A mom wrote in asking when she can put her baby in the bouncer seat or bouncy seat, as it is often called. One of the easiest things to do with young babies is to park them in an entertaining bouncy seat. I opted for the seat with all the bells and whistles — vibration, lights, fun baby music and a mirror to boot! Lately some experts have voiced concern over exposing babies to electronic toys, and I do think it’s good to pay attention to this and to brain development in infants generally, but I didn’t find that bouncy seats affected my kids negatively, all of whom are pretty decent readers now. To the contrary, I find that bare-bones bouncy seats without these add-ons won’t entertain your baby and therefore won’t serve their purpose. Now, when is it safe to put a baby in one of these gadgets?Double check with your doctor on this, but I can tell you from experience that I did put my babies in the bouncer seat from a very young age. You’ll get the most bang for your buck from one of these seats for babies between the ages of 3-6 months. Make sure your seat is in a safe place away from other children and animals. Then, let your baby enjoy. He’ll enjoy the stimulation provided by the seat and the ability to be able to observe what’s going on around him. That’s the beauty of this piece of baby gear, and why the bouncer seat figures as a top item on almost any new baby checklist.

Can Baby Sleep in Bouncer?

Although a terrific baby activity for a three month old, the bouncer or bounce seat is not a good place for your baby to sleep. Falling into the habit of letting baby sleep in the bouncy seat can be easy since babies often nod off once they are fed, burped and comfortable. When you see this happening, swaddle your baby and put him in the crib. You want your baby sleeping in a safe place away from other kids and animals and on a surface that properly supports their growing little bodies.

For more details, watch my video.

Thanks so much for tuning in!

Melissa