DS fights BWing while awake

StrawberryAlarmClock

Help! DS loves the wrap & the Ergo while sleeping, but if I try to put him in awake, he squirms, kicks and cries. I need to start wearing him while he's awake.  Any suggestions to help him (and me)?  

TDKitty

I have limited experience (just one LO so far!) but DS had to learn to like being worn, and he still goes through phases where he fights it. I started wearing him for very short time periods when he was already happy, fed, and rested. He preferred facing out at first, even though I don't find it very comfy, so we did that for awhile. Then I used a sling for hip carries until he was fine with that. Now he's pretty content with tummy-to-tummy and back carries, although like I said, he still goes through phases when he would just rather be on the floor rolling around

TDKitty

Just noticed that your DS is too young for hip carries and facing out, but you can certainly experiment with different newborn-appropriate holds until you find one he likes, even if at first he only tolerates it for five minutes

jennychrm

I don't have any kids yet, I am still just 17 weeks along... and I have been lurking on this board to try and get more info about attachment parenting.  Please don't flame me for asking, it is a serious question and something I don't yet understand about attachment parenting...  Is it bad to let the baby NOT be worn if he/she doesn't like it? Is it ok to let them sleep on their own and not be worn then... or is that not really attachment parenting, then?  Thanks for the info!

TDKitty

Jennychrm: You should post this as a separate question, because I'm curious what everyone else would say!

IMO, I'm no attachment parenting expert (I only follow some tenets of AP), but the benefits of babywearing are so great that I think it's worth trying to get LO to accept it. My DS now vastly prefers being worn to the stroller, but it didn't used to be that way. I had to push him to try it and he learned to like it. If he'd continued to really resist it, I'd have stopped pushing it on him. And anytime I wear him, if it's clear that he's had enough, I take him out of the carrier immediately.

bb80

jennychrm:

I don't have any kids yet, I am still just 17 weeks along... and I have been lurking on this board to try and get more info about attachment parenting.  Please don't flame me for asking, it is a serious question and something I don't yet understand about attachment parenting...  Is it bad to let the baby NOT be worn if he/she doesn't like it? Is it ok to let them sleep on their own and not be worn then... or is that not really attachment parenting, then?  Thanks for the info!

it is still AP!  if your baby does not like to be worn and prefers to sleep in his crib, then you're being an AP mom by following his cues and preferences...and that's what it's all about!

(at least that's my opinion)

WyoGal

M went through a phase where he didn't like BWing.  He got over it in < a week.  Being carried facing out helped, but thankfully didn't last for long.  Hopefully your LO is the same way :-) 

MrsErinnElizabeth

DD went through a phase like that at almost the exact same age.  She wasn't worn at all for at least 6 weeks around then...she hated it!  As pp said, I just kept trying when she was fed and happy for short periods of time.  She liked facing out, so we got a RS and used the facing out buddha hold at around 3 months.  Then she started tolerating high back carries for short amounts of time.  Then longer.  And finally at around 4.5 months, she started liking facing in front carries again.

If it makes you feel any better, we are on a holiday right now and I literally wear her for the ENTIRE day (yesterday it was for 8 hours straight!) and she was happy as a little clam.  Just keep trying...he'll come around! 

StrawberryAlarmClock

Thanks, bumpies. i'll try the fed & happy for short times idea. sounds logical to me. wish me luck!!

 

and my 2 cents about the question "is it still ap?"  i'm not an extremist at all (we try to use glass, but dont freak about freezing milk in plastic, we bf but ds has bottles & pacis, we ap but own a stroller, swing & bouncy seat).  i don't think ap is like the 10 commandments, more like ideas to incorporate if/how/when they work for you.  h&h pregnancy! congrats!

 

1ht..sorry