To think jogging with a baby under six months is ridiculous?

[stopgap]

Okay, so I live in Workout Central (Manhattan) but I am dumbfounded by the number of women who attach a car seat to a stroller (not even a jogging stroller in many cases) and go running in the park, often with teeny tiny newborns on board.

Am I being too PFB about this? My own paediatrician gave me the go-ahead to run with DS when he was six months, but it seems like I'm in the minority.

AIBU? Is this phenomena purely an exercise-crazy American thing?

[KitCat26]

Yabu, sorry.

Those car seats are designed to protect a the baby in event of a car accident I really don't think baby will come to any harm with a bit of jogging!

Good on them for getting out and trying to get fit so quick took me 2 years!.

[acceptableinthe80s]

I don't think spending long periods of time in a car seat is very healthy for young babies, they breathe easier lying flat but i don't see the problem if they're in a proper stroller.
Saying that i used to walk ds for miles every day when he was tiny and the pavements where i lived were very uneven/bumpy and i remember panicking that his little brain was getting jostled around and cursing the state of the pavements.
Didn't do myself any favours though as it got to the point he would only fall asleep if taken on a very bumpy walk, flat pavements just didn't cut it .

[lljkk]

Ridiculous? Hmmm... oh well, I've been called worse on MN.
I didn't take baby with me (all of 10 days old), though, that part would have been ridiculous. And very unnecessary.

[golemmings]

I did buggy fit with dd when she was 4mo. I was using a bugaboo which I've subsequently discovered you shouldn't run with. Didn't seem to do her any harm although I swapped back to my p&t when i realised.

I started running properly when DS was 6w, doing c25k. I didn't often take him with me but he did do the race for life with me when he was 9mo. The course was rutted tracks and he loved splashing through the puddles!

They are both speed demons still and love going for a buggy run!

[TheBigJessie]

I've never even heard of a jogging stroller...

Young babies shouldn't be in car seats for long periods, so I can be judgy about that, if you like.

[ceeveebee]

I did buggyfit with my twins in their car seats from 12 weeks old, never thought there was any risk (tbh it was just power walking then lots of squats etc)

[TheBigJessie]

I don't know of any risk to babies from what the pusher is doing while pushing the travel system, but car seats can be dangerous per se for young babies.

www.dbh.nhs.uk/Car_seat_awareness.aspx

If more people knew, travel system manufacturers would probably make less money.

[forevergreek]

You aren't supposed to jog with a baby until 6months, and them yes in a jogging stroller

Buggy fit etc with fast walking etc is fine younger

[stopgap]

Babyjogger says six months for smooth pavements, and mentions nothing about head control or car seats: www.babyjogger.com/faq.aspx#faq3

I'm not advocating that mothers stay indoorsfar from it. I've been a runner for close to twenty years. I just thinkfrom experience of running with my own stroller--that the stability is not there if a. You don't use a jogging stroller with a fixed wheel b. There is too much jostling for a baby who is, say, a month old.

[KobayashiMaru]

So what damage do you think they are doing, and how come none of them have noticed any problems?

[forevergreek]

www.livestrong.com/article/364653-at-what-age-can-you-use-a-jogging-stroller/

[Gatorade]

I believe the nipper sport is a jogging puschair that is suitable from birth (I started using at ten weeks)

www.outnabout.com/products/nipper-sport.asp

[Echocave]

Wow ! I'm with stifnstav on this - you lot are impressive mothers!!
I'm not moving and DC nearly 18 months [DC may have appropriate head control but echocave lacks necessary self control..]

[MrsTerryPratchett]

My MW gave us the go ahead very soon. DH likes to run. DD had very good head control so it was fine. All depends on the baby.

[Wishihadabs]

Offs only in America

[EmmelineGoulden]

From the livestrong link "If you run near high-traffic areas or on uneven terrain, you may want to save your jogging stroller until your baby is at least a year old and can wear a helmet while you run". Was it published on April 1? Or are there lots of injured babies out there from all those selfish running mothers??

[lljkk]

I think it was nearly made a law in California that babies in strollers had to wear helmets. It is a legal requirement that all children under 14 on any other wheeled device (skates, tricycle, bicycle, bike seat, bike trailor, skateboard, etc.) must wear a helmet.

It's a criminal offence not to.

So really don't see why babies in buggies would be excepted if the law made any sense.

[LivingThings]

I ran with both of mine lying flat in a P&T Sport from 5 weeks post cs. They loved it! Moved them on to a proper Babyjogger with big wheels and brakes at 6 months or so. Dd who is nearly 3 still loves it and happily snoozes if i take her out.

[HypatiaTheProcrastinator]

It is potentially dangerous for babies whether people believe it or not. And helmets are a very good idea to prevent brain damage (you can get flat backed ones for use in pushchairs). It's easy to think there are no issues doing it, but you can't see minor brain damage immediately and it would be easy to never notice. Babies can be falling asleep because they feel dizzy or are having head rushes, not necessarily because they find it soothing. There is a big difference in terrains though and proper jogging pushchairs will absorb shocks from the ground as well as from the runner bouncing the handlebar. I don't think the risks are worth the benefits personally even if they're small risks, and I find it painful to see people jogging with inappropriate pushchairs but there isn't much information about safe running from the likes of Buggy Fit so I can understand thinking it's completely safe.

[Wishihadabs]

Hypatia how is it potentially dangerous ? Health and safety gone mad. You and your pfb are far more likely to die from preventable obesity related conditions.

[RubyGates]

Flat-backed helmets available for use in push-chairs?
Oh my.

[KobayashiMaru]

Could just wrap them up in layers of cotton wool......

[VisualiseAHorse]

I can't see it being very bumpy to be honest - as long as the parent is running on a concrete type path, it should be quite smooth.

[gwenniebee]

There are a few people on here saying about car seats not being suitable for long periods, too - which is true, but only the most fitness-keen new mums would be running for longer than the 90 minutes which is the recommended maximum time to be in a car seat! In my case the baby was in the seat for about 25 minutes, I reckon.

[forevergreek]

A baby shouldn't be in a car seat more than 30 mins at a time. So for most that's a 10 min walk to park and back, leaving 10 mins to jog, not much point really.

Longer than 30 mins shouldnt be a daily thing, but ok of visiting relatives etc. a babies windpipe is like a non bendy straw, so add a kink in that and they can't breathe properly.