child goes into zombie mode in pushchair

[Pushkin]

What does it mean when my baby dd (7 months) becomes a dazed zombie once she is going around in her pushchair? She seems to be looking at things and the world in deep contemplation... or is it in fact having a zombie effect on her? if I come around the front of the pushchair and say hello it takes her a while to make eye contact, and then a further while to make emotional contact. Even though she is normally very communicative and charming. I'm not esp worried, but if other kids do this when being trundled, presumably there are theories about why...

[Callisto]

I didn't notice this with my dd, but the pushchair definitely had (and still has at 19 months) a soothing effect on her. I can't remember how well babies can see at 7 months, but I would imagine your daughter is just being soothed into a half-doze.

[frazzledazzle]

My son makes me laugh when he's in his pram.He doesn't seem to mind sitting in it but he sits there all po faced and will not smile! My normally happy chappie looks as miserable as sin.

[MrsBadger]

I bet she's just soothed by the motion and enjoying the downtime - think of all those commuters on trains staring into space...

[could be utter rubbish as I can't remember the whole vision development timeline]
The other thing could be she's practising focusing - when you're outside there are things to look at that are much further away than things indoors - and it takes her a while to refocus on your close-up face.

If you've got a friend who has one, could you borrow a pram / pushchair that faces you for an afternoon, just for variety?

[lazycow]

I noticed this wih ds - He also did a lot more thumb sucking in the pushchair. I actually used a sling and hip carrier a lot(though not exclusively) and even this weekend I walked to church (25 mins walk) with my two year old in the hip sling as he didn't want to walk and he didn't want to go in the pushcahir.

I have always found ds much more smiley and engaged with the world and me when he is being carried.

I do use the pushchair as in some cases it is more convenient but he loves being carried and I notice that people interact with him more and smile more at him as he is more at their eye level.

Now he is 2 he is more engaged and likes the pucshcair as well but as a smaller baby he definitely preferred the carrier.

[katetom]

My son does this too and has always done so, hes 19 months now, i dont think its anything to worry about, that i know of anyway. Hes alert, bright and happy, but does tend to zone out a bit in the pram. We're not worried about it at all.

[intergalacticwalrus]

DS1 does this in the car. He used to do it in the pushchair until DS2 was born and we had to have a double. Now he spends all his time trying to rip his brother's nose off, delightful child he is!

I just enjoy the peace, because he's a monster all other times

[NotQuiteCockney]

I wish DS2 turned into a zombie in the pushchair. He's 2, and hasn't voluntarily gone into a pram for months. And when I take him on my bike, if he's angry, he spends his time trying to bite me on the arms. Not fun in London traffic!

[UniSarah]

Ds (8m) seems to zone out in the bike trailer. in teh push chair he still faces me so gets more interaction and stays more alert.

[NotQuiteCockney]

Ah, my DS2 is on a seat that goes on the crossbar (a nice one with straps and all). Trying to bite my arms while in a bike trailer would be a good trick, wouldn't it!

[UniSarah]

LOL at biting arms FROM a trailer! quite a trick if they could do it . DS just shouts at me occasionally when ssomething "wakes" him.