New baby questions

[zipworth]

Hi everyone, My baby is 3 weeks old today and was born on my birthday ! He is my first and I was totally unprepared for how much i would fall in love with him. Ohhhhh, I love him so much !!! I love him so much, I can never put him down. Dh and I fight over who gets to hold him. We have two baby carriers: an organic hemp sling (tube style with no adjustable rings) and a baby trekker. My boy was born 5 weeks premature and my questions are as follows:

1) How can you tell if a child is in a sling properly ? MY boy seems so squished in the sling and he sinks right down into it I am afraid he can't breathe properly ! How should a newborn be positioned in a sling ?


2) My boy now weighs about 6 1/2 lbs. When will he be big enough for a front carrier ? How can babies breathe when their faces a mushed into your chest ?

TIA for your answers. I am not getting anything done, including feeding myself, because I can never put my child down. I would really like to use a sling so my hands can be free.


-Natalie

[Quillian]

Its great to see someone else from NS on this board I'm sorry I have no answers for the sling but we did and still are using the Baby bjorn. When we used it facing in DS didn't like it much so once he had some head control we put him in facing forward. Just turn your babes head to the side when facing in in the carrier, he may like it fine. I'm sorry no advice for the sling. Enjoy your baby
Meg

[Jish]

I haven't used the tube type sling, but I had great luck with my ring sling when ds2 was a newborn. I would put him in it with his chest on my chest and his head up near my shoulder. It was just like holding him and patting his back, but I had my hands free. I recently watched my BIL's three week old dd while they went out for lunch and I put her in my Maya Wrap (homemade) that way and she loved it. She was all snuggled up against me so she could hear my heartbeat. I did all their laundry, with her in it. Very handy. I made my Maya from the directions on the Maya Wrap website for about $8.00.

[cinnamonamon]

I'm not sure about a "tube" type sling, but I put a blanket under my ds in the sling when he was very young and I was afraid of him sufficating. I also positioned him closer to one side of the sling -- so he wasn't sunk way down in the middle. This was all done in the cradle hold as I didn't think to try anything else.

As for being squished -- think of how he was inside you! They like to be snuggled in all close. And I second the side-turned head for the bjorn -- I took my boy out in it for about 4 hours when he was 5 weeks old, and he was happy cozied all up & snoozed most of the day. He was probably around 7lbs then.

HTH & congrats!

[TranscendentalMom]

I used the *froggy* position (upright facing in) in the sling which is similar to the hold w/ Baby Bjorn. He would turn his head to the side against my chest, so he could breathe just fine. Congrats on your new baby! Enjoy, they grow fast!!!!

[grian]

New Native makes a special pillow for small babies to use in thier pouches you might want to check it out here I haven't used one of these pillows, but wished I had. Congratulations on the new babe!

[lexbeach]

Hi! Congrats on your new babe!

As others have posted, most babies love to be all squished up, and if yours doesn't he'll certainly let you know about it. I know it's hard not to worry about suffocation. . . When my two were tiny I was constantly lifting the fabric of the sling to check and make sure they were still breathing. I used a New Native, which is like what you desrcibed (no padding or rings). I would put the babes in in the cradle position, and sometimes I'd wear them both at once (they're twins) and have kind of like saddle-bags on my sides. Jasper didn't like the sling that much when he was teeny tiny, but once he got to be about 8 lbs, he loved it.

I have a baby bjorn, and it says not to use it until the baby is 8.5 lbs, and 21.5 inches. I don't know if the baby trekker has similar limitations. We also were given a "twin snugli" that didn't have any weight or length guidelines. Your baby will turn his head if he doesn't want it planted into your chest. But babies can breathe with their faces pressed into things. . . think about how the breathe while bfing! The human nose was designed so that even if it is pressed flat against the ground, you can still breathe. Try pressing your hand flat against your nose, and you'll see that you can still breathe.

What a lucky baby you have!

Lex

[DaryLLL]

Yes, and babies nostrils are even more flared than an adults, just for this reason.

I 3rd the rec to wear the baby high up on your chest, between your breasts. Cinch the sling up ]really tight. Most parents try to just wear them in the cradle hold and it can feel too loose for the baby (unless you are actually nursing in it) and I found it could press against an arm too hard, which can seem uncomfortable. So, I would use the sling with the rings for now. when he is older, he will be more adaptable.

Been to LLL yet? You should go. When you do, bring your sling. The moms there can give you a hands on demo!

[wombat]

I think it was about a month before I got around to trying the sling. Had limited success with the newborn lying down position. Sometimes she'd do it, mostly she didn't like it. She preferred the front facing position with the head supported on the Mayawrap. At about 10 weeks she'd sit in the kangaroo, front facing position. She really liked that but now at 16 weeks she's getting irritable being squished up.

