When To Put Baby In Stroller Without Car Seat | Practical Tips
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Strollers with car seats can give extended support in terms of your little baby’s safety and comfort. But when your baby gets older, they kind of like to be seated in the stroller without the car seat. Now you need to understand the limitation on when to put a baby in a stroller without a car seat for better support and compatibility.
To let you know a glimpse, after the first 6 months, they tend to hold their head and neck straight on their own without any assistance. As a car seat inside the stroller helps a baby to balance and hold the head, you can think of switching to the stroller without a car seat once your baby can hold their neck and head up without any support.
However, there is more to this. Some babies tend to achieve the balance a little bit late. So keep on reading and you will get a detailed overview of this topic. Let’s start!
When To Put Baby In Stroller Without Car Seat? Get The Exact Idea!
Every transition of babies becomes a big debate among the parents. No one wants to make a wrong decision for their baby. So if you are in a doubt about whether you should use the car seat or not, the right time to put a baby into a stroller without a car seat is the time when your baby becomes capable of sitting up without any support and holding his head up.
Babies cannot get enough support to balance their necks and head on their own until they turn 6 months old. So the time when you can think otherwise of a car seat is the age after 6 months as a baby’s neck muscles become strong enough to hold the head at that age.
Most parents and experts consider this time to be the perfect time for transforming into a stroller considering the reason mentioned above.
Although we all know that around 4-6 months a baby’s neck muscles get stronger and s/he becomes capable of holding his/her head up with the support of his neck, you should determine that with a quick test.
Just hold your baby above your shoulder and check if your baby is capable of holding your head up with any of your support or not. If s/he holds his head up then you will know his/her muscles have become strong enough.
If not then wait until your baby turns 6-7 months old, at that age the muscles of your baby’s neck will be strong enough to hold the head. That’s when you can put your little kiddo into a stroller without a car seat because then he can hold up without any problems. Don’t worry that’s the right time and your little piece of heart is old enough to be safe in the stroller.
Read next: Best Travel Stroller for Infants
How To Make A Baby Sit In A Stroller? (With Or Without a Car Seat)
If you’re a new parent then there’s no wonder that you don’t know how to make your baby sit in a stroller. But we are here to help you. The first thing you need to do is lock the stroller. There can be different lock systems for different strollers.
So, first, know what kind of lock your stroller has, and then proceed with that. Once you are done with locking the stroller get your child with or without the car seat depending on his age and put him into the stroller.
If you own an adapter then first put the car seat in and then make your baby sit inside the stroller and lock him/her with the harness. Secure the car seat properly following the instruction so that it doesn’t move from the place.
If you don’t have a car seat, then simply place your baby inside the stroller. Afterward, secure your baby using the belt and given harness. Make sure the harnesses are locked up tightly.
When you want to go anywhere take the stroller, undo the lock, and make the wheels able to go. Whenever you stand somewhere or you have to move your hands from the stroller, don’t forget to lock the stroller because you won’t want to make any accidents happen or hurt your child.
That’s all you have to do to make your baby sit inside the stroller. If you want to take your baby out then again lock the stroller, undo the harness lock, and get your baby out.
What To Consider While Taking A Newborn In A Stroller?
Ensuring that the baby is in a safe place and won’t get hurt is the biggest responsibility of parents. The right stroller will keep your baby safe, and comfortable and will ease many of your problems. But no matter how perfect your stroller is, you got to know what are the things you should consider while taking your newborn in a stroller. So here are those:
- Your very first job of yours is to check if the stroller’s seat is in a suitable position or not for your little one’s comfort.
- The seat should be converted to a complete lie-flat when you unzip the fabrics. The lie-flat position is healthier for your newborn’s growing spine. So consider doing that.
- Double-check the brakes and seats if they are fully locked and reclined respectively. That’s super important.
- Do the harness properly and then place your baby gently inside the stroller.
- The legs of your baby should go on either side of the crotch strap.
- Bring the shoulder straps over your baby’s arms and with great care fasten the 5-point harness.
- Adjust all the straps perfectly to make sure that your baby is super secure in the stroller.
- Always lock the stroller while putting your baby inside, taking your baby out, or when you stand in a place.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can I put a newborn in a stroller without a car seat?
Obviously no. A baby can sit in a stroller without a car seat if he is capable of holding his head up without any support. And that happens when the muscles of the neck of a baby get strong enough to hold up the head. The muscles of a newborn’s neck aren’t that strong. So he can’t be in a stroller without a car seat.
Can I put my 1 month old in a stroller?
That depends on the stroller. If a stroller can be used with a bassinet attachment or car seats then you can put your baby in that stroller. If not then unfortunately you can’t since your baby won’t be capable of holding his head up without any support at the age of 1 month.
When can you put a baby in a normal stroller?
You can put your baby in a normal stroller when he turns 5-7 months old. That’s when your baby is capable of sitting on his/her own. Your baby’s muscles get stronger then and your baby becomes capable of holding his head up without any support. So there’s no harm in putting your baby into a normal stroller at that age.
How long do baby strollers last?
There is no such expiration date for strollers. As long as your stroller is in a good phase, is new enough to add new features, can be repaired, and is capable of holding your baby safely, that stroller is good to go. The durability mostly depends on the materials and how you use the stroller.
Should a 5-year-old be in a stroller?
No restriction says a 5-year-old can’t sit in a stroller. But on average a baby becomes capable of walking at the age of 3 to 4 years old. So there is no necessity of making your baby sit in a stroller at the age of 5. It’s better to go for the walking transition at the age of 3.
Final Words
Hopefully, we have been able to serve you with an explanation of when to put a baby in a stroller without a car seat. By now you already know that as long as your baby is capable of holding his/her head on his/her own, then you can avoid the car seat.
Even though a car seat in a stroller can help you get extra security for your kid, it can be uncomfortable in summer because it gets too hot. Also, after a certain age, it’s not suitable to use a car seat in the stroller cause babies tend to dislike sitting in a car seat inside the stroller. Your baby will annoy you out of discomfort.
So it’s better to consider removing the car seat once your baby becomes able to seat and balance the head on his/her own as per our given explanation. Check and decide what you should do. Good luck!
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