I have been researching this thing called babywearing and it sounds very intriguing to me. And with having a preemie, it seems that it would be beneficial to both of us to "wear" her close to my body. My question is how do you carry a baby so tiny in a sling or wrap?
you would probably order a sling small enough for her. ive heard that too tho. something having to do with your natural body heat. they did a show on the discovery health channel about that. they said when you lay down get the baby naked except for a diaper and have your cheast bare too then lay her on your bare cheast, skin to skin and then a blanket over. its supposed to be pretty benifical
agree with the pp. buy a sling small enough for her
Touch helps babies grow and develop. you are a great mom.
what about a wrap, or a mei tai? or maybe a ring sling, all are pretty adjustable to what you need. you can make a wrap out of anything, or go to any fabric store and get 2-3 yards of stretchy material
Yeah we have an hour of skin to skin a day and its absolutely wonderful.
the size of the baby has nothing to do with what size of sling/carrier you get. It's about the size of the mom. Wearing your baby would be awesome for bonding, and for her growth. Also, do you have a NINO group near you? What city do you live in and i could let you know if you do. If so, you should go to meetings and get help with your carriers. Tell them that the Kansas City Nino leader sent you! :wink:
Also, a moby wrap would be good for you. I LOVED mine when dd was tiny. here is a link http://store.attachedtobaby.com/Products/Moby-Wrap-Baby-Carrier.aspx?gclid=CLbh0Nbgh4wCFQstWAodrhwoBQ
also like spikyhairchick said, you could make on. Cotton knit jersey would be the same as the moby wrap material.
Here is a link about how to make one.
http://www.wearyourbaby.com/Default.aspx?tabid=121
Also check out my stickied post about babywearing. You might find some helpful tips/links in there. http://www.girl-mom.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=20507
Those slings can get very expensive!!! And some babys HATE THEM!! (mine hated his!!!)
I would suggest finding a cheap second hand one, or borrowing one first, to see if it works for you and your daughter. I wish i had done than, rather then fork out much needed cash for it.
I know some hospitals have them aswell.
Will they only let you hold her for an hour? The more skin to skin, the better she'll do
My daughter was also a preemie (34 weeker) and I found babywearing very beneficial to her. She was only 5 lbs when she came home and I didnt like the ring sling or pouch when she was so tiny.. it seemed to swallow her. I much prefered her in a mei tai or wrap (I just bought 5 yards of woven cotton for $1/yd from walmart) when she was so tiny. She's 5 months now and about 10 lbs and she now prefers the mei tai over the ring sling or pouch.. she likes to be tummy to tummy and she always slides down in the sling. Honestly.. Id reccomend getting some fabric for a wrap.. IMO its the most secure for a baby so tiny (and its pretty cheap to DIY).
also, there's a pattern for a no sew one in the stickeys on this site. it takes a bit of practice to use a wrap but it might be a good place to start. you can make it for free if you use an old sheet or for like 10 bucks if you use store bought fabric.
i LOVED having baby so close but my son did need lots of time out of it. when he was in the NICU they would swaddle him in the baby burrito and he'd kick and kick until he got his feet free.
contact the hospital and see if they have a babywaring class or if anybody who's a lactation consultant might know somebody who can show you some different holds.
Well I am pretty teeny. About 4'10 and petite so I think Ill try for the wraps. Did someone say theres a mama who makes wraps?
most wraps ( woven ) are made in germany, and a woven by hand on big looms. But there are tons of strechy wraps for tiny babies out there!! :D