is it ok to let babies sleep in their swings or bouncers for a few hours at a time? sometimes, even with the humidifier, the kid just cannot sleep peacefully on his back as his nose gets plugged up easily. he lies there thrashing around, trying to catch a breath, and then wakes up crying. he’ll sleep in an upright position though, but i can’t keep him in my arms all night otherwise i don’t sleep. he’s in his bouncer right now sleeping very peacefully alhamdulillah. is that ok? i worry that he might hurt his back in the upright position. the bouncer chair isn’t the hard plastic frame kind like on the stand swings, its fabric. this is the bouncer- Bright Starts™ – Kids2, LLC and its very well made and all that, so the fabric seat does offer support but i’m just not sure of how long he can stay in there? help! the portable swing we have is by the same brand and again, the seat is very similar, and he loves to sleep in that too.
Re: baby asleep in bouncer/swing - is this ok?
They cant sit upright for long periods of time....hurts their backs. Why not get a wedge that u can put under his crib matress? 30 degree angle is all u need. If u dont have one...even putting the yellow pages under his crib legs will do the trick. Just a lil elevation...I pull it out everytime midget gets stuffy...works great. (wedge that is)
Re: baby asleep in bouncer/swing - is this ok?
My siblings and I used to be left in our swing for hours. And these days the swings are like cradles, with a gentle incline and everything, right? And honestly you’re lucky that he will sleep in there. We made the mistake of not getting Madam used to anything but either our arms or her bassinett. So when she needed to be held and rocked it had to be us. She was outraged by the swing. 
My poor parents were so excited when the bought it for us because my siblings and I would have such a ball and my mother was able to have some freedom while we played and dozed. Alas, madam was a whole different story.
Re: baby asleep in bouncer/swing - is this ok?
so when do you start putting them in the bouncer or swing tomake sure they dont get used to being held while sleeping?
Re: baby asleep in bouncer/swing - is this ok?
I remember reading it somewhere the time limit of keeping a baby in a bouncer.
Re: baby asleep in bouncer/swing - is this ok?
My sister swore by her swing. Her kids would sleep in it for hours, freeing her to do household chores. The seat was a lot like the one you've posted which has an incline but is not upright, so I don't see any harm to the child from such a seat.
Re: baby asleep in bouncer/swing - is this ok?
here, found it.
chicagotribune.com
Experts say 'tummy time' key for tots
Time on their backs, in seats reportedly slows babies' growth
By Jeremy Manier
Tribune reporter
January 27, 2008
For months before anyone saw a problem with her infant daughter, Ellen Burkhardt would park the child in a bouncy seat without a second thought, grateful for the extra minutes it gave her to make dinner or do a load of laundry.
But then the Arlington Heights mom noticed that 6-month-old Natalie still could not quite straighten her neck or lift her head, and the back of her skull seemed oddly flattened.
Natalie's doctors said the problems occurred in part because of seemingly harmless products like the bouncy seat. By keeping the girl immobilized and on her back, they said, such seats prevented her from using all the muscles she needed to grow normally.
It's a controversial theory, but a vocal contingent of doctors and physical therapists believe the strap-in chairs and carriers that millions of parents have come to rely on are contributing to an increase in cases of misshapen skulls, contorted neck muscles and delayed motor skills such as crawling and walking.
A few frustrated therapists even have a name for the problems that can occur in immobilized infants: "container syndrome." The best solution, they say, is to get children out of their seats and put them on the ground for "tummy time."
"These things may be great for convenience, but they're horrible for your child," said Dr. Frank Vicari, director of the head-shape evaluation program at Children's Memorial Hospital.
Downside to back sleep
Some of the developmental issues appear to stem from a benign source: the "back to sleep" campaign that began in 1994 and has achieved a dramatic drop in infant deaths by persuading parents to put infants to sleep on their backs. No expert interviewed for this story suggested any change to that policy.
But the change in sleeping habits came with a downside. Infants who sleep on their backs are more likely to develop a somewhat flattened skull, which also may throw off neck development. That, combined with the modern affinity for products that keep infants on their backs, can result in developmental delays that take thousands of dollars in therapy to correct.
Numerous therapists who treat such disorders say they have observed an increase, though no one has done a thorough national study. Vicari said that in the early 1990s, he typically would see a dozen cases of misshapen skulls, or plagiocephaly, each year. Today, that number stands at about 750.
At Children's Healthcare in Atlanta, senior physical therapist Colleen Coulter-O'Berry said that a decade ago she saw about 30 children annually who needed therapeutic helmets to correct head shape. Now they treat about 500 kids that way.
"It's unbelievable, the difference," she said.
