Maximum time in sling?

[Cottagecosy]

Does anyone know if there is any recommendation for max time for a baby/ newborn to be carried in a sling. Assuming all other recommendations followed re positioning etc.?

I can't find any info and my 3wk dd loves the sling. Wanted to check it's safe for me to carry her in it for extended periods without risk to kip/ spine development etc?

Any wise baby wearers able to help?

I don't know but ds spent most of the day in one for the first three months or so and we haven't had any issues!

You'll be fine. Presumably at 3 weeks she still needs feeding and changing fairly regularly so you'll have her in and out of it every couple of hours. Just imagine you didn't have a sling but had a baby who wanted to be held all the time. Would you worry about carrying them for a lot of the day? I'm guessing the answer is no

What sling have you got?

There's no time limit you're fine x

Thanks all. Noodir we have a close Caboo dx sling. I wouldn't worry if she was carried but I guess she is more restricted in the sling which was why I was concerned. Your right though- still frequent nappy changes/ feeds and she does get heavy after a while so I would be taking her out minimum every 3 hours- still seems like a long time though!

I haven't seen written guidelines but I don't think you are unreasonable to ask the question. If in a sling, they don't have the full range of motion to kick their legs and arms about, turn their heads fully, or see things at farther distances. For this reason, I tend limit sling time to about an hour max at any one go. I have no evidence for this but this is my take on it. It's not the direct equivalent of holding where you would naturally shift their position, at least for your own sake, and would be better able to respond to their own little movements. Flailing about a bit is part of building their muscles and I would fear that excessive time in a limited range of positions in the sling might hamper this.

My dd can turn her head fully and see what is going on all around her (we use a woven wrap). She can also move her arms and get her hands to her mouth (where she likes them). I'm not sure what sling you are using that restricts these things.

The sling position is also as good as tummy time for neck strength / control. I don't think about max time - some days dd is in their almost all day but I take her out when she wakes for feeding and, if she is happy, a kick about on a mat so we both can stretch

*there 😖

Notwithout - great info.

OP - I have the same sling and DS is happy in a frog legged position. He can move around but tends to fall asleep as soon as he's in there! There's videos on line for how to position in the sling.

Sycamore you have articulated exactly my concerns but when I googled I couldn't find any literature on it.

Not without and peach dd has some movement and is in the sling correctly (head to side frog legged etc but there is inevitably some restriction in movement. She can't kick her legs or stretch out her arms. She likes it and falls asleep so not worried from that point of view- it's just the long term risks as sycamore outlined that concern me.

I think in the absence of formal advice I will limit to a few hours, it's just a shame as she would happily be in it all day and it means I can get something done!

Honestly. An ergonomic carrier like yours is perfectly fine for a tiny baby to spend long periods in. As long as you're following the safe guidelines (able to kiss etc) then she will thrive. It's like a fourth trimester and that snug closeness tucked near your heart is like the closest thing to being back in the womb. Babies grow and develop their limbs and muscles whilst inside the womb so no reason why she won't manage to develop further outside. She will soon let you know she wants more space by wriggling around and stretching and then crying.
It's honestly very beneficial for her and she will let you know when it's not meeting her needs. If it is easier for you too then it's win win. It's nothing like being in a car seat etc. And the upright position is actually working on her core strength all the time she is in the sling

I have 3 DC. All 3 pretty much lived in a mei tai for their first yr. My second and third literally spent hours in it, only coming out for food, bum change and a little lay down on mat then in they went until their night time sleep. All 3 are healthy, strong and happy. No issues with growth, restriction, mobility. If you were using a hammock type sling then aside from me generally trying to dissuade you from using it at all, I would suggest greatly limiting usage time but as you're using an ergonomic carrier then my advice would be use it as often and as long as you need. Young babies come out every few hours anyway with their bum explosions and regular feedings.

Thanks isadora and note that's really reassuring. I guess it's a case of common sense and listening to the baby- it's just with all the scare stories around car seats etc i became a bit paranoid! On the other hand she hates her car seat and loves the sling so that probably says all I need to know!

On a side note- how to you get on with the sling peach? I find however hard I try- the panel at the back rides up my back once she is in it, and doesn't stay in the small of my back like it is supposed to. She's. Nice and tight so it's not that. Do you find the same or am I missing a trick somewhere? Iv been considering looking into a different sling as it does give me back ache after a while

You should definately not get backache at all from sling wearing (not with a small baby). The only way my back would ache is if I now wore my 15kg baby for an hour or so. You either need to revise the tie you're doing it change sling.

How old is baby? I found the caboo great up to about 10wks and 12lbs or so. After that I had to switch to a different one because the caboo was too stretchy. Do you have a sling meet or library near you?

Baby is 10lb's. It's the Caboo dx so has a structured 'pod'. Even when tight the back rides up like the weight isn't distributed properly. Don't have a sling library but there is a shop that offers a try before you buy service so I may go there for advice and to compare the fit of other slings. Very frustrating as the sling gets good reviews and was a good deal!



This is it
Third pic is the sling under the pod

As they get heavier a stretchy is less supportive, lots of people move on either to a woven or something like a mei tai or an SSC. If you don't have a sling library locally, I'm pretty sure there's one that does postal hires - something like a Connecta (which has a waist band and the ability to cross the straps over your back) would be a good thing to try.

You might be a bit slim for it. I tried several slings after my caboo and it's astonishing the difference.

Thanks guys, really appreciate the advice & suggestions. I'll go and try some others on for comparison and go from there.

John could well be right - lots of slings are too big for me, and I'm not tiny (size 10, but quite small-boned). That's why I liked mei tais, because you can adjust them much more than any more structured sling. Woven wraps are also good for that, though I never really got the hang of them.