10 commandments for a good use of the stroller with your baby

Do you know how to make your baby's walks as comfortable as possible?

 

You already know that at Easywalker we are specialists in the care and wellbeing of your babies, as our designs combine avant-garde and versatility to become the "home" of the little ones.

 

In this constant search for the best for our babies, we are aware of the concern of parents for the postural hygiene of their little ones, something crucial for a correct development in the first months of life. For this reason, we would like to present you with a decalogue of tips and key recommendations from the physiotherapist and paediatric osteopath, Belén Concejero (@littlebylittlefisioterapia).

 

The ten tips from Easywalker x @littlebylittlefisioterapia

 

Belén Concejero is a paediatric physiotherapist and osteopath with training in neurodevelopment, cranial, digestive and respiratory therapy for babies. For this reason, at Easywalker we wanted to count on her advice on ten aspects that you should bear in mind for a good use of the pushchair.

 

Here we present the 'Decalogue for a good use of the stroller with your baby' from Easywalker:

 

1. Combine strollers rides with ergonomic carrying. In the first months of life it is very necessary to spend time with our children in our arms as skin to skin helps them to regulate themselves and forge a secure bond. For this reason, if we combine ergonomic babywearing with pushchairs, we will be combining another type of vestibular and visual stimulation that is perfect for the neurodevelopment of the little ones

 

2. Positioning the baby correctly to avoid flattening (plagiocephaly). This is a very common consultation and could be avoided with good postural hygiene at home. Our babies' heads flatten due to pressure, so the ideal thing to do is to change your baby's position a lot. The best thing to do is to combine prone positions with the head turned to both sides and during naps to turn them on their side. This also ensures that the cervical rotation is also complete (avoiding torticollis).

 

3. Muslin with your smell nearby, organic noise and unstable ground to familiarise your baby with the pushchair. Some babies may initially reject the pushchair and need more contact to feel secure. For them, it is advisable to apply a familiarisation and calming strategy: use a very soft fabric such as bamboo or cotton that you have previously slept with and place it in the pram so that the baby (with supervision) can smell it and, if he/she wants to, pick it up. Also, adding a low, organic, heartbeat type noise in the background can work. Lastly, get your courage and love and go out on the most unstable ground near your home. It's a good idea to start with short walks and after meals, once they've calmed down.

 

4. For babies with digestive discomfort (colic, for example), place a roll under their knees to relieve tension in the abdomen. By placing a roll under their legs, we relax their tummy. In addition to being more comfortable, this position also makes it easier for them to push up if they need to. We will use it if they are on their backs. If we lay them on their side, the ideal position is with their head slightly elevated and their legs very flexed.

 

5. If they have reflux or regurgitate, raise their head by placing a wedge under the mattress. A very useful trick is to find or make a wedge with a 10-15 degree inclination with towels from home. We are going to put it on the highest part of the pushchair mattress, making sure that the head and shoulders are raised, but not the whole body. In addition, choosing models that have anti-reflux reclining systems will help to prevent it.

 

6. We can stimulate with a toy inside (contrast panel, rattle). Always on the sides and not on top, as binocular vision does not develop until 4 months, so until then it is not advisable to place toys on top of their eyes. Therefore, the ideal is to offer one stimulus at a time, on one side alternately and for short periods of time.

 

7. Change from the carrycot to the seat only when your baby is ready. To find out if your baby is ready for the change, it is advisable to try putting them in a sitting position. If your little one is able to straighten up slightly, remains relatively stable and can even look around the room and enjoy the position, go ahead, they are ready. If, on the other hand, you see that they are squishy or bend forward too much, wait and try again in a few weeks. As always, there will be exceptions that it would be ideal to discuss with the paediatrician or physiotherapist who accompanies your child: cases of reflux.

 

8. Start with the seat facing you. Until after 9-10 months it is normal for your baby to still have the dreaded "separation anxiety" and, if they don't see us, it's as if we weren't there. For all these reasons, we will always start walking with the baby facing us. Before about one year of age and depending on the baby's acceptance, we will orientate the seat towards the world.

 

9. Do not use the most upright position prematurely. Their back evolves from a single dorsal curvature (very rounded baby) to a complete straightening with two other opposite curvatures at cervical and lumbar level. Forcing our babies to sit upright on their own could delay the acquisition of other muscle and movement patterns. For this reason, we will always begin semi-recumbent and as their stability improves on the floor, we will transfer them to our seat.

 

10. Walks: a wonderful time to connect with your baby. Through our faces, gestures and expressions, babies learn to communicate "in their own way". So answer as if you understand them, sing and gesticulate a thousand songs, use faces of surprise, happiness, sadness to try to imitate them... And, above all, enjoy! Without knowing it, you are creating a bond that will last a lifetime.

 

You can also take a look at this didactic video starring Belén, where you can see the tips in a visual way, as well as download the complete information of the decalogue here: https://we.tl/t-zH4EqMryaJ.