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Behaviour/development

3.5month and standing on feet....... can it cause harm to joints

5 replies

nickyp08 · 17/08/2006 18:28

OK.... i have never heard of it causing deformities in hips but my fella reckons he has read somewhere (or should i say his mum says),that a baby isn't supposed to stand on their feet with support until they are ready to walk as the hip joint is too soft.... i already had two kiddies and i do the same things with ickle monkey who is 3.5 months old that i did with the other two... only this time i have mother and father in law preaching at me that my boy should not be on his feet until he is ready to walk as i will damage his hips... now my fella keeps telling me off and i am getting really annoyed by this as i feel as though they think i am harming their grandchild. he loves to push up with his legs when you try to sit him on your lap and i hold him so he is not really supporting his weight and he smiles to me like he is saying ... look at me i am getting a big boy mummy..... is it really bad to let him stand on my lap.. or even feel the texture of the grass on his feet.... thats wrong too as he may get bitten by something in the grass!!!!! is it just my parents in law or are others like this too...... and why do they make me feel so incompetent when i have a 7 and 10 year old any parent would be proud of!

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Katerina75 · 17/08/2006 18:40

in my copy of "what to expect - the first year" it says it is perfectly fine if baby likes "standing" on laps & it has no effect on their physical development

in fact have just checked and on page 293 it says it is good for muscle building!! and this is in the "the fourth month" section so exactly spot on with your little one's age. So you're totally fine to carry on. Hope this helps K xx

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sparklemagic · 17/08/2006 18:40

well if they are right I think every baby ever born has got hip problems then!!! Everyone I've ever known with a baby holds them up like this on their laps, I certainly did with ds and not only did he stand but he bounced ALL the time!!

in-laws eh. Just ignore them in my opinion. As you say you are an experienced mum - have faith in yourself, don't let them undermine you.

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LIZS · 17/08/2006 18:42

As long as he is fully supported ie not weight bearing it should be ok. Needs to have good head control though.

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nickyp08 · 17/08/2006 19:03

his head control is good and he likes to look around and 'bounce' he especially like to be able to grab the toys hanging from his play gym which he can't reach when laying underneath it, so i sit behind him with my hands just above his waist taking most of the weight..... thankyou to everyone who has replied :-) i have post natal depression so it is easy for people to make me feel inadequate or a poor mum at present and even question my own parenting skills..... but they can't pull me up for getting him into an excellent bedtime routine which we do every night at around 7.30pm - 8pm which results in a baby that has been sleeping soundly til 7am for the passed month... that was a skill i learned with hindsight... did it wrong with the first child had mega bedtime probs.... sorted it for the second and carried it through with the third! we don't even have to rock him to sleep or anything... just bath, cuddles with a feed then straight in his crib wide awake and within minutes he is sleeping.. totally makes up for the first 3 months of constant crying, sleepless nights, acid reflux and colic... fingers crossed he keeps it up, should do if we keep up our end of the bargain for him and stick to the routine!

anyways glad i am not contributing to bowed legs or any other kind of leg/hip problem that the in-laws chastise me with while i play with my son!

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justamum · 18/08/2006 05:08

don't people come out with some crap! i know of one dad who went mental at someone trying to play very gentle "row row row the boat" with his 6mnth old dd in case it hurt her back. How on earth do people think babies build up strength in their muscles if they are never allowed to use them.
every baby i have known loves to stand on their feet, its natural. i don't really understand what is meant by "not weight bearing" both mine have pushed their feet down to bear their weight from really small and have also kicked and pushed against anything offering resistance. I'd just presumed this was part of developing muscle strength. it never did ds any harm(he did everything "on time"), and dd is only 17wks strong as an ox and can kick her way out of her baby carrier/car seat before i can strap her in!

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