Before transitioning your baby to sitting up in a stroller, it's crucial to ensure that they've
mastered two key milestones in order to ensure that they can do it safely. To help you make this
transition, I'm going to walk you through what these two key developmental milestones are,
and then we'll talk about how to check to see if your baby is ready. First, in order to ride safely
while sitting up in a stroller, your baby needs to be able to hold their head steady without it
flopping forward, backwards or to the sides. And this is known as head control.
This skill is essential for several reasons. Proper head control allows your baby to breathe
comfortably in the stroller. Without it, their head may slump forward, or their chin could press
against their chest, potentially blocking their airway. Good head control also helps your baby
adjust their head position in response to movement, ensuring a comfy and safe ride.
And finally, adequate head control indicates that your baby's neck and spine are strong enough to
hold their head upright, preventing strain and reducing the risk of injury. Head control is a
milestone babies typically achieve sometime between three to four months of age and this
is just one of the many exciting developmental milestones your baby will achieve during their
first year of life. I've created a free guide that shows you when you should be expecting certain
skills and when to be concerned and you can grab that by clicking the link down in the description.
The other key skill they need is postural balance.
This is your baby's ability to maintain a stable, symmetrical position
where they're slightly reclined or upright.
And this skill plays a crucial role for several reasons.
With proper postural balance, your baby can stay comfortable
in the stroller, avoiding excessive leaning to one side.
If a baby leans too much to one side while seated in a stroller,
it can lead to multiple safety concerns.
One major issue is the strain on the neck, spine and joints, as excessive leaning can put undue
stress on your baby's body and potentially cause discomfort, pain or even long-term problems.
Breathing can also be affected if the baby doesn't have adequate postural balance.
They may slump or lean too much to one side in the stroller, impeding their breathing
by compressing their chest or actually causing their chin to press against their chest.
and in some situations the stroller harness might actually press on the baby's chest or neck,
further restricting their airflow. Finally, there is a risk of entanglement and injury.
A baby who leans excessively might accidentally become entangled in the stroller harness
or other parts, potentially leading to injury. By achieving good postural balance, your baby will
be better prepared to adapt to any movements, bumps or sudden stops that they may face while
seated in a stroller and this helps to reduce the likelihood of falls or injuries.
Now to test if your baby is ready to transition to a reclined stroller seat, you can perform
two simple tests that assess their head control and postural control.
To check your baby's head control, have them sit on your lap with your hands gently
supporting their rib cage.
While they sit with your support, watch their head movements and posture.
If your baby demonstrates good head control, they'll keep their head steady without shaking
or wobbling their head.
A steady head actually means their neck muscles are strong enough to hold their head, lowering
the risk of injury when they are sitting in the stroller.
Their chin should also not be touching their chest.
Instead, you should see a visible gap.
If your baby's chin rests on their chest, it's unsafe to use the stroller in an upright
seated position, as there's a risk that their head will actually fall forward or
their chin will press against their chest obstructing their airway. You
should also notice that your baby can maintain a straight head position even
when you gently move them from side to side. If they can keep their head steady
and in line with the center of their body and prevent it from flopping around
when you do this, then they have the strength needed to hold their upper body
and head upright when they're seated in a stroller. To check your baby's postural
control you want to place your baby in a slightly reclined position and you can
achieve this by sitting them in a bouncer seat or helping them to sit up
while sitting on your lap. And when they're sitting you want to carefully
observe their body posture and alignment paying attention to the way their head
neck and spine align. If your baby displays good postural control you
should notice the following. Your baby should be able to maintain a balanced
symmetrical position with their head, neck and spine aligned properly. This indicates that they
have the necessary coordination and stability to sit comfortably in a stroller seat. They should
also not be leaning excessively to one side. A balanced posture ensures that your baby will be
able to remain secure and at ease in the stroller seat and reduce the risk of any potential problems
that may arise when they're sitting in the stroller. If your baby passes these two tests,
you can transition them to a reclined stroller seat.
But before you jump in and do that, make sure you watch this video next,
because in it I'll walk you through how to set up your baby stroller seat with a step-by-step guide
covering everything from determining the perfect seat angle, to positioning the harness straps,
and providing foot support for your little one.