get a rest and he's still safely away from the stove.

But like I said, every baby is different and likes different things, so even if he doesn't like the bouncer, that doesn't mean nothing else will work. My older dd practically LIVED in her bouncer, she loved the thing. But my younger one, she hated it. She wanted to be UPRIGHT. She preferred the swing or high chair, because those allowed her to be sitting up straight, whereas the bouncy was kinda half sitting, half laying.

One other thing, if he just will not let you put him down at all, you could try a back carry for cooking, which I think is probably the safest. I did occasionally cook with my youngest in the ring sling, but I did make sure that the tails were back over my shoulder. I just couldn't master a back carry in it. I am going to make a mei tai for this one just for back carries for stuff like that.

[Mom2M]

I was just recently able to put DD in the highchair in the kitchen while I am cooking and we both love it! She is eye level and I give her some measuring cups to play with, it's a lot of fun. She is a little older than your though, 6.5 months so she can sit really well.

I do have a jumperoo thing that she likes for limited periods of time and often that is long enough to do the cooking stuff that I don't feel comfortable wearing her. I think it's fun for her anyway, she laughs in it and jumps around, then I take her out when I'm done.

I don't know about the bouncer seat at that age and size. She has outgrown it and she is about 20 pounds.

[staceychev]

Originally Posted by happysmileylady

I would suggest starting with a bouncy seat. Because it's the smallest and most versitile in terms of where to put it. When you cook, you can put it on the counter at a safe distance, but where he's still at eye level and you can talk to him and look at him and such. That way, the two of you still have the interaction that you both crave, but your arms get a rest and he's still safely away from the stove.

This is what we do. This way, I can narrate to her about what I'm doing and make lots of eye contact. She really likes it. We have an older Fisher Price one that's kind of like the Baby Papasan, and it's nice because it's softer and wider than some other ones (like the Fisher Price Aquarium one we sold at our yard sale). It has an activity bar, but we don't put it on, because I usually only put her in the seat when she's going to be interacting with us (although, to be honest, she does nap in it now and then).

[jillc512]

I also like my bouncy seat. We had a bouncer/toddler seat combo with DS1 that was super ugly but had a high weight limit.

I have heard people love the Bumbo seats for this age, since it allows them to sit up (and it's relatively small). This is new since DD was born, so I don't have any direct experience with it. There may be negatives I don't know about...

And, I have to say, I didn't mind borrowing my IL's exersaucer with DS1 for this age. It was huge and ugly, but it worked great for those few months to cook or take a shower. I would never buy one, but if you can borrow one (and then promptly give it back!), I'd consider it.

[Asiago]

I wear my baby also and agree there are times when it is not safe or you just have put him down. When my son was five months I put him in a laundry basket while I was cooking. He could sit but needed assistance, so the basket was ideal. The nurse at my ped's office recommended it and it worked well for a short while (until he figured out how to stand in it ).

Although I think I would prefer a play yard over it (supervised). A play yard allows baby to roll, sit, practice movements and not be forced into any one position.

Even with the basket I didn't keep him in it too long in case he needed to lie down.

[rhiOrion]

Ehh, I use my bouncy seat and swing all the time. I carry her a lot, but she is NOT happy being still in the carrier. Girlfriend wants movement. So the swing sometimes works when I just can't bounce or swing or sway or hop or walk or whatever any more. Or, like right now when I'm trying to eat.

[Nicole730]

We got an 'exersaucer' of sorts at a rummage for $5. It is very old, so no bells and whistles, just a tray and then I can put toys/food/etc.. on there and change it up. Might be something to consider if you don't like all the toys and noise that come with those things.

[anarchamom]

I guess I might need to give in and get a contraption to entertain the boy when I can't hold him. We did have a bouncy chair that he would put up with for about 15 minutes. It was fantastic for when I needed to take a shower because I would put it in the bathroom. I never went without a shower from the time he was born. He has grown out of it already though. I was still putting him in it even though it looked like it was about to bust through the bottom. I had to quickly pass it on to an expecting friend so I wouldn't have the temptation. (It might have had a higher weight limit but he was trying to roll out sometimes anyhow.

I just recently started the back carry and it's working out pretty well. I certainly can get a lot more done. He isn't happy in that carry for as long as a front carry, but I might not have it adjusted perfectly yet.

thanks for all of the suggestions and advice not to be too picky about the baby equipment.

[LaughingHyena]

I used to bring the stroller into the kitchen with me, it's a maclaren quest so not too big. We did have a toy arch which I sometimes put on although I think by 5 months DD would hold something for a while and was usually OK just watching me.

By 6 or 7 months she preferred being in the high chair but the stroller got us though the couple of months when the bouncy chair was getting to small.

At 5 months I would not buy a bouncy chair as IME it will be outgrown pretty quickly. Though if you can borrow one or find a cheep used one it may be worth it.

We also used the laundry basket when they were just sitting up. It was great for a little supprt and stopping the toys rolling too far.

[Quirky]

I would definitely NOT put a bouncy seat on the counter....at 5 months, baby is more than capable of flipping himself off the counter onto the floor. :bigeek Not to be alarmist, but a study presented at the AAP conference in October of 2009 found a HUGE number of children were injured -- and three died -- flipping themselves off high surfaces in their infant carseats in a 5 year period. And bouncy seats are much lighter-weight than carseats. It's just not safe at any age to prop baby in a gadget of any kind on a counter.

An Exersaucer takes up a lot of real estate but if you have the space, that would be my suggestion for a 5 month old for when you really need to get stuff done or need a physical break. A 5 month old isn't going to be able to entertain himself that well in a high chair and you'll spend 3/4 of your time picking toys up off the floor. As someone said you can get great deals on exersaucers on Craig's List and at yard sales so you can get one for cheap and get rid of it if/when you don't need it any more.

In terms of babywearing, though, 5 months is not at all too young to learn to get him on your back. It will be a lot more comfortable for you, not to mention safer in the kitchen (just make sure to know where his feet are at all times). You could use a mei tai, a woven or hybrid (not a stretchy) wrap, or a buckle carrier. I've cooked many times with baby on my back -- as long as you are super-careful near the stove or near anything sharp when baby gets big enough to grab, it's doable.

[Lit Chick]

Thank you Quirky! I was just about to warn mamas about bouncy chairs, bumbos, etc on tables/counters. It's not safe at all!

My son ADORED his exersaucer. It was wonderful for the times I needed a break. He also really loved the bouncy chair at my mom's house. She works from home, and placed it on the floor by her desk - she would chatter and coo and give him things to grab when she really needed to be on the computer.

I think most kids do fine with some sort of thing like that, even when they are used to lots of cuddle time. It's a good change of pace.