They Say: Forward-Facing Stroller's Bad for Baby

re: They Say: Forward-Facing Stroller's Bad for Baby

Perry — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:50:52 GMT

On the face of it, the assumptions the study's author draws seem ridiculous. e.g. "Our data suggests that for many babies today, life in a buggy is emotionally impoverished and possibly stressful." Just because the babies fell asleep more when they weren't away-facing doesn't mean they weren't less stressed, let alone impoverished. They could just have been more stimulated when they were away-facing. How does she know that is not a good thing?

The only thing the big study of 2,722 parents showed was that parents who had the pusher-facing strollers talked more to their babies. Duh! Of course they talked more to their babies. But that doesn't necessarily mean that not talking to your baby has a bad impact, when your baby is getting real-world stimulation., and you're around to respond to them if they need you. She has proposed absolutely no evidence of that, other than that they fell asleep more when they were pusher-facing, which doesn't, in the end, mean anything, either positive or negative. She has no evidence that falling asleep means babies feel safe and relaxed that way. Babies fall asleep in the rear seat of the car, when they don't see their parent at all, for example.

As if that weren't enough, the big study itself was obviously flawed, since people who buy pusher-facing strollers are probably more likely to talk to their babies anyways.

Plus, the sample size of the controlled "experiment" was only 20.

re: They Say: Forward-Facing Stroller's Bad for Baby

voiceofreason — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 23:38:47 GMT

Actually, I've read and re-read the thread and didn't see any judging of each other's parenting - just some (perhaps overly) enthusiastic support for the research and some sharing of personal anecdote... then A LOT of the defensive-fest.

Not one person told other parents that they had to or should have parent-facing strollers, but a bunch of people reacted as though they'd been told what to do. Perhaps this would make for an interesting study in and of itself!

Slings are great, parent-facing strollers can be great and so too can front facing strollers. For different people, with different needs, circumstances, priorities, values, ideas, budgets... to each his/her own!

Enough of the hysteria! It takes a village, etc. And can we all please try to remember that research isn't done specifically to antagonize parents; its end purpose is actually to support and assist us.

PS I had a front facing stroller, but still see the common sense of the study. Wish I'd thought of it myself.

re: They Say: Forward-Facing Stroller's Bad for Baby

anon — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 21:37:57 GMT

I wonder how many people here have tried wrap-style carriers? Mobywraps are definitely cheaper than any stroller except one you get for free. They are lighter. And they can accommodate even twins when those twins are infants, and can be used to carry even toddlers. The same is probably true of any wrap style carrier.

re: They Say: Forward-Facing Stroller's Bad for Baby

Sparkiy — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 21:05:40 GMT

Those parent facing strollers are all really heavy, there's no way I could carry the baby and one of those up three floors. My umbrella stroller makes the stairs doable.

re: They Say: Forward-Facing Stroller's Bad for Baby

Bunny — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 17:15:20 GMT

Argh, and here comes the judge-each-other's-parenting-fest, and then the defensive-fest.

Different strokes result in equally happy babies/children/eventual adults. Can't we all deal with each other respectfully? Please?

re: They Say: Forward-Facing Stroller's Bad for Baby

Twintown — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:23:08 GMT

I'm with you Manjari...it is hard enough to leave the house by yourself with infant twins - forget slings and/or carrying them in your arms. Some of you need to think of *gasp* situations other than your own before you leave your comment and prove yourselves to be totally self-absorbed. Seriously, people, GET. OVER. IT.

re: They Say: Forward-Facing Stroller's Bad for Baby

Joanie — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 05:02:41 GMT

Yeah, ditto for me too. I credit my forward-facing stroller with my daughter's love of dogs and flowers.

re: They Say: Forward-Facing Stroller's Bad for Baby

gpgirl — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 01:49:07 GMT

fed up - you said exactly what I was thinking. Puh-leeze!

re: They Say: Forward-Facing Stroller's Bad for Baby

Shannon LC Cate — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 00:18:50 GMT

In general, looking at people's faces is good for babies, so duh with the research. But I hardly see this as a major issue in stroller choice. I suppose it depends on how much a baby is in the stroller. But it's hard to image a baby being in a stroller long enough for it to matter.

