Why Babies Love Swings
The one item that I felt like giving a proper ‘thank you’ before packing it away after baby was our swing. That item got so much use from the first moments through the time that my son outgrew it, around 5 months old.
Why do babies love swings so much? Swings mimic the innate movement that most babies crave to self soothe. Parents love them because, as the bulk of 24 hours of parenting falls on them, it’s much easier to give babies their movement needs without your own arms. This frees you up for doing other things!
Some worry that swinging will create a bad habit, or that it can be hard to wean a baby off of a swing. Remember - babies are constantly swung when they’re in the womb, so the amount of time they spend in the swing is minimal in comparison! Over time, your baby will start to learn to self soothe and will rely less on the swing, and you can help them to hone these skills before they outgrow the swing.
I believe strongly that if you need to put baby down, and baby protests, the swing is a perfect way to help your baby’s needs when you CAN’T wear them, rely on a car’s motion, or your own arms or that of another caregiver’s.
Here are some common concerns we get from parents:
“The swing will rock my baby too hard and cause him to get an upset tummy”
A swing and vigorous rocking won’t actually cause your baby to spit up. The contrary, it can help eliminate and loosen gas or help your baby to burp!
“My baby will probably get nauseous since I have car sickness”
Nausea is triggered in a specific part of the brain, and the motion the swing provides doesn’t set this off. Car sickness happens because of very wide motions, like a roller coaster up and down, while the small motions of the swing don’t allow for this.
“The effects of the swing will probably wear off if I use it too often”
Nope. We promise. It’s the same reason if your baby sucks and nurses to soothe, they love it for a long stretch.
“I read that swings are bad for baby’s hips”
Babies are ridiculously flexible. The design of swing seats puts them in an ergonomically protected position, and babies that are free of medical and orthotic issues don’t have reasons to not be in a swing. It goes without saying that keeping a baby in a swing for extremely long periods of time will, over time, go against a baby’s developmental needs.
Swing away! Are you worried about what kind of swing to get, or overwhelmed? We go through the types of swings thoroughly in our Baby Dream Gear Class - sign up and figure out what’s best for your bub!
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