Slowly, evidence has mounted that infants who sleep on their backs are more likely to have slight developmental delays, though experts are divided over whether the effects are long-lasting. A 2006 Canadian study published in the Journal of Pediatrics found that 22 percent of babies who slept on their backs had some delays in motor skills such as sitting up, rolling over and climbing stairs.
'Tummy to play'
Parents can compensate for this trend by putting babies on their bellies while they're awake and having them play in that position, the 2006 report found. Many therapists now have lengthened the old slogan to "back to sleep, tummy to play."
That can be harder than it sounds. Infants who rarely spend time on their bellies often cry and fuss when parents try to give them more tummy time.
"If you haven't put a baby on her stomach by the time she's 5 days old, she decides she shouldn't be on her stomach," said Mary Weck, a clinical specialist and physical therapist at Children's Memorial. "They really get in the mind-set that they shouldn't have to work physically."
The time infants spend on their backs has risen with the proliferation of products such as detachable car seats that can be used as infant carriers or snapped into strollers. Such seamless transitions are convenient, but many physical therapists recommend that parents reserve car seats for use in the car.
Children who sit all the time have little motivation to exercise their muscles, Weck said.
"When babies are on their tummies, they're driven to move around ... but when they're lying back in a seat they can just look out and see what's going on," she said. "They don't have to move to keep themselves entertained, so they lose that drive."
Some therapists also point a finger at exersaucers, stationary devices that suspend the child in a bucket seat. Use of exersaucers grew in the 1990s as a replacement for mobile walkers, which can cause injury if a child tips down stairs while strapped inside.
But being strapped in an exersaucer can force babies to keep their legs bent or stand on their toes, which may lead to "toe-walking" when the child gets older. Walking on toes instead of the whole foot can prevent a child from developing proper coordination and can cause back pain later in life, therapists said.
"Exersaucers are often marketed as a way to help your baby learn to stand," said Timmie Wallace, a physical therapy instructor based in Santa Fe. "But all of these baby containers just restrict how they move."
That view is common among physical therapists, yet many doctors and surgeons are not convinced that baby seats and other products can slow development.
In addition, so far there is no evidence that the documented delays linked with sleep position and lack of tummy time affect children permanently, said Dr. James Kemp, a specialist in the pediatric sleep laboratory at St. Louis Children's Hospital.
"If you don't give kids tummy time they may learn some skills a bit later, but unless the child has to run over mountains it may not be a big deal," he said. "Kids figure out a lot of stuff in spite of you."
Even if the delays are not permanent, many families seek therapy to get their kids on track, and that can be costly. Weck of Children's Memorial said a typical course of therapy for plagiocephaly or toe-walking can cost $10,000 to $12,000, most of it covered by insurance plans.
Devices hard to resist
Still, many parents say it's hard to resist all the baby equipment that seems to pour in when a new infant arrives.
Katie Turek of Chicago said relatives gave her three exersaucers when her son Charlie was born last year.
But Turek became concerned when Charlie, at 9 months, still could not get into a sitting position on his own or crawl normally.
Turek took Charlie to Children's Memorial, where physical therapists counseled her to stop putting him in exersaucers and other devices, and start doing more play activities centered on tummy time. If she needed time for chores, she could place him in a playpen, where he could move around more freely.
Charlie, now 1, now can crawl and do many tasks that were impossible a few months ago, said his therapist at Children's, Katie Rule.
"When you take the equipment away, the problem goes away," Rule said.
Re: baby asleep in bouncer/swing - is this ok?
My son sleeps in his swing all the time. I stopped using swing too much when he turned 4 month old. Its crucial that they are on their back.. or not on anything that curves. Their back is straightening so you want them to be in straight position. I did use the swing a lot initially because I had no help and I needed to get things done. He would sleep in it specially during the day but I also made sure that he was also straight on his back too. I used swing mainly when I was cooking/cleaning or to put him to sleep. He slept in it very good. Best thing to do is to get him used to as much tummy time as possible. He'll hate it at first, cry, but supervised tummy time is the best thing for babies.
Re: baby asleep in bouncer/swing - is this ok?
I never let her sleep in the bouncer and I never had a swing for her either. The bouncer was for play time and feeding when we were not in the dining room.
Contrary to all suggestions from text books, I put Noor to sleep on her tummy most times.....whether in the playpen sling or in the crib. She rarely slept on her back. She slept better and longer and her every-so-slightly cone-shaped head (due to a c-section delivery) became nice and round.
I believe that putting infants in swings and bouncers puts too much pressure on their lower back and I've known a few that actually took longer to crawl and walk because they were constantly suspended and didn't require the use of their muscles to carry their weight.