re: They Say: Forward-Facing Stroller's Bad for Baby

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 17:17:25 GMT

You and I need to go on a playdate, fed up.

re: They Say: Forward-Facing Stroller's Bad for Baby

fed up with the bs — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 16:52:35 GMT

Really? I mean, really? When will pampered parents realize that children are more resilient than we give them credit for? I can see it now. In twenty years kids will be complaining that the reason they are screwed up is because their parents forward-faced them in their strollers. Quelle horreur! Give me a break. And the first few commentors seriously need to get over themselves. You know and I know that there is SO MUCH more to good parenting than the method one uses to be mobile with child in tow. You all probably suck as parents just as much as the rest of us, just in different ways. But if it helps you to sleep at night because YOU had the good sense to sling or pram your baby while the rest of us are raising sociopaths in the making, well than more power to ya.

re: They Say: Forward-Facing Stroller's Bad for Baby

working mom — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 15:54:26 GMT

You said, "Kids see their parents all day long." Yeah. My kid doesn't have that luxury, unfortumately, so any opportunity for me to havemore face time with him is definitely a GOOD THING.

re: They Say: Forward-Facing Stroller's Bad for Baby

MotherofThree — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 06:09:58 GMT

This is the sort of "research" that makes me glad to see the economy sliding downwards. People CLEARLY need more to do than obsess endlessly about all this nonsense.

Your kid will be just fine regardless of whether he faces front or back! Just as with all the other parenting decisions that we've blown so out of proportion that it's just laughable!

re: They Say: Forward-Facing Stroller's Bad for Baby

Knitty — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 04:14:58 GMT

Oh, for God's sake. Does the stupid never end?

re: They Say: Forward-Facing Stroller's Bad for Baby

Manjari — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 01:46:29 GMT

Well, I guess my twins will be forever damaged. I wasn't able to keep them both in a sling or facing me when we went out together.

re: They Say: Forward-Facing Stroller's Bad for Baby

Sue — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 01:37:14 GMT

Oh, honestly.

re: They Say: Forward-Facing Stroller's Bad for Baby

catmom — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 00:27:02 GMT

Get one that faces you for infancy. When they are really little their focusing distance keeps them from seeing "the world" anyway. If you buy one that can flip around, then they can see the world when they're older and ready for it.

Frankly, strollers should be used pretty sparingly anyway. When they're young, carrying is probably better for them, and the stroller should be used only when there's too much stuff to carry or mom's back/arms just can't take the weight or the distance anymore.

When they're older and can walk, a stroller is really only good for very long distances and/or makeshift imprisonment.

re: They Say: Forward-Facing Stroller's Bad for Baby

anavoog — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 22:53:56 GMT

and this is why i chose a stroller that has the option to face both ways. it was very important to me to have the option of my baby to face me.

and it folds up neatly, too!

the bugaboo bee. not an old fashioned pram at all.

worth every penny!

there are more inexpensive ones now, too, that are parent facing.

it makes sense!

re: They Say: Forward-Facing Stroller's Bad for Baby

limeycanucksmym — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 21:30:08 GMT

This isn't news; they've been saying it for years. In my Developmental Psychology class (18 years ago) we were taught it was highly correlated with secure attachment and since then it's been linked with earlier language acquisition. When not using a sling with my babies, I always used a parent-facing stroller. In 2004, I explained what I'd learned to my partner and he said what Lindsay (above) said - seems logical.

Truthfully, we weren't especially concerned with how easily our stroller folded up; 'parent-facing' was our number one criteria when making our choice and we'd make it again today. We walked constantly and those face-to-face conversations when I showed/explained things to my children remain one of my happiest memories of their baby days. I kept the parent-facing stroller when I had a second child. On days that we were all together, I used a double-buggy but on days that number two & I were with each other only, we used the parent-facing stroller. It really is not poppycock; it's just a different paradigm which (no offense) it sounds like you haven't considered thoughtfully enough. One worth investigating if my personal experience is anyting to go by.

re: They Say: Forward-Facing Stroller's Bad for Baby

Lindsey — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 19:49:32 GMT

Really? You don't see the logic behind this? That the world might seem threatening to a child being pushed around at knee level, not able to check in with mama?

I guess thats why I prefer the sling.