# Do you cook in your sling?



## luv2*b*mom (Mar 24, 2004)

I have been cooking dinner with my newborn in the sling. When I went to put my maya in the washer I noticed on the tag that it says, DO NOT cook with baby in sling! It makes perfect sense and I feel like a nut for not realizing how dangerous it *could* be! Does anyone else cook in their sling? I think I'll stop now!


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## jstar (Jul 22, 2004)

i make sandwiches or pack my lunch (did this morning) with the baby in the sling. but when i'm doing anything with hot grease or water on the stove i stick him in the johnny jumpup in the kitchen doorway so he can watch me

i'm wanting to try the back position for doing dishes. i think he might be getting big enough


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## Changed (Mar 14, 2004)

No Way! But, I hate to cook and my kid is 25 pounds. THat and I'm scared to death of hot grease....


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## allformyboys (Jun 17, 2003)

not anything hot, not EVER.

I know people don't 'think' of it happening to them but one little slip could have boiling hot water ON your baby and let me tell you the sling is NO protection from something like that! I had an accident with boiling water a while back (about a year ago) and litterally the time it took for me to jump and pull the shirt off my chest was enough to burn me with 3rd degree burns on my breast! Trust me it is SO not worth it, eat out, use the mic, make cold cereal for dinner if baby can't be put down or held/worn by someone else. I couldn't imagine putting a BABY through even a fraction of the pain/healing time I went through last year! (and I was nursing my 1 yr old at the time it happened- I had to put him on one breast for the time it took the other to heal, it was never the same nursing experence) but it could literally kill your baby to cook with them in the sling. Accidents do happen, no one plans for them so PLEASE don't cook with baby in the sling.


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## MyTwoAs (May 19, 2004)

House rule is no children in the kitchen while cooking/baking anything hot - that includes in the sling. My 3 year old helps me prepare things then out he goes when it comes time to put it in the oven. I might be a spaz but I burned my fingers on our stove when I was almost 4 and I remember the pain.


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## Patrice#1 (Mar 12, 2004)

The most I will do in the sling or pouch are quick foods, like sandwiches, or heating something in the microwave that does not have water in it; like cheesburgers, pizza, etc. But not while I am doing 'real' cooking, like cooking chicken or something.


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## hypatia (Apr 29, 2002)

My DS once grabbed a knife when I thought I was being very careful. He was fine, but it scared me to death.

Now, I do very little cooking with him in the sling.


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## Mrs Dimples (Apr 17, 2004)

I will confess I do cook in the sling from time to time, although if I am working with hot water or oil I do not. My son likes to be all tucked up inside the sling, with his arms and hands enclosed, do grabbing things isn't an issue. But truly, if I didn't use it while preparing food to some extent we would never eat.


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## EnterGently (Sep 18, 2002)

I always wear my baby while cooking and always have. Though I will say that we don't fry things often and if we did and I had hot greese then that would be another story.

I think it is about using your head ya know. You don't want to have a little one in the kangaroo carry while you are cutting veggies where they could reach out and grab a knife. You don't want them to be able to reach out and grab a boiling pot either. But if you have them securly in a back carry that is different.
When dd was smaller I wore her every evening on my back while I cooked. She was usually asleep. If there was no one else here to hold her and she was crying . . . there was no option as far as I am concerned.

When I start cooking again (have not done much since baby) I will put ds on my back in the wrap or mei tai where he is completely covered with fabric (not that he could really grab anything at his age though).

I let the kids help me cook too (though not near the stove when it is hot, they can help mix). I will even let ds help cut stuff and I let dd sort the knives (not the sharp ones). I guess maybe I am more of the CC (continuum concept) mindset on stuff like this. I mean tribal women did everything while wearing their babies.
Heck I pressure washed a house in near 100 degree weather with my dd on my back and didn't think much about it, though I was extra careful!!

Sling makers have to give "warnings" and stuff with their products. I know I do too. But I take the warnings as "guidelines" not "rules" (and Maya doesn't want to say that they didn't warn you if your baby gets hurt while cooking). And if you can cook in a safe way while wearing your little one then I see no problem with it. Of course that is for me, I wouldn't recommend it to others unless it was something they felt OK with too. I think I worry more about falling down the stairs when I am wearing baby, LOL!! I have been so clumsy lately









JMO of course


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## MarineWife (May 1, 2004)

I was about to say that cooking with baby in the back carry was okay but now I'm rethinking that. The one time that I put my baby in a back carry to cook, I noticed that as I turned and reached and moved around he would sometimes get close to dangerous things without me realizing it at first. He is old enough to sit up and reach for things. Maybe it would be okay for a newborn that will be sleeping and can't reach out. I thought this would be a great thing to help me out since I never seem able to get dinner ready. But, I have decided it's too dangerous and won't do it again.


