Babywearing for naps - future issues?

[mascarenemama]

I wear my 3 month old for almost all of his 3 naps a day (in a beco carrier).  I'm wondering what issues I am setting myself up for in the future and possible solutions, now or in the future.  I find it so easy to use the beco as a nap place so I can go outside and play with my older kid (2 1/2 yrs old), or just generally to cruise around the house and get stuff done while he's falling asleep and napping.  He'll sleep for 2-3 hours in the beco, but wakes up in 5 minutes if I lay him down and I have trouble getting him to sleep without it.  Should I be trying harder to have him nap in a bed now, or just continue with the beco napping and deal with it later?  Advice?  Tips?  Thanks.

[mommytoellianna]

I think that it is wonderful that your baby is napping in the carrier allowing him to be more rested and feel safe next to mommy and allowing you to go about your day and continue to be involved with your older child. I honestly don't think that you're setting yourself up for problems down the road. My daughter is 15 months old and I usually either lay down with her to nurse her to sleep (we co-sleep) or if there is something I want to get done or we're out and about, I usually put her in the carrier to nap (she sleeps really well on my back while I do the dishes) :). My advice is to follow your mama instincts and if you feel comfortable with it, don't worry about it. Hope this helps! Enjoy snuggling with your little one as I'm sure you know how quickly they grow up!

[ears73]

DS3 nurses to sleep for naps in a ring sling almost every day.  I sometimes transfer him to my bed (maybe twice to the crib successfully) but often just have him on me as I *blush* indulge my mommy-computer time.  I don't think nursing or wearing to sleep for naps is an issue at all.  Whatever works, mama! 

[Lauren710]

I don't think it's an issue at all, especially at such a young age :) Heck, my 2 year old still naps in a wrap occasionally!

[aphel]

Never fear! I had a lot of the same fears when DD was very wee. She slept exclusively in a moby for all naps for her first 2-3 months. But around 4 months I started being able to nurse her down in our bed and then sneak away, and now at almost 6 months she takes many of her naps on her own.

She does still need to be swaddled in order to sleep well, which could possibly be because she was so used to sleeping in a somewhat constricted environment. Or it could just be that she is apt to bonk herself in the face when she's sleeping, she still has that whole helicopter arms thing going on . . . .,

[isabchi]

Good for you and you LO!. My two kids sleep most of their naps in a sling or on mama's or daddy's arms almost all their first year. they rest well, we transioned through naping on bed with no stress at all. My youngest now 2 1/2 just naps fine. maybe, it's just my feeling but babies who are carried most of the time,including naps are more like to have a better bones structure positions, strong back muscles,etc.

[finn'smama]

It's great! In fact, it's a benefit to have a baby who will nap on you no matter where you are or what you're doing, especially if you have another LO to occupy. And fwiw, I wear my ds for naps a lot, (and pretty much constantly for the first 4 months) and he has no problem sleeping in a bed and never has.  Honestly, after 3 kids with 3 different sleep habits (and I've always worn/nursed them to sleep), I don't think what I do has anything to do with it LOL.

[time4latte]

My LO is now nearly 18 months old and when he was tiny I wore him constantly and most of the time if I wait for him to enter deep enough sleep I can put him down on a couch or big chair and he'll sleep for an hour or two. Gives me great time to myself, time to catch up on cleaning or time with DH.... We have also done a lot of driving so he falls asleep in the car pretty well and stays asleep there.

[sapphire_chan]

It'll be fine. If you need reassurance, try nursing to sleep in your bed instead of the sling and slipping away after a bit. Then go back to enjoying the productivity of sling naps.

By 24 months, I could consistently lay dd down and have her not wake up even if her eyes opened!

(I could lay her down fully asleep with no problems well before that.)