A baby stroller is an essential component of a travel system for the majority of parents-to-be or new parents, and it is an item that is required to be included on their baby registry. But the question remains, when can baby sit in a stroller? In this article, we’ll discuss possible solutions to that problem.
At this time, you most likely aren’t new to the experience of strolling with your young child. After securing them in their infant car seat and attaching the seat to the stroller, you may take them out for an adventure. Your stroller might even have a mode where the baby can lie back and rest while you’re out.
Parent and child both benefit from a change of scenery provided by a walk (and the momentary illusion of peace). As your baby gets older and starts to understand what’s going on around them, you might start to wonder when they’ll be able to sit up in the stroller and see everything with you.
So, When Can Baby Sit In a Stroller On its Own?
There isn’t a magic age that tells you when it’s safe for your little one to move up to the stroller seat. Switching from the baby seat or carriage mode to the stroller seat depends more on the child’s size and development stage than anything else. Because their muscles are still growing, your baby needs to ride with the seat all the way back for the first few months.
Once the baby is able to hold their head up without assistance, which usually occurs around three months of age, we advise making the transition to a stroller seat that can be reclined. As soon as your baby is able to sit up on their own, usually between the ages of five and seven months, you can move to a completely upright stroller seat.
In the meantime, it’s important to help baby develop their large motor skills so they can reach these milestones.
How Can You Assist Your Infant’s Muscle Growth and Development?
Even though they can’t lift weights at the gym, they can do tummy time. While you’re watching, lay your baby on their stomach and use a mirror, a toy, or you to help them lift their head. This helps their neck, back, and stomach muscles get stronger. The first step toward being able to sit up independently is for the baby to hold their head up. But just like we try to avoid going to the gym, some babies fight tummy time with all their might. Investing in toys that promote development can help extend tummy time and turn it into a pleasurable activity.
About seven months in, your baby will get the strength to sit up on their own and will be able to sit up perfectly straight in the stroller. You can do a lot of good by getting a stroller with adjustable recline for your child as they develop a sense of independence. As an added bonus, a modular stroller lets you switch between parent-facing and world-facing so that your child can get to know you and see the world.
What Should You Look for When Buying a Stroller?
There are strollers available that offer full recline and accessories like a bassinet or car seat designed specifically for infants. There are a few more details to look out for while purchasing a stroller, and they are as follows (2) (3):
- A sturdy frame and an easy-to-use steering system.
- It has a five-point harness, multiple reclining positions, and a wide base.
- Carry and lift the stroller when it’s open and when it’s closed to make sure it’s sturdy and easy to move.
- Check the brakes and locking systems on each wheel and see if the handles are easy for you to use.
- baskets and trunks of sufficient size
- Components that can be attached to the stroller when needed, such as a reversible seat or an infant car seat.
- The stroller’s manoeuvrability, with and without extra weight
- Make sure it meets the safety standards set by the US government.
- Product guarantees and refund procedures
Make sure the stroller is appropriate for your child’s age, height, and weight by consulting the product description, manufacturer’s instructions, and product information.
What Safety Steps Should You Take When Using a Stroller?
On the market, you can find different kinds of strollers, such as jogging strollers, umbrella strollers, and double strollers. But no matter which stroller you choose, there are some things you need to do to make sure they are safe. Some of these safety measures are (4) and (5):
- Do not leave your child in a stroller alone and unattended.
- Don’t put too much in the stroller’s storage space.
- Always make sure the five-point safety harness is on.
- Make sure the stroller is stable when you move it and that the folding mechanism is locked.
- Do not hang baskets or bags from the stroller’s handles, as this could cause it to fall over.
- To lower the risk of suffocation, don’t put extra pillows or blankets in the carriage space.
- When you stop the stroller, make sure the wheel brakes are on.
- Put the tether strap around your waist at all times.
Don’t Hang Items From The Stroller
It’s important to remember that this transportation system’s main job is to keep people safe. There may be a basket on your stroller for basic baby supplies, but you can’t hang your purse or diaper bag from it. The stroller will fall over as a result.
In fact, 16% of accidents involving strollers are caused by the stroller falling over. While most kids just get bumps and scrapes, about 25% of them end up with more serious injuries like concussions or traumatic brain injuries.
