A nice non-contentious question about Bringing up Baby!!

[lilibet]

Watched this last night and was going very soppy over the sight of that gorgeous baby in his sling BUT I thought that is was advised that new babies need to be flat for a lot of the time - hence the guidance that they shouldn't be in a car seat for more than two hours? So why is it ok for them to be in a sling for such long periods where they are anything but straight?

He is a very gorgeous and happy baby

[geekymummy]

hmm... good question, but I'm guessing it'd be the same as the baby being held in arms a lot of the time, that's not exactly lying flat either iyswim?

[meemar]

I never heard that new babies need to be flat for a lot of the time.
Not disputing you lilibet, just saying it's news to me - I can't think why!

[Sheherazadethegoat]

i think the carseat thing is to do with pressure on the spine and head flattening. a proper sling puts no pressure on the spine.

[pooka]

I think that when babies are in car seats for a long time, pressure points are regular and unchanging. The sling on the other hand, allows for many minute changes in position that would prevent flattening of the head and would replicate very closely a foetal position.