[sylviamama]

I wouldn't put a brand new baby in a front carrier - wait until he's bigger, can hold his head up etc. My dd didn't like the front carrier until she was a few months old. Some folks even recommend that you wait until crawling and the lumbar curve in the spine is developed.

We used the New Native sling, and we put dd in it from day one (well day two after we came home from hospital). She was all curled up at the bottom, but comfy and happy as can be. In fact, she wasn't happy if she wasn't in it - awake or asleep! Before they have muscle tone and strength, they can't get all stiff and sore from being squished or curled up. Your baby will let you know if he's not comfy.

Your baby is so lucky to have such an enamored mama!

[blessed2bamommie]

natalie....what organic hemp sling....

[zipworth]

Hi everyone, you are all so helpful and supportive.....I'm sorry, I don't know the name of the sling because I lost the packaging when I moved. It doesn't have a lable with an identifying name on it either, but it is very similar to the New native carrier, and unadjustable. I was mostly wondering about the position of the baby's windpipe if his head is too far forward, not so much his nose. I have heard that young babies shouldn't be in car seats for too long because the position of their head (being pushed forward) makes it difficult for them to breathe properly. When I look at Liam in the sling it seems like his head is pushed way too far forward. I propbably don't have him in it properly: ?

[lexbeach]

Originally posted by zipworth
I have heard that young babies shouldn't be in car seats for too long because the position of their head (being pushed forward) makes it difficult for them to breathe properly.

If your baby *couldn't* breathe, you'd know. I have heard of premature babies having trouble breathing in carseats, but I didn't think it was because of their heads being pushed forward. When my babies were newborn (and even now sometimes) their chins would always touch their chests while they were in the slings. Is that what you mean? They seemed to really like being in that position, and it made sense to me since I'm sure that's how they were inside of me. I haven't heard anything about any position being bad for a baby in regards to breathing, though. Did the study say why it was bad?

HTH!

Lex

[zipworth]

sorry, I can't cite my source, except to say that i read it here regarding the carseat issue. I think I just need to get over my "new mama jitters". I am scared to do anything right now it seems, except breastfeed! We also co-sleep, but I am terrified I am going to roll over on him ! Please everyone, be patient with me....it all seemed so simple when i was pregnant: .

[Piglet68]

Originally posted by zipworth
I think I just need to get over my "new mama jitters"... Please everyone, be patient with me....

Sounds like you are doing a WONDERFUL job! How nice that you have no problem succumbing to your desire to hold your baby all day long. Lucky baby!!!!!

[SpiralWoman]

hi~ just an observation & question since I am still waiting on my baby to decide to come out & so don't have any experience to share yet!

Regarding breathing while squished up, in utero they aren't actually needing to respirate to get oxygen, it's coming from the placenta. After birth respiration is alot different & that oxygen supply does have to come thru the airway. I have also seen the threads & other sources about newborns not needing to be in their carriers for extended travel (like more than 4 hrs?) & not using the buckets as "long term storage" like for lots of naps & stuff since the chest cavity & airway does compress & the child can get deminsihed ozygen, not that they can't breathe at all, the just aren't breathing as well.

Anyway, I'm not sure how that applys directly to slinging bcz I haven't had my baby in the sling yet, have a Maya wrap & can't wait to use it!
blessings, maria

[Jish]

Zip, I know what you are talking about too regarding the neck being too squished. If my recollection is correct, what they were concerned is not so much the babe just laying in the infant carrier with the head back, it is when they start to slump forward with their head down on their chest. My kids never could keep their heads against the back of the carseat/infant carrier when they were young babies. They survived, though. It looked so uncomfortable, but they never complained.

I would try padding the sling under the babe to try to get him more level. Would it help to get the babe in a more sitting position rather than a laying position higher up in the sling? I have seen many moms use this sling and they didn't seem to have problems, but the size of the baby can make a big difference. Keep working with it and I'm sure it will work. Also, like Darylll mentioned, the ladies at the Le Leche League meetings are a wealth of knowledge cause they have been there, done that. I am the sling wizard at my bfing meeting, but it's hard to help when I can't see the babe.

[zipworth]

nak

I have been planning to attend my local LLL meetings, but when my baby came unexpectedly 5 weeks early, all my previous plans went out the window ! I am in the "getting my act together" mode, where it is a big deal if I get out to walk around the block each day.

[DaryLLL]

Oh. Wow. Your baby was born 5 weeks early, just so he could come on your birhtday? I am not an astrology whiz, but I find that--spooky, I mean in a good way!