Hindsight

If I had the baby years to do over again, I think I would have just let the baby enjoy the baby swing.

I can admit it now, but I was completely taken in by the fear mongering put out by the parenting "experts". It is an affliction I still tend to fall into, but less so as the years go by.

Seven years ago, the thought line was that babies shouldn't nap in baby swings. They should only be in them for half an hour to one hour per day at max. I followed these instructions to the letter. Even if it meant taking the dozing baby out, carefully, but not always successfully, avoiding the bar overhead (now they come without the bar)

The fear was babies sleeping in swings would have terrible posture (true enough, but really, when you can't sit up can you have good posture?), it was bad on their neck, and would encourage the parent to not bond because if the baby is swinging there is little interaction with him or her.

In hindsight, I would say moderation is the key. How I long to take back those days, to just set my seven and five year olds in a device that will lull them to sleep or at least peaceful contemplation.

Research is now saying movement helps brain development, which I guess my kids didn't miss out on, because since I "couldn't" put them in the baby swing that took up literally half my apartment's living room, I had to bounce the crying infant on an exercise ball wedged between the couch and the dining room table. 

Not surprisingly, this debate rages on. A simple Google search shows mothers still asking this question — although now the limit seems to be 2 hours per day. 

I still think that much more than that in the swing is probably not a good idea — after all, tummy time is all the rage nowadays. But if the baby sleeps in it, and is being supervised, I am fairly confident at this stage in my parenting life that letting him be for 2 hrs and 15 minutes is okay. Occasionally.