S/o how is baby carrier a panacea

amother

Wed, Feb 08 2023, 12:19 pm

For all those who recommend baby carriers for mothers who are having trouble managing with a newborn, have you not just gone through pregnancy and birth? How do you have the strength to use a baby carrier which basically relies on your abdominal muscles to support the baby? And as you get stronger, the baby is rapidly gaining weight!

amother

Melon

Wed, Feb 08 2023, 12:25 pm

I guess different people are different. Personally if a baby is not screaming in the crib/ bassinet then that's where they'll go. Only if it's between holding in your hands or using a carrier that's where I find it helpful. But I don't kid myself that I can do anything I want, I can't but it still frees up my hands a bit.

amother

Bluebonnet

Wed, Feb 08 2023, 12:26 pm

Newborns don’t weigh much. The weight is gained gradually so you don’t feel it. I’m currently baby wearing (daily on my commute to include 8 flights of stairway) my 35lb 2 year old. Everyone wonders how but the weight is gradual. A good carrier work correctly won’t interfere with recovery. And I say this as a cs mom

amother

Scarlet

Wed, Feb 08 2023, 12:29 pm

I used to hold the baby in the carrier with my arms. It was easier than holding a baby without the carrier since the weight is partially supported by your body. And I could let go as needed to do things. a baby carrier isn’t the equivalent of not holding the baby at all. It’s an easier version of holding the baby which you’d anyway be doing, it’s just easier.

scintilla

Wed, Feb 08 2023, 12:30 pm

amother Bluebonnet wrote:

I agree with the newborn part, but I personally can't do it past probably 6 months. But for the first 3 months or so, it's a lifesaver and totally worth it to invest in a good one!

giftedmom

Wed, Feb 08 2023, 12:31 pm

amother Scarlet wrote:

Yes
I don’t do it for long stretches of time
But if the baby is screaming and the other kids/household tasks need me it’s a lifesaver in the moment

seeker

Wed, Feb 08 2023, 12:40 pm

Most carriers distribute the weight across both shoulders and your back, more than your abdomen. By the time the baby is heavy enough that the carrier would press on your stomach, your stomach is hopefully recovered from the birth. Newborn carries usual have baby nestled on your chest.

I wouldn't call them a panacea but they're a tool that many people find helpful and worth sharing. I had a clingy newborn and a toddler, and it was extremely useful to have my hands available for toddler while still giving baby her snuggles. Also I was a deep city mom and it was THE way to go on busses and subways - no worrying about bumping stroller up and down steps or getting baby stuck in a door. I would carry a folded stroller for when we got where we were going, often, but in transit the carrier felt so much safer and easier.

amother

Khaki

Wed, Feb 08 2023, 12:46 pm

I think it's also important to acknowledge that the carrier doesn't work for everyone. The people who swear by them, it's almost like a religion. The carrier is THE answer and if you don't like it it's because you either didn't try hard enough or didn't find the right one. Nope. I tried, and I tried all the different types. They just don't work for me, and the suggestion is honestly insulting at this point.

WitchKitty

Wed, Feb 08 2023, 1:38 pm

The carrier mainly uses the shoulders and back. I love wearing it because I feel that it strengthens my back. Kind of forces you to stand correctly.

tichellady

Wed, Feb 08 2023, 2:14 pm

amother Khaki wrote:

honestly asking, so what do you do? do you hold your baby a lot? or is your baby ok to be not held? my babies want to be held all the time so that's why I need the carrier but if they liked the stroller or being on a mat that would be my preference

amother

Khaki

Wed, Feb 08 2023, 2:20 pm

tichellady wrote:

Some of my babies didn't need constant holding, the ones that did, I held as much as I could and when I couldn't, I either passed them off to someone else who was available, or let them cry for a bit if I really needed a break and there was no other option.

amother

Latte

Wed, Feb 08 2023, 2:58 pm

I like wearing my babies. My son had torticollis so I didn't wear him once we started treating it. But he also was fine just watching everyone. My oldest constantly wanted to be held so I also used a baby swing. But I also healed quite quickly from pregnancy. Can people with csections wear their babies at first? I have no idea.

amother

Gold

Wed, Feb 08 2023, 4:28 pm

I've never heard of baby carriers using stomach muscles. Not sure how that would even work. I used baby carriers after c sections and beyond and I agree that they are a life saver in many situations.

amother

Winterberry

Wed, Feb 08 2023, 4:31 pm

amother Bluebonnet wrote:

Exactly!
Wasn’t there a story/mashal about a man who was promised riches if he could lift an elephant or some other heavy animal? So he said ok, give me two years. He went and found a newborn animal and every day he picked it up. After two years it was fully grown but he knew how to pick it up since he was doing it for so long, and he got the riches.

metacognizant

Wed, Feb 08 2023, 6:37 pm

I try to switch my baby over to being back carried as soon as humanly possible. At around 10 lbs I’m already uncomfortable with a baby on my front in a carrier - it does hurt my back as you said. But I was able to get my latest baby onto my back in a woven wrap at 3 months of age and it made life livable again. NOT easy, but livable.