28 Jul 👶🏻Does your baby enjoy being in the Baby Bouncer? 😬Do you leave your child in the Baby Bouncer while you are busy with the housework?
Baby Bouncers are reclined seats that allow babies to bounce gently when they kick their legs or move their bodies. Generally, they are intended for newborns up to around 6 months old or until the baby can sit up unsupported. Baby Bouncers can be helpful for babies with reflux as well as preventing flatten head shapes by having baby reclined at 45 degrees when lying on their back.
However, a common mistake we see parents making is they tend to use the Baby Bouncers for babies long after they are 6 months old. There are 3 reasons why we would recommend that families wean babies off the Baby Bouncer;
🥴1. Delay In Baby’s Gross Motor Skills
When babies are left in Baby Bouncers for a lot of their day, over time, they learn to bounce themselves to cause the bouncer to rock. As a result, some babies end up learning to move around a room by bouncing themselves forward on their bottoms instead of crawling forward. This leads to delayed gross motor skills.
🤕2. Injury As A Result Of Falling Over
Babies who are over 6 months old, tend to be too big and heavy for the Bouncer seat so they can over balance when trying to reach outside the base of the Baby Bouncer. Babies at 8-9 months tend to be learning to crawl so they would to want to get out of the bouncer to explore their environment which often results in falling over with the Bouncer.
😬3. Maladaptive Movement Patterns
Parents are often pulling baby forward by their hands to elicit the “tummy crunch” movement when baby is in the Bouncer. These movement patterns are actually not functional and can actually inhibit babies from learning to sit up by themselves.
So if your baby is over 6 months old, it’s time to pack away the Baby Bouncer.
If you are concerns about your baby’s gross motor skills, ring My Favourite Physio on 📱(02) 9790 4233 or DM us @myfavouritephysio to speak to one of our Expert Paediatric Physiotherapists today! 🤓
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