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## chellemarie (Jan 17, 2003)

I cook with baby on my back in the Baby Trekker. When I'm cooking hot stuff, I'd rather have him on my back, up and behind me, than trying to squeeze himself between my legs and the stove.

I really think it's a common sense thing and how distractable you are.


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## Angierae (Aug 17, 2004)

I always cook with my 4mo in the sling. Front or back carry depending on how intense it is. Yes, I use knives and the stove. I am very aware of where she is on my body, and I only use my extra long wrap. She is tied down very tightly against my body -- her hands are loose enough to suck on but can't wiggle free and she can't fling herself out of the tight carries. I am comfortable with it, I did the same thing with my now 3yo. It works for me, but I am pretty CC about these things as well.


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## ShadowMom (Jun 25, 2004)

I also cook with DS in the back carry (either sling or kozy). You have to use common sense and be careful, but you have to use that a lot in life.









I don't usually fry things, though, I probably would not feel comfortable with that since he likes to be pretty high on my back.

It's all a matter of knowing what your baby is going to try and do, and what is in his/her reach, and where they are at.









The whole "do not cook while slinging" thing is a CYA issue IMO. They have to put all kinds of warning labels on stuff to protect themselves legally. It's up to us parents to use common sense and translate that into the real world.


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## Tanibani (Nov 8, 2002)

No, EnterGently, you are not the only one.
















It's all about common sense/understanding the development stage of your child.

This issue was discussed recently: Cooking and slinging?

I haven't cooked with her lately though, because I move much more slowly/carefully with her in the sling (OTSBH or Maya Wrap) in the kitchen... and since I'm usually in a rush, it's just easier to keep her in the bouncy seat.

But when I figure out how to use a WRAP - Back carry OR my Kozy/Mei Tai... heck yeah, my baby will be worn on my back.


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## ShadowMom (Jun 25, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *EnterGently*
I guess maybe I am more of the CC (continuum concept) mindset on stuff like this. I mean tribal women did everything while wearing their babies.
Heck I pressure washed a house in near 100 degree weather with my dd on my back and didn't think much about it, though I was extra careful!!

Kelley, I am with you on this. I have started to think about this issue and I think in a lot of ways, our culture goes way overboard to protect children from anything that could possibly harm them in any way, and this may be to our detriment sometimes.

I know an awful lot of 10 year olds who can't be left home alone for a few hours because they have no judgement skills... heck, my mom had to work so I had to be home alone for a few hours!

Anyway, I have tried to take more of a laid-back approach... my DS is only 10 months old, but I know he is smart enough to figure some stuff out on his own. We've babyproofed and put up the chemicals, but we haven't put padding on the corners of all of the tables and stuff like that, and we still have tile in the kitchen that he crawls around on.

I am going to try not to protect him from EVERYTHING and let him form some judgement skills on his own.


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## Autumnschild (Jul 20, 2004)

Cooking with heat is probably the one thing I don't do with her in the sling. If she rode on my back in a wrap, I wouldn't have a problem, but on my side or in front, it's too easy for her to get burned. She isn't old enough to reach for things yet (soon), but anything that may splash and burn her presents a danger I'm not willing to expose her to. It all depends. I don't overprotect my children, but I do use common sense.


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## MarineWife (May 1, 2004)

My common sense tells me not to cook while wearing my baby. If that makes me overprotective, so be it. I'd rather be overprotective of him than have him get injured.


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## ShadowMom (Jun 25, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MarineWife*
My common sense tells me not to cook while wearing my baby. If that makes me overprotective, so be it. I'd rather be overprotective of him than have him get injured.

I hope you don't think I was implying that those who don't cook while wearing their baby are overprotective.







I was just relating with Kelley on a whole philosophy that I have started to adapt. Every mama knows her cooking environment, her own risk tolerance, and most of all, her baby, and I'm sure you're making the right decision.


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## MarineWife (May 1, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *KristiMetz*
I hope you don't think I was implying that those who don't cook while wearing their baby are overprotective.









A little maybe. I just wanted to clarify. I know everyone has their own comfort zone and we should all use our own common sense about what we do. Now I know why my dh gets so upset with me when I tell him something is just common sense. It's my common sense, not his.


