Printable View
I'm wondering about the practicalities and safety and if you even consider swaddling a newborn and then pop them in a sling/carrier?
I (will) have a ring sling and I have a close carrier.
What do you do in the early days? My thoughts before Phoenix has even arrived is to swaddle him/her but can I keep P swaddled and carry him/her?
I have a close carrier and when DS was newborn we tried the hammock position and it wasn't as comfy as the upright position facing us. What I am getting to is the upright position means their little legs need to go on either side of the crossover so swaddling would not be possible. I think though that the slings are so secure and snug and almost womblike that swaddling is not necessary even if it was possible. Ohh it is lovely having a newborn snuggle into you when babywearing...enjoy!!!
Not sure. In the close carrier, the bub gets pretty warm because they are against your chest, so you have their heat and your heat. Also if you have Phoenix in the facing you position (rather than the cradle position), the material goes between their legs so swaddling wouldn't work. The close carrier kinda swaddles them anyway, keeps them nice and tight.
Why do you want to do both? Is it so you can then put bub to bed straight from the carrier?
We would sometimes swaddle our son and pop him almost upright into the HAB. We only did it before trying to get him to sleep in the evening so we could then take him out and lie him in bed. He was a shocking sleeper so he had his day sleeps in the HAB and would only go to sleep swaddled in bed with us lying with him. This way we were able to get him down for a little while without us. So, we only did it around the house, mostly even just the bedroom and I didn't feel he was as secure in there so I wouldn't have tried to zip around hands free doing things like that iykwim.
I thought a newborn carry would allow swaddling. I have a kozy, which goes from newborn till whenever (I still use it) and for newborn their feet are in (in a frog position) but their legs go out when they're older.
I agree with the comment about overheating a bub in a carrier. You would be surprised how warm they get. I think you could swaddle and carry if it's really cold or bub is pretty bare under the swaddle..but I think you'll find it's not necessary (and is one more layer to bother with for the zillion nappy changes they need in the beginning).
Hope this helps
I hadn't thought about the heat aspect - thanks, sounds like we will just use trial and error to find what works. I still need to learn how to carry bub in a ring sling, and am hoping to have a lesson with an expert this week. It makes sense that it may not be possible to do it in a close carrier upright position.
Kate good question, I guess I just want to be able to put Phoenix on me or put them down sleeping with minimum fuss. My family has always swaddled babies but none of them have work their bubs so they have no suggestions.:
Just thought I would add regarding the heat situation...DS was born into a snowy UK winter and we carried him in the Close Carrier in the upright position and it kept him beautifully warm even in the snow! We just buttoned our winter coats over the carrier. So I am guessing that in an Australian winter or spring just the Close Carrier would be warm enough and swaddling on top of that might be too warm.
Also the reason we used the upright position instead of the newborn hammock position was because the fabric got all out of shape when we took the baby in and out too often and it would take ages to get it back to the right position. It is much easier to get them in and out of the upright position and they get more contact with you in that postion as well!