Use Safety Features That Come With The Product (And Common Sense)
Also, when your baby is in the stroller, you should always stay close by. When you stop, make sure to use the parking brake. Also, even when the stroller isn’t moving, your child should always be buckled in.
You should also register your stroller and baby carrier as soon as you buy them. This can make sure that you know about recalls and can stop using the product right away. Also, make sure to read the instructions for your carrier and stroller carefully. This may seem like a lot of work, but every brand has different instructions that you need to know before you use it.
Allow Them To Sleep In Their Crib Or Bassinet
The most important thing to know is that Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is a real risk before the age of one and can happen out of the blue. “Unfortunately,” says the American Academy of Pediatrics, “about 3,700 infants die every year from sleep-related deaths, which include sudden infant death syndrome, accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed, and other deaths that aren’t well understood.”
The best way to stop these terrible things from happening is to never leave your child alone in a carrier or stroller while they are sleeping. Also, keep in mind that the stroller and car seat base keep the infant car seat level. When it is not in these devices, positional asphyxiation is a real risk.
Health experts also say that you shouldn’t let them sleep in these devices for more than two hours at a time, even if you watch them. When you let your baby sit up in a stroller, this is very important. This is because these safety features that were built in go away.
Avoid Getting Distracted
Distractions will always be present. However, the best approach to prevent accidental harm to your child at the hands of a parent is to put down the phone. When your baby can sit up in a stroller, he or she is more likely to be facing the street than you. This makes falling down a more dangerous thing to do.
Don’t Forget Sun Safety
Once you turn your baby so that they are facing forward, it is harder to keep an eye on how they are doing. The sun is another danger that can hurt your baby if they are sitting up in a stroller.
Even with the canopy up, sunlight can still get in, and the sun’s UV rays can damage your baby’s skin in ways that can’t be fixed. So, you should always put baby sunscreen on your child when they are going to be outside.
Also, children are much more likely than adults to get heat exhaustion or heat stroke. So, make sure your child stays hydrated and keep an eye on the temperature outside. This can help make sure that they don’t stay out in the hot sun for too long.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are strollers bad for babies?
No, it’s not dangerous for babies to use strollers in a safe way. The key is to find a good balance between time in the stroller and time away from it. If they spend too much time in a stroller, they may have less time to play, interact with caregivers, etc.
What are strollers used for?
Strollers are useful for the following reasons (6):
- Simple transportation
- Storage of things
- Safely carrying the baby in parking lots or traffic
- Handling the baby while the caretaker walks or jogs
If you want to take your baby for a walk, a stroller can help. But it’s important to pick a stroller that meets all safety recommendations. So, before you buy a stroller, you should look at all of its features and read user reviews on different e-commerce sites or you can start from here to make sure you’re getting a good one. Also, make sure you use a stroller that is right for the age of your child to avoid any accidents. Furthermore, you should keep your stroller in good shape and stop using it if any major part is broken or doesn’t work.
Important Things
- Babies can use strollers to get around as early as four months old if they have good head control or can sit up for a long time.
- To make sure your baby is safe and comfortable, you should buy a stroller with enough support, reclining options, and good controls.
- Make sure a baby’s safety in a stroller by never leaving a baby unattended, avoiding too much storage space, hanging bags or covers, and checking stroller wheel breaks often.
Conclusion
Your mode of transportation is another important thing to think about before putting your baby in the stroller seat. For parents who have their own cars, this change won’t be too much of a problem. But if you take public transportation like the subway or Metro, you might want to think twice.
In many cities, you can’t take an open stroller on these kinds of public transportation. Instead, you have to take your baby out of the stroller, fold it up, and then go into the transportation area. If your child can’t stand on their own, it can be hard to do all of these things at once. It can be easier on everyone if you wait until they are a little bit older and bigger to move them to the big kid stroller seat.
Finally, I hope this article will be resourceful on when can baby sit in a stroller, still remain, don’t forget that this isn’t a race. When a baby is ready to go, they should sit up in a stroller. Never compare your children to other kids. When your child is ready, he or she will reach this milestone.
