As mothers, we all want to do the best we can for our babies. We all want our babies to develop properly, and we would never knowingly do something that would potentially prevent their development. But sometimes, we have the best intentions but fall prey to clever marketing and the lure of convenience. Let’s cover some of the baby products mothers use with good intentions, but that might be affecting your baby.
Bumbo Seats
These are great, in theory! A device that holds your baby upright in a seated position long before they can hold themselves up. Sure makes bath time convenient, as well as feeding solids, and even just having a little break from holding them.
The problem is that is places your baby into a position they are not neurologically or developmentally ready for! Your baby is not going to learn to sit by placing them in a sitting position. Your baby is going to learn to sit by placing them on their tummy, and them moving their own body (and gaining strength to do so), eventually leading to rolling, crawling, and sitting.
Jolly Jumpers
These look like an absolute blast! Who wouldn’t want to be jumping around like that?! Unfortunately, babies are often placed into jolly jumpers well before they have learned to stand up on their own. Their spines are not ready for the load of standing, let alone jumping.
The supportive harness places a lot of added stress on the lower spine, and weight bearing onto immature hip sockets might stress the area to the point of altering development. There is no evidence that it will assist in strengthening the legs in order to learn to walk. It purely places your baby into a position they are developmentally not ready to be in.
Baby Carriers with Dangling Legs
Placing your baby in a seated position with their legs dangling down (under the force of gravity) places extra stresses on the spine as well as the hips. Some carriers have enough support that the hip joints are not an issue, however if you have a carrier in which your baby’s legs are hanging straight down, gravity is placing a stretching force onto their hip capsule and may alter the development.
Using a carrier incorrectly from birth also places your baby into a sitting position much earlier than their spine is ready for. If you’re not sure about baby wearing, please ensure you find a local meeting to assist you in using correct carriers and positions for your baby’s size and age.
