Is it "bad" to sit your baby up?

[gutzgutz]

I've been wondering about this for a while and can't find information on google so thought I'd ask for opinions. In the UK, from my experience, plenty of mothers "sit" their baby up before they can do so themselves I.e put themselves into a sitting position from their tummy. In many (perhaps most?) European countries it seems to be standard practice not to do this, I.e to put the baby down on their tummy rather than their bottom in all situations (apart from a highchair I suppose) and allow them to work out how to sit up. So, is it "bad" for the babies' backs? I did it the UK way with DS1 and he crawled fairly late, around 10 months maybe, whereas with DS2 I tried it the other way and he was crawling, just about, before 6 months. Of course I know different children, different development etc. but it may have had an effect. Thoughts/ knowledge?

Our physical therapist says not to encourage it too much early on, as so much more motor skill and depth perception development happens during tummy/mat time, plus there is an increased risk of injury if an unready child is propped into sitting position. But most of all, all physios and OTs say no to the bumbo! There's a good post here about developing siting skills but why this shouldn't be pushed early.

mamaot.com/2013/07/14/to-sit-or-not-to-sit-developing-functional-sitting-skills-in-babies/

Surely 'sitting up', and 'pushing up into a sitting position' are two different skills? My 6mo can sit quite happily (on the floor, not a bumbo) without toppling over, but can't get into a sitting up position from her tummy yet.

Balls, I had no idea it was bad to sit a baby up. I burp mine in the sitting up position on my knee and he loves to just sit like that as well with me putting my hand under his chin to support his head. He's 6 weeks old. He's always liked sitting up though, if he's having a big cry, sitting him up completely calms him. He loves to see what's going on. Really worried I've damaged him now :-/

Ratata you haven't damaged your baby at all

with younger babies, forced sitting up, using kit, eg bumbo type of equipment is not ideal

being held, in a sitting position, by a responsive adult, making tiny adjustments to the baby's position, is totally fine

placing an older baby on the floor in the sitting position rather than on their tummy and letting them work out how to get to sitting from then is recommended (the link above in the thread is fab, a really simple series of photos showing the process)

*NOT recommended. Gah, got my phrase round the wrong way. Place baby on floor on tummy, not onto floor with limbs already pre-moved into sitting position!

No you haven't damaged him!! Mums have been burping babies like that for centuries.

The problems only come if they are left sitting for long periods like leaving them in a bumbo for hours.

I used to prop ds a bit from 6m to stop him flopping over and earlier had burped as you do. He crawled at 7m, cruised at 8 and walked before 1.

It's an interesting discussion but no need to panic!

Thanks for the replies! Can you tell I'm a first time mum :) yeah I don't use a bumbo or anything, just sit him up on my knee sometimes for a wee look around and when burping.

Panic over :)

Really interesting article, thanks. Not looking to imply that sitting up "damages" a baby, but the non UK mothers I have met don't routinely sit their babies before they can get into that position for themselves and I've been wondering why we don't get the advice they've obviously been given. Should get out more...

My DD absolutely detested tummy time I enforced it for a while but gave up when I realised that face planting the floor screaming fro 15 minutes at time was not going to improve anything. She can roll but never does it.

She's always had a strong back and neck so was propped up from early on. She crawled last friday at just over 11month.