Wearing a newborn...how many hours/day?

Married2MrWright

Hello all,

I am new here...we've been wearing our baby in a Moby-type wrap (we DIYd) since she was just a few hours old.  We do skin-to-skin at least once a day (me as well as my DH) and I wear her from morning until night basically.  She'll be two weeks old tomorrow.  My mom, who lives with us, keeps commenting that "you cannot wear/hold her all the time."  I say why not?  Why should I put her in a swing (which my mom bought us) or bouncy chair when I can just wear her and get things done?

So I am confused...is it possible to wear a LO too much?  How much did/do you wear your newborn?

TIA!

shainababygirl

I didn't wear my little one that much around the house, but thats just because I was lazy. She was held, however, 95% of the day. I usually would put her in the bouncy seat, which she LOVES, so that I could eat. Of course that didn't usually work, because when I decided I was hungry, she decided she was as well!

Now that she's older, she's probably held 85% of the day. She still LOVES the bouncy, and generally takes a nap in the swing. If I can get her to sleep in the swing, she sleeps better/longer. I put her down for almost all naps.  When she was your daughters age, however, she wouldn't lay down for naps, so she was held!

I was staying with my parents at the time so I didn't HAVE to get much stuff done. Had I been home and on my own, she would have been worn a LOT.
 

m_and_m

I probaby wore DD about 10 hours a day as a newborn. There are a lot of benefits to BW but none that I know of for putting them on the floor/swing/bouncer, etc (other than a break for mom, which shouldn't be discounted but I'm taking about the babies here . If it makes you both happy, then wear her and snuggle to your heart's content!

Another Jennifer

I wore my almost constantly when she was newborn.  Now that she's more interactive I wear her less.  Now she loves sitting in her bouncy chair and batting at the little animals and sitting in her swing and talking to the mobile.  I watch her very carefully when she's in the bouncer or the swing and take her out when she gets a bored look on her face.  But as long as she's happy I'll leave her there.  For us, I think I would be wearing her too much if I didn't let her have that time to play because I think it's good for her and she enjoys it. 

 

I think 2 weeks is too young to really get much out of a swing or a bouncer.  The only thing the swing/bouncer would is mimic the womb so the baby would be soothed and that can accomplished just as well by wearing her.  

 

 

Tonya_G

Even still, unless she's awake, we pretty well wear DD much of the day. She won't stay asleep for naps unless she's being worn (though recently we've gotten lucky with the swing a few times, which is wonderful for my back and shoulders!). I don't wear her during her awake and active time though, unless she's getting tired and ready to nap.

amnda1130

I wear DD quite a bit in either a RS or Maya Wrap. She loves it and I enjoy it better than setting her in a swing to get bored and zone out.  I think she enjoys the interaction she receives from me and just the house in general when I wear her.

jen5-03

As long as you and baby are happy - go for it.

No, you can not wear her too much. That's part of the old-school thinking about how you're going to "spoil" your baby if you hold her too much.

Your baby is so new that just being outside of your body is a huge seperation between you, so it makes sense that newborns just want to be held all the time.

On the other hand, if your baby is happy being set down in a crib/swing/bouncer that's fine too. Some of it's just a personality thing - my DD wanted to be held every second of the day so even going to the bathroom by myself was a challenge. DS likes to be held but he's so mellow that he's willing to hang out in a swing or crib for a few minutes without fussing.

ncbelle

I wore kiddo a ton when he was a newborn - I would say it's not possible to hold them too much!

Of course, there's nothing wrong with using a bouncer or swing some too if baby seems happy there.  Some babies want to always be held; others don't.  You'll find that even if you wear your LO all the time now, as she gets older, she'll make it clear when she wants her own space.

I'd say go with your instinct!

Married2MrWright

Thanks ladies!  I was questioning myself with my mom's comments.  Of course she also keeps asking when I'm going to give my LO a paci.  *sigh*