Re: baby asleep in bouncer/swing - is this ok?
how old is the gentleman in question?
Re: baby asleep in bouncer/swing - is this ok?
My younger one could sleep in the swing for 2 hours at a time in the swing sinceshe was 10 days old. She's almost 6 now and fine. The elder one didn't have a swing and took new born naps consisting of 20- 45 minutes at a time.
Re: baby asleep in bouncer/swing - is this ok?
queer, he's just over 2 months. he's a sturdy fellow for his age though and almost able to hold up his neck on his own mA, so i'm also wondering if that factors into it being ok? in the end, he slept in his bouncer for about an hour last night. the rest of the night was pretty rough, unfortunately :/
so the general consensus is its ok but its not good for very long periods of time?
muz, how did you do the tummy thing? weren't you afraid of the risk of SIDS?
GTG, his bouncer and swing are both able to be used from birth up. when they're very little, you just swaddle them and put them in either and then strap them in.
Re: baby asleep in bouncer/swing - is this ok?
no...I was never afraid of the SIDS thing...I did make sure that there wasn't any clutter in her sleeping area....no excess blankets or cuddlies......but then again, ammi told me not to over-read books and trust in what she has done and when I was wavering to trust in Allah.
she had always said to my SILs that the best thing for a child is let him/her develop their muscles.....massage, mold and strengthen them.
noor didn't sleep on her tummy all night......I would flip her after each feed.....but during the day she was most comfortable on her tummy.
ammi also said that this kept baby from having gas as well......so I never knew what colic is all about either.....
Re: baby asleep in bouncer/swing - is this ok?
hey sgc... read the manual to teh bouncer...
i just read midget's manual for his swing... and it says clearly that the baby can not be left in it for more than an hour each time due to bad posture taht could develop.. and its a swing u can use from birth to 2 yrs.
so i think if the manufacturer has made the swing or bounder with a seat that a baby can be left in for longer period of time.. im sure tehy would state it in the manual... read away.
muz: thats very true.... we still put our babies to sleep on their bellies... sleep way better... aariz hated it but woudl sleep on his side.... couldnt sleep o nhis back...
Re: baby asleep in bouncer/swing - is this ok?
how do you make them sleep on their bellies? any pics? videos? etc
I have never seen taht happening and I am afraid that I may suffocate my baby in trying to do so!!!
I know someone whose baby used to sleep in the car seat all night long due to colic/reflux issues!! he turned out just fine though!!
Re: baby asleep in bouncer/swing - is this ok?
i dunno guys- the whole SIDS thing scares the bejesus out of me. Most nights he sleeps fine on his back, its just sometimes that he needs to be in the upright position. I can totally see the suffocation hazard in having him on his tummy but that might just be my fears speaking up. I've already had a couple of times where he's pulled his blankie over his face and that was trauma enough for me!
He doesn't have colic or acid reflux either, thank goodness! He just spits up if he's been eating too much out of "havas" lol
khawa, good point! i'll check out the manual right now and see what they advise.
edit: it says "not intended for prolonged periods of sleeping"... so what's "prolonged" mean? how many hours would that constitute?
Re: baby asleep in bouncer/swing - is this ok?
sounds like we are back to square 1 haha :D
u know.. if its just a slight incline... then i wouldnt worry too much. if its a 90 degree angle.. then maybe i would try teh wedge.
but man i dont knwo what prolonged period of time is... i say be a hassled first time mom and phoen his paed :D
Re: baby asleep in bouncer/swing - is this ok?
My sense is a nap is okay but not overnight.
Re: baby asleep in bouncer/swing - is this ok?
remember…like cats and dogs…time passes faster for infants than for toddlers than for kids, than for adults and so on…
an hour for an infant is a loooooooong time as compared to an hour for an adult.
and putting baby to sleep on their belly is just fine…no smothering at all…the baby’s head just turns to either side that they are comfortable on…
I’ll try to find some pics for you..or just google “baby sleeping on stomach” under Images…meanwhile check this out:
http://www.babble.com/baby/baby-sleep-solution/tummy-sleep-on-stomach-sids-risk/
Re: baby asleep in bouncer/swing - is this ok?
Oooo muzna ab yaad aya..... Didnt put aariz down n his belly cuz he had this habit of putting his face down flat ...so his nose was always in the matress. Was so worried bout him suffocating.... I dont know why he used to do that cuz i had every intention of putting him on his belly to sleep.... But when i realized thats how he was gonna do it..... I started to put him on the side.... Sometimes i would think...choro..lets see if he will switch psition if he cant breathe vut then common sense would kick in and say no retard, he is only a month old, he cant :D