# How long do you hold/carry/wear your baby during the day?



## TaraD. (Nov 12, 2005)

I'm just curious how long everyone holds (or carries or wears) their baby each day. How long is he or she doing other activities? Did you hold your baby more as a newborn?


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## SuzyLee (Jan 18, 2008)

Max: 2 hours. Min: none. Just depends on the day. I tend to wear him for the last 30 min before nap/bedtime (ie, when he is craaky). DS is 8 months. This is wearing only. He gets held more that that but it is harder to count the time.

When he was a newborn, more like 3-4 hours probably. But at that age I would put him in and he would just fall asleep, and I could do whatever (sit on the couch). He was held or worn pretty much all the time. Now I can only wear DS when I am walking around and moving, or he fusses.


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## sarahtdubb (Apr 30, 2007)

My son is 8 months old... now we wear him for naps, if he is really fussy and I need to do something, or if we're going somewhere (we rarely use the stroller)-- I would say overall it's probably somewhere between 3-6 hours a day.

When he was a newborn, we wore him almost all the time.


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## anj7 (Jul 7, 2007)

DD3 is 9.5 weeks old and I wear her for all her asleep hours in the day. Generally she's awake for an hour in the morning and 1 to 2 hours in the afternoon and another 2 hours early evening.

My day is broken up by taking and pick up DD1 to school (we walk there), so most of the time I don't see a point in putting DD3 down in her bed as I'd have to get her up again to pick up DD1. We also have activities for DD1 and DD2, I wear DD3 for those classes (gymnastics, art class, etc).


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## Trinitty (Jul 15, 2004)

7 weeks.

pretty much all day. holding, sling and wrap. she sleeps best this way. trin.


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## hippiemum21580 (Jul 14, 2007)

He is 10.5 months and I just follow his lead. Sometimes he is desiring to be mobile and crawl around following his brothers while other times he wants to hang out in the sling or nursing or just having some chill out time. I guess our average here is about 5 or 6 hours a day, but that is not counting sleeping together all night.


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## nolonger (Jan 18, 2006)

My fourth infant is almost four months old.

I put him down on the bed to change his diaper when we are at home (I use my lap otherwise) and to take pictures.

I strap him in an infant safety seat when I have to drive a car, but I avoid driving and walk whenever possible.


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## DasMaedchen (May 10, 2008)

*She will be 9 months old on the 23rd

For the first 4 months, I held or wore her almost all the time.

At about 5 months, I went to work at a daycare and she comes with me. I wore her quite a lot in the early weeks, i guess it was a big adjustment for both of us.

Now I wear her only for shopping trips/when we are out and I need my hands free. I use the hip hammock usually 6-7 times a week but it's just because it makes going out easier when I don't want to use a stroller.

At home and work, she doesn't want to be held that much. I try to hold her when she isn't busy playing or getting into stuff!! She's cuddly when she's sleepy, so I usually get to hold her for maybe half an hour prior to naps, and a half hour/hour before bedtime. I miss being able to hold her for hours on end!


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## St. Margaret (May 19, 2006)

When DD was really small, I could put her down a little, but mostly held her. I figured out wraps at 2 or 3 months and wore her all day... I'd take her out to sit and play or eat but I'd just keep moving and wear her mostly. As she got to sitting we did more spells of that, and then scooting, she wanted to be down a lot. I only wear her now when we're out, tho I carry her around for short spells and have to help her walk a LOT.

It just depends on the baby; and it waxes and wanes through stages.


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## ellemnop (May 10, 2008)

I hold Lemmie 50-75% of the time that she's awake and probably 5-10% of the time that she's asleep.


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

It's varied a LOT, depending on the age.
For the first four months or so, she took all her naps on me, usually in a wrap, and I went on tons of long walks and hikes, all of which I wore her for. We put her down some, to let her stretch out and kick her legs and, when she was old enough, grab at toys or play on her playmat, but I wore or carried her for the bulk of the time.
Once she was sitting up by herself at 4.5 months, and rolling, she was a lot more interested in being down on the ground where she could practice all that, but I still wore her for all outings, etc.
As she got mobile, I carried/wore her even less.
For the last couple months, she's been walking, and it's MUCH harder to wear or carry her. She wants to be DOWN, and she lets us know. SHe's happy in the sling or ergo for short periods, but long walks have become much tougher - she doens't like feeling constrained.

My guess is that it varies a lot from baby to baby, though


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## firecat (Jun 11, 2002)

my baby is almost 3 1/2 mo. I am either wearing or carrying him most of the day, except when I am eating/ preparing food, most cleaning ( when I'm using chemical cleaners), or working on my jewelry. We also do playtime on the floor/bed/bath a couple times a day. It probably adds up to 3-5 hrs a day he is not in arms.


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## wombatclay (Sep 4, 2005)

Varied a lot...

As a newborn, someone was holding dd2 more or less 24/7. It wasn't always me though... DH loves the sling too and with dd1 needing attention, having dd2 being worn was a life saver.

As a little baby, say in the 3-8 month range, again dd2 was in the sling or ergo most of the day. If she wasn't being carried we were usually all together on the floor or couch.

