What can you get done while baby wearing?

[brewster1118]

I have an 8 week old who finally is starting to like napping in our ergobaby. I was soooo excited that I wouldn’t have to do all contact naps sitting on the couch and I might actually be able to get some chores done! Well it turns out all I do is walk around and sway to keep him asleep. I try to do the dishes but bending over wakes him up and squatting 1000 times just isn’t going to happen. Almost everything I need to do requires me to bend forward, be loud, or stand/sit still, all of which my LO hates and refuses to sleep through! So my question is.. what are y’all doing other than walking and swaying?

 

[nupreacher]

@brewster1118 Pretty much just folding laundry and tidying up. Baby gets wet if I do dishes and I don't feel like cooking is safe while baby wearing.

Edit: I do like baby wearing while shopping or on a walk! Just not too much around the house

 

[zennah]

@nupreacher Lol I tried food prepping (no heat) while baby wearing. I got through very slowly chopping a potato twice before realizing that it wasn't worth it - I was so so so slow and it took so much effort because I couldn't be in normal chopping position.

Shopping though! I can shop and I can drink iced or cooled off coffee while baby wearing! Also in the summer I can pick blueberries at a u-pick!

 

[nupreacher]

@zennah Lol yes I love baby wearing while shopping or on a walk! It's just not always practical around the house!

 

[calso]

@brewster1118 I mostly did not try to get a lot of housework done while babywearing at that age, and instead went on lots of long walks.

 

[smr30]

@calso Same, I love babywearing while going for walks! I put in headphones and listen to a podcast and it's awesome to get a little break!

 

[newby1985]

@smr30 This is the way! With my first I was frustrated my house was a mess and I couldn’t do anything about it during naps. With my second I just left the house to take walks and listen to podcasts.

Had a way more fun time during the newborn days!

 

[caninekiss]

@brewster1118 I can chop veggies/do some dinner prep and cooking, grocery shopping, and supervising my older kid in the yard or at the park. But yeah, I can’t bend down to unload the dishwasher or laundry.

 

[hoppfull]

@brewster1118 Not a whole lot unfortunately. My 4.5 month old is 17 lbs, 27 inches and I’m on the petite side. I can sweep, wipe down surfaces, maybe fold? Sometimes I can get a meal in. Some parts of cooking like stirring and whatnot. He sleeps through vacuuming too. It’s hard for me to chop, wash dishes, unload clothing from the washer because he’s SO big - I can’t see or reach in front of me!

Baby-wearing hasn’t been the panacea I thought it would be for getting things done around the house, but it has been great for running errands and getting my Velcro baby to take naps. I’m really looking forward to back wearing - I think that’ll change the game.

 

[yesuruntruth777]

@hoppfull Backwearing changes your life, trust me!

 

[eddymeng]

@brewster1118 When I front wore it was tricky but I could do most things. Dishwasher just squat. It’s great exercise.

I did move baby in the back very quickly with number three (10days) and with number two at 12 weeks. This made things easier.
On the other hand. Take the time to relax.

 

[sharmini]

@eddymeng What carrier do you use for back carrying at a young age?

 

[calso]

@sharmini A woven wrap is the option you can use earliest, but it is an advanced skill, you definitely want to have a lot of practice with front carries in a woven before trying a back carry. Someone showed me how to do a back carry with my first baby at 2 months, but it took months for me to get really comfortable with it. It was probably close to 8 or 9 months when I started back carrying more routinely. I expect with baby 2 (due in a few months) I will be doing a lot more back wearing early on.

 

[eddymeng]

@sharmini As already mentioned. You can only do that in a woven wrap and really need experience.

 

[wwjd24]

@brewster1118 I can tidy up and get administrative things done like phone calls and work emails. I bought one of those grabbers that you use to pick up trash in the park originally to grab stuff while I’m feeding her but it also works to pick up things off the floor and put them away, or reach up high to grab a new pad for the swiffer!

 

[jacknorth]

@brewster1118 I’ve worn 2 kids and I can do basically anything except dishes— there’s something about the height of the dishwasher. Same goes for front loading washing machines and the dryer. It just wakes them up.

But anything else they sleep through. Folding, wiping surfaces, cooking.

So I start the washer/dryer during tummy time.

 

[codeforchrist]

@brewster1118 I would always vacuum first to put him into a really deep sleep then I could do slightly louder/more stationary things. I have one of those cordless dysons.

 

[questing]

@brewster1118 For me not much chores wise. Mostly just tidying up and folding laundry. I work from home so the big plus for me is that I'm able to sit at the computer and work while she naps in the carrier.

 

[blackz23]

@questing I did this a few times when she was contact napping 100% of the time and I needed to get off the couch and off my phone. Carrier worked like magic and I could sit at the desk and do other things.

 

[traininggrounds]

@brewster1118 Tidying, grocery shopping, laundry folding, and I do cook but I have an electric stove not gas and I only do anything with the oven if my husband is available to actually put the food in and take it out.