As parents, you’ve probably used different baby carriers to make life easier, whether to transport your baby or keep them safe while you handle other tasks. And while these inventions are convenient for parents, they’re really not that great for your baby. In fact, using baby containers too much can impact their physical development.
Today, we’ll cover why your baby needs to be able to move, how these containers restrict their movement, and what you can do instead to ensure your baby can reach their vital physical milestones.
Babies Need to Be Able to Move to Reach Developmental Milestones
Containers and carriers for babies can be very useful and very helpful for parents, but they are not meant to be used for long periods of time. Babies need to be able to move to reach their developmental milestones, specifically to build their movement and sensory skills.
It doesn’t seem like much, but even small movements—like turning their head to follow you or kicking their legs—are exercise for your baby. They need that movement to build their strength, coordination, and other important skills.
If you’re constantly trying to keep them still, in one place, or undisturbed so that they sleep, then your baby isn’t getting the movement and stimulation they need to be able to interact with this new environment outside the womb and develop these vital skills.
Containers Like Car Seats, Bouncers, and Walkers Limit Baby’s Movement and Sensory Processing Skills
Oftentimes, parents put babies into containers to keep them in a safe spot and especially to help them sleep. We can sympathize with that because sleep is hard to come by when you’re a new parent. But when they were in your womb, they had tons of stimulation. They were constantly moving and experiencing sounds and other sensations.
Then when they’re born and they finally have the freedom to stretch and look around, you put them in another container to keep them still! And that prevents them from being able to learn how to use their body and adapt to the new sensations they experience outside of the womb.
New parents especially try to keep the home quiet and calm so that baby can sleep. But babies are very resilient. If you give them the chance, they’ll build the sensory processing skills they need to sleep right through conversations, TV sounds, and even the vacuum cleaner. Continue living, continue making noise and doing what you need to do, because that actually supports your baby’s development.
What Can Happen When Babies Spend Too Much Time in Containers
Bouncers and walkers might seem like a better option since they let your baby move around a bit. However, these containers position your baby in an unnatural way that encourages them to move according to that unnatural positioning. Walkers and bouncers, in particular, can encourage toe-walking, or walking on the balls of the feet instead of with heel-to-toe steps.
When you keep your baby in a container too often, it can impact key sensory skills like body awareness (proprioception) and balance (vestibular sense). Babies need opportunities to move freely—to stretch their arms and legs, roll over, and look around—to develop these skills. The only way to do that is with practice, and too much time in containers limits their opportunity to practice.
Similarly, spending too much time in containers like car seats or rockers can lead to conditions like plagiocephaly (flat spots on the head) or torticollis (tight neck muscles). This is because they’re kept in a scrunched-up position on their back where they can’t turn their heads freely, which is important for healthy muscle development.
How to Let Your Baby Move Safely & Promote Their Development
We know that, at some point, you’ll need a carrier for grocery trips or a bouncer to cook dinner—that’s perfectly fine. The key is to avoid overusing containers in ways that could negatively affect your baby’s physical development.
1. Use a Baby Harness
If you need to carry your baby around to run errands, we’d recommend using a harness or backpack carrier that straps onto you. This will allow your baby to move their head, which strengthens their neck muscles and head control. It also lets their arms and legs move freely so they can kick and wiggle to build their control of their little body.
2. Set Them on the Floor
We’d also recommend that when you need to put your baby down so that you can handle something, you can lay them down in their crib or on a carpeted floor. That way, they’ll be able to stretch, move, and look around freely.
3. Do Lots of Tummy Time
Lastly, you should always be doing tummy time with your baby so that they can build their physical skills to reach their developmental milestones. This is especially important if your baby spends time in containers like car seats or bouncers because it will give them a chance to stretch and use their muscles in different ways.
Reach Out to First Steps for Expert Support
By allowing your baby the freedom to move and interact with their environment, you’re setting the stage for healthy physical and sensory development. And if you need help, our team at First Steps Pediatric Therapy is here for you! Our experienced occupational, physical, and speech therapists will work with you to support your child’s development.
Call us today at (720) 989-0179 to schedule an evaluation and help your child take their first steps toward a brighter future.
