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5 Solutions for Parents who Give up on Babywearing Because Baby Seems to have an Opinion {VIDEO}

April 23, 2015 (UPDATED: July 6, 2018) by Katie Kimball @ Kitchen Stewardship 10 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Babywearing not working for you 5 tips for success

Quitters.

I hear it all the time, from real-life friends and readers at Kitchen Stewardship:

“I tried that babywearing stuff, but my baby just didn’t like it. It wasn’t worth the fussing, so I just gave up.”

Breaks my heart.

Those same mamas will often admit their struggles with getting things done around the house, babies who don’t sleep “down” very well and need to be held or rocked, and how hard it is to get their baby to be independent.

I wish I had someone to come over and hold the baby for a while to give me a break! I can hardly even pee by myself…

Raise your hand if you’ve been there, mamas!

And dads too – now that my husband is working at home, he said the other day, “I took the bouncy chair into the bathroom and Gabe was happy for all of 30 seconds…can’t get much done in 30 seconds!”

It’s been interesting watching him adapt to parenting more 24/7, and it’s not been an easy transition for him.

So I get it.

I know the feeling of having to hold a baby all. day. long.

And that’s why I feel sad for you when you give up on babywearing too soon. It truly may not that the baby doesn’t like it – it’s that you haven’t tried hard enough.

You Can’t be as Bad as Me!

I’m pretty sure my first child nursed 18 hours a day for the first month or two.

I was SO proud of myself when he was three weeks old – we made banana bread! It “only” took 45 minutes to get it in the oven, and it took the rest of the day to prepare dinner, but it was an accomplishment.

And it was because I had a sling.

Looking back at the vivid memory I have of that baby’s tiny head sticking out the side of the sling, by my hip, and my constant effort throughout the “baking” process to guard and protect it from hitting the counters, I clearly was using it all wrong.

Like, really, really wrong!

But it still served a function and allowed the two of us, however uncomfortably and slightly dangerously, to bake together.

And that’s a lovely picture, dangling baby head and all.

hanging out in the kitchen in a ring sling

The babywearing police are gasping in horror at this picture, I bet! I hadn’t gotten much safer in the first 8 months, apparently. (Just as much as the real food nazis are having conniptions about the trans-fat laden boxed crackers there…)

It Doesn’t Take 45 Minutes to Bake Banana Bread Anymore

I’ve come a long way from that awkward kitchen experience, and in the ten years of babywearing that I’ve enjoyed since then, I’ve gotten to talk to a lot of people about slings, wraps, and carrying my babies.

The older generation marvels at my little “floating head” when my 0-6-month-olds are hanging out with me in the Moby Wrap.

Floating Head First Christmas Moby Wrap

They think he’s so cute, and they almost invariably say something like, “I wish we had those when my babies were little...” in the tone of voice of the classic, “We walked ten miles to school, uphill both ways, in snow as deep as our nose…kids these days!”

The younger generation notices our babywearing too, and whenever a parent with a youngster in tow even catches my eye when I’ve got someone in a sling, I tend to go on about how wonderful babywearing is and how everyone should try it!

Floating Head in the Moby

I end up meeting a lot of young parents who have carriers still in packages tucked in the corner of the nursery, others who brush off the whole idea with a curt, “Oh I could just never do that,” and many with the excuse, “Tried it, just didn’t like it.”

This one is for you, O parents whose arms are sore, patience thin, and dinner halfway finished:

If you can’t see the video above, click babywearing tips to see it on YouTube.

I was sure to make the video as short as I could. In fact, I made it three times, as short as I could (that’s how things go with babies, I’m sure you understand).

But even though it’s short, I’ll type out the tips below.

Because I understand you, too.

You probably have a sleeping baby on your lap, and if you start that video, the sound might wake them up, and then you have to start. all. over.

Here they are…

The 5 Tips for Parents Who Say “My Baby Just Doesn’t Like the Sling”

  1. Time it right. Practice babywearing when baby is happy – well-fed, well-rested, clean diaper, good mood.
  2. Stand up. Even babies who love being in a sling tend to hate it when the wearer is sitting.
  3. Start moving. Babies love being rocked and swayed, and even more so when in a carrier.
  4. Butt bump. There’s something about a little medium-strength pat-pat on the bum that can “reset” baby’s crankiness. Sometimes.
  5. Try, try again. If we are willing to try feeding baby peas, sweet potatoes, or sticky egg yolks ten times until they like it, why not give the same courtesy to babywearing? It doesn’t even make a mess you have to wash off the high chair tray for no good reason. Just keep trying, at least ten times on different days.

Bonus tip: If all else fails and the sling or carrier you’re trying really isn’t a good fit either for you or baby, try a different kind. There are ring slings on one shoulder, wraps of all kinds, front/back carriers (the ergonomic, hip-safe kind only, please) and other variations with ties, buckles, and more. More on various carriers and my thoughts on them next week, plus resources to find them all!

For example, my friend and her little guy didn’t love our ring sling but borrowed the Ergo and found the perfect match. Baby was happy, and the family could eat real food instead of a frozen dinner.

Win win.

Try, try again.

These 5 tips work for ALL baby carriers, not just ring slings like I was using in the video.

You got this one, exhausted parents.

What If?

But what if you try all that and YOU don’t like carrying the baby?

