Question:
My 6-week-old son and I are really enjoying using a sling-type carrier during the day. I have worn him for several hours a day. When I do this, he usually falls asleep while he is worn but wakes when I put him down. I'm worried if I just let him stay in the sling and sleep could this disrupt his sleep pattern at night? And how will I get him to sleep on his own during the day for naps without be lying there with him?

Answer:

Sounds like you have what we dub a "sling baby." How lucky your baby is to have you as his mother! Babies learn a lot in the arms of a busy caregiver, as well as having easy access to your comfort and milk. Once infants are used to traveling "first class," they don't easily accept a downgrade. Here's a trick from the Sears' family sling babies, one we dub "wearing down." Wear your infant in the sling until he is in a state of deep sleep, recognized by the limp-limb sign: limbs dangling motionless with open hands. Bend over the crib or bed and ease the sleeping baby out of the sling into his bed. Wearing down is also a useful technique to transition a reluctant sleeper into naptime or sleeptime. Suppose he doesn't want to nap without your presence. Although you would like to have your free time to "get something done," remember you are doing the most important job in the world -- mothering a human being. Besides, it forces you to take a nap yourself, which you need as much as your baby does.