Will using a sling create “bad habits”?

[Marghe87]

I know there isn’t really such thing as “bad habits” when it comes to babies being given love and cuddles but I was wondering whether the frequent use of a sling will make it hard for my baby to fall asleep in her crib in the future? She is only 5 weeks old and the only way she naps during the day is on me so a sling is really my best option right now as it allows me to get things done etc.
She sleeps in her moses basket at night and doesn’t have issues with it, it’s just day naps.
When did you stop using it? Was it hard to get them used to a cot instead?

It's fine to use a sling for naps. She barely knows she's born. Ours had only contact naps until they were about 4m- it's the best bit of having a tiny baby IMO!

It might do. I used a sling with both of mine and now they won’t tidy their rooms.

Sorry, couldn’t resist. I don’t think it makes a difference and they’re very convenient. One of mine was a wonderful sleeper, the other a terror, but they were both in slings rather than buggies outside the house, and often in slings in the early days inside too so I could get stuff done.

The good sleeper would sleep happily in a cot, a bed, or the arms of a relative she was meeting for the first time. She’s still a bit like that. The bad sleeper never really slept anywhere but the sling. But I don’t blame the sling. She’s still a bit of a fragile sleeper now.

Make sure you get a good one and get someone who knows what they’re doing to show you how to wear it as you can strain your back if you’re not set up right.

It's the opposite IMO.
My first napped mostly in slings, and also the pram, and as a result we were free to go out, do things, it was great. If at home, we could plop her out of the sling into her cot/bed and she'd continue to sleep.

Our second has slept more in his cot because of lockdown and struggles to settle in either a sling or pushchair for naps and so we are more restricted in our ability to go out, which is sad.

From about 7 weeks my DS would wake up from a nap as soon as I tried to put him down in his sleepyhead during the day. He also screamed whenever I tried to get him to nap in the pram so he spent a lot of time in the sling! Had all his naps in it until he was 6 months and we did some sleep training. Then I got him to nap in the pushchair instead. He spent about 3 or 4 weeks napping in there or the car before I tried him in the cot and it was fine. It wasn’t that hard because he’d had plenty of practice practice falling asleep independently at night by then. He’s 9 months now and often has his morning nap in the pushchair or car when we’re out doing things, then his afternoon nap in the cot.
Personally I think it’s better to just go whatever makes a baby nap when they’re tiny. Sling naps did get fairly soul destroying as he got older/bigger tbh but he just wasn’t ready for his cot in the day and for me it was more important that he got enough day sleep rather than spending ages trying to get him to stay asleep down in his cot. Have your baby in there as much as you want! And when the time feels right to get her to nap in her cot it might not be as hard as you think.

My daughter had most of her naps in the sling or in my lap until she was at least 10 months. She’s 16 months now and has a good long midday nap in her cot no problem. They change so much OP. Honestly I never thought we’d get to the point of being able to put her down to sleep during the day but now we’re a slave to her cot naps and always want to get home for them!

Nope!

My baby slept in a sling for every nap from birth until he decided one day at around 5 months old that he didn’t need to anymore - he just wriggled until I put him down and he’s had every nap in his cot ever since without trouble (teething and sickness aside ofc!)

He’s always slept in the cot at night too

If it works, go with it :)