When To Put Baby In Stroller Without Car Seat?

When to put a baby in a stroller without a car seat

The majority of parents and experts agree that the best time is when your baby can sit up without support and hold their head up. This means probably from 3-6 months since this is when their neck muscles are strong enough to support the head.

However, the right time to transition remains a heated debate among many parents, which brings a lot of confusion.

We, therefore, prepared this article to help you determine the right time for your baby. We shall look at some of the things that determine your baby’s preparedness and the stroller that works best when transitioning.

How to know when the baby can sit in a stroller without the car seat

As we earlier mentioned, you can tell your baby is ready to transition when they are able to support their neck and head on their own.

This demonstrates that their neck muscles are robust enough to support their head effortlessly.

Try putting your 3-4 month infant over your shoulder to see if he or she can roll over to look at you.

He has powerful neck muscles, but they aren’t quite strong enough if he needs your help to keep his head erect.

By 6 months, the muscles should be strong enough to support the head upright all the time, not just when sitting. At this point, you do not have to put the baby in a car seat when using a stroller because he can hold up without a problem.

Factors to consider when transitioning from using a car seat in a stroller

As we have seen above, around 3-4 months, the baby’s muscles are strong. However, they may not hold the head upright for a long time compared to at 6 months.

Therefore, when transitioning your 3-4-month-old baby from using a car seat to the stroller, you should ensure that;

You have a stroller that fully reclines

Since your baby cannot sit up or hold its head up, it is important to ensure that you have a reclining stroller.

A stroller that reclines fully can be used even before the baby is able to sit up. This is because it offers back and heads support and props up your baby so that he does not flop to the side.

Stroller with head support

Some strollers come with head support so that they can be used even before the baby can sit up. The head support helps to recline the baby slightly in the stroller so that they won’t strain their neck or back.

A stroller that can be used with a bassinet attachment

If you can attach a bassinet to your stroller, then you do not have to wait until the baby is 3-6 months to start using the stroller with a car seat.

If the stroller reclines, the baby can lie flat in the bassinet while you walk, making this a very effective option. Some of these strollers also feature a bassinet that can be removed and replaced with a standard stroller seat. They are therefore suitable for use from the time a baby is born until they reach the age of two.

However, you should avoid strollers that do not recline, such as umbrellas and jogging strollers, since they will not offer any support to your baby.

Conclusion

Using a car seat in a stroller tends to be very convenient for you. You can easily move the baby from the stroller to the car and vice versa. But there comes a time when the baby no longer enjoys being confined in a car seat and may seem to prefer being in the stroller, especially it is hot. So when is the right time to make the transition?

I believe there are no written rules regarding when to put a baby in a stroller without a car seat. Some people decide to wait until their baby can hold their head up or sit up, while others opt to use a stroller that reclines fully or has head support.

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