When does your baby's head sit up? Goods that are useful to have befor

Many baby carriers on the market can only be used after the baby is seated. When and what kind of condition does neck sitting refer to? We'll also introduce precautions to take before your baby's neck becomes stiff, how to hold your baby, and useful goods.

What is neck sitting?

Newborn babies are unable to support their heavy heads on their own. As children grow, they gradually gain muscle strength and develop their nerves, allowing them to keep their heads straight and turn their faces freely towards the direction they want to see. This is called "straining your neck."

When does your head get stiff?

According to a survey by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, 63% of babies are able to sit upright by the time they are 4 months old, and 93.8% by the time they are 5 months old.
Of course, the speed of growth varies from person to person, so there is no need to be nervous if you are a little behind. At the 3rd and 4th month checkups conducted by local governments, you can check your baby's development and development, including how far your baby is sitting. If you have any problems, this will give you an opportunity to deal with them early, so be proactive.

How does neck sitting progress?

This ability gradually develops as the muscles and nerves develop, so it changes in stages from not being able to sit up at all to being completely stable.
After around 2 to 3 months of age, your baby will begin to lift his head from a prone position, and gradually be able to turn his head to the left or right. The unreliable feeling of shaking your baby's head when you hold him vertically will gradually go away.

How do you know if your neck is still?

A confirmation method called ``causing'' is often used in medical examinations.
Lay your baby on his back, put your hands under his armpits and slowly raise his upper body. When you raise your upper body to about 45 degrees, if your head follows along with you instead of hanging back, your neck is probably sitting. Another checkpoint is whether you can keep your head facing forward and not fall forward when you raise your body up to 90 degrees.
Other points to check to see if your child is able to sit upright include whether they can lift their head while lying on their stomach and whether they can change the direction of their head on their own.

Do I need to practice?

There is no need to particularly practice sitting on the head as the child's body develops naturally, but it may be a good idea to incorporate the practice as part of play and communication.

We recommend playing face down.
Place your baby on their stomach and use a toy to guide their gaze and encourage them to lift their head. It trains the muscles of your neck, shoulders, back, arms and legs, so you can not only sit upright but also prepare for things like rolling over and crawling.
Don't get too greedy, keep it short, and keep an eye on him while he's lying on his stomach.
It is said that holding your baby vertically also stimulates the muscles needed to maintain your posture, which is good practice for sitting on your head. Hold your baby while gently supporting their head.

What should you be careful about before sitting down?

You will need to support your child by placing your hands on their neck and head.
This is because not only can the head shake cause damage to the brain, but if the head tilts too far back when picking up a child, there is a risk of damaging the cervical vertebrae.
Also, if your dog's chin continues to drop when you hold him vertically, his airways become narrowed, making it difficult for him to breathe properly, which can lead to a lack of oxygen. If the brain does not receive enough oxygen for a long period of time, brain damage can occur.
When holding your baby vertically using a baby carrier, it is safe to use one with a head support that firmly covers the neck area.

Hug before and after sitting down

For babies who are not yet able to sit upright, it is best to hold them on their side by laying them almost horizontally.
To prevent the baby's head from falling too far back, the adult carrying the baby should form a circle with both arms and place the back of the baby's head and the back of the knee on the inside of the elbow.
Once your baby is able to sit upright, you will be able to hold your baby upright and hold him vertically.
There are opportunities to hold your baby vertically even before they sit upright, such as when burping after breastfeeding. When doing so, be careful not to forget to support your neck.

Goods that are useful to have before you sit down

Babies who weigh around 3 kg immediately after birth typically weigh over 4 kg by the time they have their one-month checkup. We recommend placing your baby on the hip seat and using it as a side-carrying aid, as it can significantly reduce the burden on mom and dad. Not only is it useful for everyday cuddles, but it is also useful for breastfeeding and putting it to bed.
There may be a strong impression that a hip seat is something you only need to use once your child is older and heavier, but it is actually a great item that can be useful from the moment your child is born.

A baby carrier that can be used even before you sit down

BABY&Me's Beren first set is a 3-piece set that includes a hip seat, a waist belt type first part (newborn part), and a carrier part that wraps around the baby's body.
The hip seat can be used as an aid for side-carrying from the newborn period, and the carrier part has a head support that gently supports the baby's head, so when combined with the first part, it is possible to hold the baby face-to-face even before the baby is sitting upright. If you switch the first part to a hip seat, it can also be used as a hip seat carrier. It can be used for a long time from newborn to around 4 years old when it weighs about 20 kg, so you only need this one baby carrier.