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## 2girlsandnowaboy (Sep 18, 2004)

Not if it requires using the oven or stove.
Becky


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## MarineWife (May 1, 2004)

How do you cook without using the oven or stove?


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## darsmama (Jul 23, 2004)

I don't ever cook in my sling. Then again, shes only 6 weeks old and I still have visions of my bumping her head into walls, or tripping and falling with her in the sling sooo..I'm still a bit paranoid to attempt to cook in the sling. Meal time, shower time, cleaning time, all times I don't wear Darlene at.


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## allformyboys (Jun 17, 2003)

I guess in a back carry for a non-reaching baby would be fine, or even a reaching one that you were careful about, but please don't EVER wear your baby in the front while cooking hot liquids or grease.

I am serious ACCIDENTS happen, and while you may think "I am really careful not to spill anything on myself" it CAN happen, in the blink of an eye (it HAPPENED to me-thankfully not with a baby on) but you don't plan these things, and a severly burned baby has a risk of DYING. that is something I am not willing to risk.


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## EnterGently (Sep 18, 2002)

I cook (as I said before) clean, shower, etc. everything with baby in the sling. My babies are either worn on my body or in my arms (or dh's arms) 90% of the day. About once or twice a day ds will like to look around when I am changing him, so I will let him lie there for a few minutes (and usually I will run to the batroom, LOL). We don't have a swing or other baby gadgets (you would never know we had a baby by walking into our house) and the bouncy chair which sat in the bathroom with our other 2 babies (for me to sit baby down when I went) is still in the garage. Ahhh, I just love wearing a baby and have some good slings/carriers so I am able to do it long term despite having 2 pinched nerves in my back!!

But you know we have never child proofed our house either. We don't clean with chemicals and I only put covers on the front door handle when my oldest was a toddler and learned to open the door and wasn't yet old enough to be trusted not to. If I had a child who was fascinated with putting objects and fingers into the outlets we would put covers on, but we have never had a problem with it. I often have a hot iron sitting out. I wouldn't let a baby crawl near it or the cord but my toddlers have always been told that it was hot and have never been burned. Same goes for when we had a VERY hot wood stove (our only source of heat) that sat right in the middle of the house. They were told it was hot, knew it was hot, and we never once had burns, even after 2 yrs. (heck, even I had little burns a time or two while putting wood in it). However if I had a trampoline I would have a net, or if I had a pool I would have one of those kid fences around it (I know someone whose kid drown). I know that accidents happen but while we are cautious about things, we also don't let them run our lives. Not that anyone else does. Everyone has to use their own judgment and do what is best for them (and this applies to all aspects of parenting, birth etc. . . heck I had my last baby UC and I know that most would not feel comfortable with that).

But while some choose things cause they don't know better ;-) Others, like us, choose them cause they are a part of our parenting philosophy. We are extremely responsible and well educated and our decisions are well thought out, as are most others here I am sure. People often think the things we (and many others here) do are irresponsible (like no vax, homebirth, etc.) but they have no idea how much time goes into our decisions and how responsible we are being.

Anyway, I am just saying that whether or not to cook with baby is just another one of those things where people have to weight the pros and cons and decide if it is right for them.


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## allformyboys (Jun 17, 2003)

I too wear or hold my baby almost all the time, we also have no baby gadgets, they irritate me to no end, however knowing how fast a burning accident can happen (having it happen to me) I just won't put my baby in that danger. I also wouldn't ride a bike with a baby in a sling, nor would I drive a car with a baby in a sling being careful is one thing but dangers are still there.

I will say a prayer for you and your baby that you never have to learn the hard way that cooking in a sling is just as dangerous as driving without a car seat or a pool without a fence.


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## MarineWife (May 1, 2004)

Katie, You really should get a water or solarviel sling to shower with your baby. I did it for the first time last week and the only way I can describe it is beautiful. My baby is almost 9 months old now. I wish I had had a water sling to do this earlier.


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## Changed (Mar 14, 2004)

What about getting soap or shampoo in the babies eyes? I would think being in a sling the water would be overwhelming for baby.


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## EnterGently (Sep 18, 2002)

I had my little one in the shower with me (in a solarveil sling) when he was only a few days old. I shaved my legs and everything and he slept through the whole thing. It isn't like I kept the water from hitting him (though I do try to keep that annoying overspray from hitting his face, the tail is good for that). He got VERY wet. He loves the warm shower water.
We don't use much soap and use natural shampoo. I hardly ever use soap or shampoo on my kids but the times it was needed (like when they get into something really dirty) we have never used the tear free kind and have had no problems.
I can count on 1 hand the number of times I have showered alone in the last year. I always have a kid or baby with me. I love it!!


