sofa bound whilst bf dd 8wks and bored.

[mumnosbest]

After staring lovingly and bonding with your bf baby what do you do?
Theres only so much daytime tv, kindle and even mumsnet i can take.

On a serious note. What about a sling? Can you just get on with stuff while feeding? To what age?

My DD is 12wks and am still sofa bound as section wound still hasn't healed and is open. However from around that age DD was happy to go on playmat on floor and even moreso now so I could go and do stuff if I were allowed. I'd always sit down to feed though, she won't be doing it forever and I love it. My DD has started grinning at me whilst feeding so milk dribbles everywhere, I love those bf smiles because no-one gets them but me.

I was out and about quite alot with my sling once dc were a couple of months old (especially when I only had one) as they sleep for longer periods between feeds and I found they slept better strapped to my front than anywhere else. They could be fed with a bit of practice while still strapped in as well.

The main issue was not dripping coffee on their heads when visiting cafes!

Sleep while you can?!

Using a sling is a really good idea. I have a woven wrap and a stretchy wrap and a beco sling but I found the wraps best as they have enough give to move baby exactly where you want them and support them too. You can wear a loose top with a vest underneath, pull vest down, top up, and you're ready to go. There's loads of info on the Internet, including youtube, too showing you the various types of sling that are good for feeding and how to wear your baby.

And you can both carry on as long as you like.

One more thing - don't get a sling like this : www.mumsnet.com/Reviews/carriers-and-slings/60-premaxx-babybag Read the first review item which highlights the links tobaby deaths. I only say as I bought my slings specifically to feed in them and looked at these as I thought they looked ideal - until I did my research! Another plus about a stretchy or woven wrap is they're great for snuggly cuddles with younger babies like yours.

I can still BF my almost-13-mo in my ring sling, and she's not small. I enjoyed lounging on the sofa when DD1 was born but didn't have the time when DD2 was born. If you have a decent sling then you can do pretty much anything you want, as long as it's safe!

If there's a local sling group, natural parenting club near you then they should have a sling library, or you could try a breastfeeding group like LLL, there will probably be other mums that will let you try their sling out.

I think a lot of it is down to personal choice and practice- once I got the hang of my ring sling I loved it, but it takes more practice with some slings to make sure you are using it properly- if it hurts your back then it's either badly designed (in the case of some of those baby bjorn-type carriers) or you're not using it properly.

This is a brilliant site for ring sling tips.