Infant Equipment
[Originally posted 7/6/2020 @ www.teachingtheladytobe.com]
Our rockstar Godmother to our little Mamie is pregnant with her first precious bundle and just reached out for clarification on my thoughts on infant equipment. Infant equipment would include any type of "container" (a harsh word, but pretty accurate!) in which you can place your babe to rest, including swings, bouncy seats, car seats, etc. I sent her a response and thought it might be helpful to share with other new mama friends, too.
Let me start by saying that:
My girls do spend (or have spent) some time in baby "containers."
I will occasionally let the girls take (supervised!) naps in the containers when they fall asleep.
The containers do help a mama's sanity, which is not to be disregarded.
As new parents in this age, we are inundated with baby equipment options that are (sometimes!) somewhat affordable and are advertised as necessary for a happy baby and/or good sleeper.
You are very much still a wonderful parent if you use baby equipment often.
Having said that, I will also say that I am not a big fan of leaving baby in the car seat or bouncer/swing for too long-- and especially not during naps. Why?
1. Increased risk of torticollis, which is a condition in which baby has asymmetrical neck muscle tightness. When a baby is super young (typically under 2-3 months), they can't hold their head up in the straight, or midline, position on that reclined surface. Instead, their head will tilt (ear to shoulder) to the side. This is especially true when the baby is sleeping-- and then, really at any age that they would be in the baby equipment. If the baby has an asymmetry to begin with, it will be accentuated if they spend more time in the car seat, swing, bouncy seat, etc, as the head tilting will further cause tightness in the neck muscles on that side. I often treat babies with torticollis, and a big piece of my treatment is education in transitioning the babies out of these types of baby equipment.
2. Increased risk of-- and/or worsening of-- flatness on the head. If baby has a neck turning preference at all, and if they fall asleep in a container, they inevitable start to form a flat spot on the back of their head. Staying in that equpiment makes it worse, as it's harder to inadvertently roll off of the flat spot.
3. Limited spontaneous movement. This is sort of a hard one to describe. Basically, though, in a container, babies are not able to move much. On a flat surface and even in some carrying positions, babies have many more opportunities for movement-- and even at a very young age. For example, parents often note that their tiny baby (2-3 months old) will wiggle all over the crib at night! In my opinion, it's good to let the baby have their freedom to move, even if it awakens them in the beginning.
4. Keeping a babe in a container reduces the chance for Tummy Time, and Tummy Time is THE BEST THING. I have heard that an expert pediatric practitioner calls Tummy Time the academics of infancy, and I agree! I know, I know, I know. Let me guess? Your baby hates Tummy Time. At a young age, every baby hates it after a few minutes. It is a fact that babies often are not fans for long periods of time, but if you start from day one (or start today! It's not too late!!), it is much more palatable for the babe. There are also many strategies for improving even the youngest baby's Tummy Time tolerance. [Stay tuned for a separate blog post!]
In an ideal world, your babe would tolerate 60-90 minutes (or more!) of Tummy Time per day by 4 months of age. I do not mean all at one time, and Tummy Time does not only have to happen down on the floor. Your baby can also do Tummy Time on your chest, across your lap, in your arms, over a ball, face-to-face, etc-- stay tuned for another post). Also in an ideal world, your babe would spend only 20-30 minutes, 3-4 times per day in any type of baby equipment. This is just an ideal world, though, and the ideal is certainly not always met in my house!
*I should add that a baby wrap/carrier IS great for your baby, as long as the baby has good alignment while inside the carrier. With a baby carrier, you want to be so certain that the baby is always positioned to allow proper breathing, leg alignment, and, of course, safety as you move about. If you need to bend down while wearing your babe, 100% bend with your legs! And if your baby has any neck tightness/asymmetry, try to sometimes position them with their head sometimes turned to the right and sometimes turned to the left.*
Other alternatives to having your babe spend lots of time in equipment is placing the babe on a blanket on the floor, or if you’re worried about a dog or sibling running too close to resting babe, in a pack n play or a similar playpen.
Again, just my two cents, but I am confident that this opinion is shared by many in my field. And I DO put my babes in bouncy seats and other equipment every once in a while. We also take long (6-8 hour) car trips to Ohio and Michigan often, so the teeny babes sleep for prolonged periods in their car seats then. Feel free to take or leave this advice on baby equipment. You are a rockstar, mama.
Do your best, get your rest, and enjoy those baby snuggles!
