Slings - do they damage the baby's feet?? AIBU?

[SilverSixpence]

hi, this was going to be in AIBU because i was so ANNOYED but have calmed down a bit now! DS is 8 weeks and has colic which is a nightmare. The only way i can get anything done is to carry him in a ring sling which he loves - more often than not he goes straight to sleep. i carry him in a tummy to tummy hold with his feet tucked in. A couple of times my MIL has commented that his feet look a bit squashed at the bottom of the sling, but i usually point out that he's fast asleep and obviously not in any pain/distress.

Yesterday when i took him out of the sling his feet were a bit red and she told me not to use it again because it would damage his feet. She basically 'banned' me from using it! i have never heard of it doing any harm and am certainly not going to stop using it as i'm the one who has to suffer otherwise. Besides which i'm not going to be dictated to about how to raise my son! we live with her, which complicates things, but i have a lovely DH who always backs me up. but i need to make sure i;m right, o/w if he does get foot problems later i'll get the blame - not found any evidence googling tho.

What sort of sling? Have you got a link? why do you tuck his feet in. My DS's feet just used to dangle.

What a load of crock!! When the baby is inside you, their feet are all squashed up and it doesn't damage them for later life...

oh tell her to naff off

yes living with your mil does complicate things!

As long as you are using the sling according to the instructions, and you and your baby find it comfortable, you have absolutely nothing to worry about.

Which sling is it?

yes, which one?

And what Cappu said too.

sorry! its a ring sling..he's only small still thats why feet were tucked in..am using it now with feet out and he seems fine that way but that wasnt the point!

SS - I'm a HV and have never heard that baby slings cause foot problems. Colic is horrible and my DS suffered with it as well. I also carried him around on a sling as it was the only way to comfort him.
Your MIL is being unreasonable in trying to dictate how you care for your baby.

Oh - and when children first start to walk they place their feet all over the place so if your DS walks with his feet inwards/outwards/any other way - it's nothing to do with the sling and will right itself as he gets more practiced.

my mil did that old 'your children will be deformed in their cloth nappies' malarkey

again, naff off

I once had a woman on the bus tell me I was suffocating my dd2 by carrying her in a sling. She whacked my mother on the arm to get her point across (my mum found it less funny)

Crikey belgo, there are some very weird people around aren't there.

I tuck feet in all time, especially with littlies.

Current 6m old likes to sit sideways tome so she is facing to the right with her right shoulder between my substancial boobs and both feet in inside, when in the back carry her left leg and foot are inside.

She is happy.

I've mostly had very positive reactions to baby wearing though, fortunately.

and the fact that his feet were red means that they were nice and warm with a good blood supply.

YAB completely U. You live with her and therefore she makes the house rules. Clearly, anything she judges bad without any evidence to back up her claims, she is allowed to ban accordingly. Of course these are the house rules so you must also abide by them. I suggest the next time she has a piece of chocolate you confiscate it with a sharp 'naughty naughty old woman, that's banned'. And if you see her slouching, a sharp rap on the knuckles and a blunt 'Sit Up Now' will do the trick.

Or tell her to Bugger Off.