Now, at 11 months, I guess dd2 is in the ergo hmmmm.... 9-10 hours a day perhaps? Not all in one long chunk since she loves crawling about and playing with her big sis, but probably for 2-3 hours before and during her morning nap, another 3-4 hours before and during her afternoon nap, and when we are outside playing with dd1 she is often in and out of the ergo. Oh, and on the days I go to play school with dd1 she is in the ergo the whole time.

I follow her lead...she is a "carry me!" kind of kiddo... and sometimes she goes into the ergo just because I need my hands free and my attention focused on dd1.


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## Maela (Apr 2, 2006)

Dd is in the MT when we go out grocery shopping or something like that. Also on her clingy days (maybe once or twice a week?) I'll put her in the MT for a half hour to get some cleaning done (general picking up the mess stuff). Also I pick her up a lot for hugs and to dance. she sits in my lap while we read books (5-10 minutes 3-4 times a day). Otherwise she is on the floor playing, getting into stuff, and cruising around. I also hold her when putting her to sleep about half an hour.

So I guess she's in arms about 3-4 hours a day. She also sleeps with us at night, that's not included.

She's almost 10 months.


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## Ks Mama (Aug 22, 2006)

At nearly 1, whenever he wants to be held, I hold him. Sometimes I sling him, particularly if fussy, and/or at the end of the day when tired. Our nanny always slings him. DH wears him in the backpack while shopping. AS a newborn, he was nearly continually on me. Only way to get anything done & interact with DD.


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## Ks Mama (Aug 22, 2006)

Hey Wombatclay!!

So, you like your Ergo?? DS is getting really TOO big for the sling, and too heavy for me, even in my mei hip (which I LOVED for DD). He's a big boy. Still really likes to be held, so bascially, I just hold him. But that's tough when trying to DO anything.


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## ema-adama (Dec 3, 2007)

Hey,

DS is 3 months next monday and I have been wearing him pretty much 90+% of his waking hours (me or DH). He rests alone on our bed and sleeps at night with us... although there have been 2 instances where he cried and cried and I was not coping and put him down in his basinette and called DH to calm down... This is an interesing thread for me, as I have been wondering if I am holding him too much or if I am a terrible mum when I put him down to stretch or cook. Sometimes I do just feel I need a break, especially if he is tetchy and not settling. (It does not always suit me to go out for a walk at that precise moment - a mama's gotta eat/drink/rest as well)

Anyway, got a bit diverted there... it's interesting reading how many hours others families are wearing their babies.


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## wombatclay (Sep 4, 2005)

Hey KS! Haven't "seen" you in a while.









Yeah, we live in the ergo... it's been a life saver considering how much dd1 wants to be carried. I had her in the sling for about a half hour last week and I thought my shoulder would never recover.







And she isn't even all that big! So for us the ergo is essential.


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## kansasgoblue (May 13, 2008)

Good question. I find myself asking the same thing and then this weekend I spent time with a friend's baby, 5 mos., who is hardly ever held. The answer I found after spending time with this poor little guy is- there's never too much. It pained me to see my baby's playdate lay quietly for 1.5 hours without his mom's attention. Of course he was a wonderfully quiet, well behaved five month old baby, but he didn't laugh, coo, or initiate interaction with any of us. She has some ridiculous belief that babies should entertain themselves all day, and mom should give attention only to feed (even when they are TOTALLY DEPENDENT upon us). It's absurd.
Plus, as my friend who is a shrink always tells me- don't worry about giving your child too much attention. She believes the reason that we now have a society of where more and more young adults/ children that have antisocial personality tendencies is because of the lack of one on one contact children have with their parents i.e. fisher price raised kids rather than mommy raised kids.

Hug kiss and dote on that little one until both hearts are content. =)


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## LeighB (Jan 17, 2008)

Dd is almost 5 months.
First three months she was held all the time basically. It's just what she wanted. Now she is in a wrap whenever we are out and maybe 2 hours at home. I hold her for most of her daytime sleeping.


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## Blucactus (Nov 20, 2006)

I would say rough guess, six hours on a normal day. He usually only naps in my arms/carrier during the day, and that's about 3-4 hours of napping between 2-3 naps, plus getting him to sleep, plus just holding him, plus wearing him, and of course the one hip hold when I'm trying to make dinner LOL...hmm it might be over 6 on a normal day...!! Today it's been anhour or two so far cuz we went out & he's napping in his carseat.


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## CowsRock (Aug 1, 2005)

Hmmm, my guy is 4 1/2 months and I wear him for his naps and when he is awake he alternates between wanting me to hold him so he can stand, sitting in my lap, or laying on the floor so he can kick and kick and kick







and I wear him for walks and wear or carry him when we are out. If I'm trying to cook and hubby isn't home then the vibrating chair or the jumpy and singing lots of songs buy me a little time.


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## Jilian (Jun 16, 2003)

DS2 is almost a year old. For his first 3-4 mos he was held/worn for most of the day. When he learned to sit I started wearing him less. Now I usually only wear him when we're out or if he's fussy and needs to be held when I need to do something. He's still held quite a bit, but worn less. He's getting heavy! I'm gonna guess he's worn about 1-2 hours on an average day and held at least 2 more hours by me and then a little more by DH.


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