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## Mrs Dimples (Apr 17, 2004)

My baby, too, is in the shower with me every day. We use natural bath products, in fact one time my son ate a big chunk of my soap (this was last week, lol) and he didn't even seem to think it tasted bad because it's natural, food grade ingredients.







: I still use a water sling because he is overwhelmed if I put him down on the ground while I lather up or something (he is one year old and walking a tiny bit), but he is absolutely in heaven if he is in my arms. If your baby doesn't like it, then of course you wouldn't want to force the issue, but I think most babies do like it very much.







I'm curious, those of you who make a particular point not to cook with baby in the sling at all, what do you do with them when you cook? This is an honest question, I am not trying to be inflammatory at all, I am just curious. If I am not wearing my son for some reason, he is crawling or standing at my feet, where I would think he would be in just as much danger of splashing hot water or oil or whatever. I would have to literally fence him entirely out of the kitchen, and, well, I can just imagine how he would respond to that.














When he was very small I probably could have put him in a bouncy seat or something, but I didn't. The sling is an even more important tool for me now than it was when he was tiny. He is so calm in it, he just watches everything I do and I can tell his little brain is taking it all in. Anyway, my point is, he would never tolerate me cooking a whole meal if I wasn't wearing him. How do you do it?


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## NatureMama3 (Feb 25, 2004)

Yes, with him on my back or side (not front).


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## maureenfh (Mar 1, 2004)

I took to wearing my daughter when cooking to prevent her from getting under my legs while I was using a knife or the stove. I put her in the sling and swung her around to my back. This worked fine until I was cooking something on the stove that splattered and stung her legs, which were wrapped around my waist, so they were in range of the hot grease. It was just a tiny droplet of grease, and after a minute under some cool water, she seemed to forget the whole incident. I try to distract her at cooking time, but I think that putting her on my back is still safer than having her clinging to my legs. And it's not really practical to stop cooking what I am cooking and switch to eating cereal for dinner just because she wants to be held. I would like to get a better sling to keep her a bit more secure on my back, but otherwise, I think you just have to use your best judgement.


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## Changed (Mar 14, 2004)

I put my DD in her highchair when I'm cooking. That or I use that time as her tummy time and check on her every few minutes. She's not mobile so it's easy for me to do that. But, she so enjoys watching me from her highchair away from the stove.


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## Mrs Dimples (Apr 17, 2004)

Oh, I see, some people have babies who are content to observe from a distance...







: never thought of that...mine has to be literally attached to my person or he ain't happy...


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## EnterGently (Sep 18, 2002)

My sister and sil have kids who were happy to sit and watch, these are also the kids who, as babies, are happy to lie in their own beds awake and quitely fall asleep, LOL!!

NOT . . . ;-) None of my kids have been like that! If they are not on mama they want to be!! When they get older I can distract them with toys for a short time, but they are still happiest and safest on my body!
Lets not even get into how much they LOVE the car, LOL!!! (we just got back from a 10 min car ride where ds was screaming the entire time, despite me being in the back with him).


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## MarineWife (May 1, 2004)

I've tried a few times to put my baby in the highchair to watch but he doesn't last very long there. He likes to be right on me. My dh does most of the cooking when he's here. He's gone now so I've had to start cooking (not going well, btw







). I have a 13yo ds who helps me, though. He either cooks or takes care of my baby while I cook.

I used my solarveil sling in the shower. The skin to skin contact with my baby was indescribable. This was the second time he had been in a shower. The first I tried sitting him in the tub while I showered but he cried. He was so content in the sling that while I was shampooing he all of a sudden latched on a started nursing. When I looked down he was looking up at me with the sweetest eyes and looked like he was about to fall asleep. I'd never felt so close to him before and we've always nursed and co-slept and I hold him most of the time. There's just something about that skin to skin contact that makes everything that much better.


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## Mrs Dimples (Apr 17, 2004)

What a sweet story! The few times my son was able/willing to latch on were also in the bathtub. Something about that water...


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## NatureMama3 (Feb 25, 2004)

I don't use the sling in the shower, but DO take him with me (I find it easy to hold him between the legs/behind the back). We tried the infant-tub when he was about a week old and all hated it so he's showered with us (DH or I) ever since.

LOVE LOVE LOVE wet baby!







I kiss his little head and the wet hair feels like the instant he was born all over again.







(he was born in water)


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