Length of time in sling per day?

[PensionPuzzle]

I've had a Google and, well, it is what it is and couldn't find much reputable info on my question so I thought I'd ask Mumsnet 🙂

Is there a limit on time per day spent in a sling, along the lines of the car seat timings? DD is 6 weeks old and quite refluxy but this is much much better when she's upright. But I can't really hold her upright most of the day and look after my toddler so the baby has been going in the sling for an hour or two at a time after every feed while she has her sleep. She does have plenty of floor, and a bit of tummy, time each day, normal cuddles and of course sleeps flat at night. She also has up to an hour flat in the pram most days when we go out for our walk.

Is it possible to overuse the sling, I'm thinking from a spine/hips point of view? It's a soft structured carrier if it makes any difference, the Infatino one. I have a Close Caboo that I could use if that's better but I really don't like it so would be very happy if the other one is just as ok or not ok!

I think some are supported by the hip dysplasia something or other and they’re certified ‘hip healthy’ I’m sure the one I used to use said that. I think my little boy must’ve been in the carrier for 6 hours a day at least for the first 12 weeks of his life. He was colicky refluxy and basically hated life. He loved the carrier though. I never saw anywhere there was a limit, I think in previous generations and still in some countries babies are carried pretty constantly. Also sling time IS tummy time. I read in a La Leche League book tummy time is a relatively new thing brought in because babies are lay on their back more than they ever have been, but if your baby is in a carrier on you, that’s basically tummy time, same as when they’re lay on your chest.

My little boy had a hip scan at about 2 months old as he was transverse and all was fine :)

I don't know the answer but in much of the world babies are in carriers all the time from birth

My daughter only came out for feeds and nappy changes as a newborn. She was crawling at 6 months so it didn't hinder her!! I would just make sure you have her in a hip happy position.

As long as your following TICKS then it’s fine. Sling time counts as tummy time too.

Tummy time was only made a thing because so many babies were spending too much time in car seats or lying flat. There's no such thing as too much sling time as long as it's a supportive wide-seated parent-facing one.

Mine lived in slings especially my second, who literally only came out to go in her car seat and for nappy changes. She was at the late end with a lot of milestones, not abnormal, just she hadn't had time to practise. She's now a perfectly normal two year old who does have a hip problem (turned on toes, I forgot the technical name) and the physio talked a lot about genes and womb space and not at all about sling time.

My second lived in the sling. It did rub a bald spot on his head but no other consequences.

Thanks all for the reassurance, it was just the disapproval of the HV that made me question! I think I'm ok on TICKS but she has grown so I'll make a point of checking that again today and carry on doing what I'm doing while it works for us all 🙂.

Who needs Google when you've got the hive mind?!

Make sure her legs are in an "M" shape, not dangling.