I’ve got a post about that, too.

Why do you wear your baby – or why did you give up?

PS – Please be sure to visit http://www.babywearinginternational.org/ for important tips on safe carries and proper sling positioning.

Babywearing Resources

  • My videos: How to put on and wear a baby in a Moby Wrap
  • How to nurse in a Moby Wrap standing up
  • Price check a Moby Wrap
    • on Amazon
    • at the Green Nursery
    • at Squishy Tushy
  • Price check an Ergo
    • on Amazon
    • The Green Nursery
  • Make or purchase a ring sling like the one in the pics at Sleeping Baby.
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Filed Under: Little Foodies (Kids and Babies), Natural Babies Tagged With: babies, babywearing, Moby Wrap, parenting, ring sling, slings

« Previous Post 5 Unpopular Reasons to Jump into Babywearing with Both Feet
Next Post » Freezer Cooking is not my Thing – but Here’s my Best Shot Anyway {VIDEO + 3 Slow Cooker Recipes}

About Katie Kimball @ Kitchen Stewardship

Katie Kimball, CSME is a trusted educator and author of 8 real food cookbooks. She is passionate about researching natural remedies and making healthy cooking easier for busy families. She’s been featured on media outlets like ABC, NBC and First for Women magazine as well as contributing regularly on the FOX Network.

See more of Katie Kimball, CSME in the Media.

Over the last 10 years, Katie has spoken prolifically at conferences, online summits and podcasts and become a trusted authority and advocate for children’s health.

Busy moms look to this certified educator for honest, in-depth natural product reviews and thorough research. She often partners with health experts and medical practitioners to deliver the most current information to the Kitchen Stewardship community.

In 2016 she created the #1 bestselling online kids cooking course, Kids Cook Real Food, helping thousands of families around the world learn to cook.

Certified Stress Mastery Educator BadgeA mom of 4 kids from Michigan, she is a Certified Stress Mastery Educator and member of the American Institute of Stress.

See all blog posts by Katie Kimball.

10 Bites of Conversation So Far

  1. Stephanie says

    April 24, 2015 at 7:17 pm

    In many areas now there are babywearing groups that have carriers they LEND out for FREE!! That way you can try a few different kinds and see what works for you and baby before you spend big bucks on one. The groups also lend support for helping to wear correctly and how to wear a fussy non-cooperative baby. I LOVE babywearing! I am so glad a friend introduced me to it with my first. Now on my 4th, I couldn’t get much done with out it most days.

    Reply
    • Stephanie says

      April 24, 2015 at 7:19 pm

      P.S. I was diagnosed with scoliosis after having major back issues. I have found that different carriers work better than others. For me, wraps and slings work better. Waist straps like the Ergo or other SSCs aren’t a good fit for me- (this is where a lending library/access to other carriers at a babywearing meetup is handy!).
      ALSO, as with any muscles, don’t start wearing your baby for 4 hours. Work up to it gradually.

      Reply
      • Katie Kimball @ Kitchen Stewardship says

        April 25, 2015 at 6:59 am

        GREAT tips Stephanie, thank you! 🙂 Katie

        Reply
  2. Cindy says

    April 24, 2015 at 2:09 pm

    Oh my gosh, I cannot stop laughing at your first picture!!! I adore, as well, your retort to what I’m sure you knew was going to get a big response to all the nit-picky people out there!
    We love baby wearing and this is SUCH a valuable resource. Will be passing it on, thank you!

    Reply
    • Katie Kimball @ Kitchen Stewardship says

      April 25, 2015 at 6:58 am

      Thanks Cindy! Glad I gave you a laugh – 🙂 Katie

      Reply
  3. Brenna says

    April 23, 2015 at 9:38 pm

    I really really want to babywear, I really want to get things done and keep her happy. But even ten minutes of wearing causes excruciating back pain for the next couple of days (I have sculiosis so back pain comes easy). I have a chicco ultrasoft magic carrier, which has a nice big lumbar back strap because I knew i would want all the help i could get. Of course, it could also just be how big my baby is… 9 lb 5 oz at birth and up to 18 or so lbs now.

    Reply
    • Stephanie says

      April 24, 2015 at 7:22 pm

      I have scoliosis, too, and found that carriers with waist straps aggravate it for some reason. I like wraps (though they can be intimidating at first) because I can adjust them to fit ME personally. Good luck! I totally feel you. It took awhile and lots of different carriers to find a fit so I could actually do it.

      Reply
      • Brenna says

        April 25, 2015 at 9:52 am

        I did buy a wrap too, some sort of knockoff moby I think. Unfortunately my big baby didn’t fit well even at the beginning, and now that she’s got neck and back muscles she’s just too wriggly for the wrap

        Reply
    • Katie Kimball @ Kitchen Stewardship says

      April 25, 2015 at 6:55 am

      Brenna,
      What a bummer! I’m encouraged by Stephanie’s comment above that maybe a wrap would help, but yeah – if you have that much back pain, certainly the carrier you have isn’t the right thing for you. 🙁 Katie

      Reply
  4. Susan Thompson says

    April 23, 2015 at 7:37 pm

    My son is now almost 26 and I had a sling, a front carry pouch and a backpack for him…I used the sling around the house and my mom loved to rock him to rock him to sleep at work. I loved having my hands free and he loved being attached to me.

    Reply

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