One of the all time favourite baby products out there is the Jolly Jumper Exerciser (by Canadian firm Jolly Jumper). So of course we had to test it and here is our product tester Noah at work:
Setting up the Jolly Jumper is super straight forward. Instructions on the package are clear and as long as you have a door frame or sturdy hook available it will literally take 2 minutes to get going. Getting the baby inside is sometimes a bit tricky but we found doing this on the floor and then lifting them up is the easiest option. The correct height (feet should barely touch the ground) can be adjusted if you have someone hold the baby while you're doing it.
Our product tester took an instant liking to the product and just "kept on jumping". We found it was important to have adults on stand by at all times to avoid collisions with door frames and the door itself. Overall it seemed reasonably safe and well designed though.
Downsides
When researching the product we found quite a few references to jolly jumpers causing potential back problems. Osteopaths tend to criticize the disruption of natural development stages the jumpers represent. Meaning ... nature has arranged for a particular sequence of spine, posture and muscular development as babies get older. The Jolly Jumper and similar products disrupt this sequence by allowing babies to stand up before nature has intended them to stand.
According to some osteopaths this can cause imbalances within the mechanics of hips, pelvis, groin or spine. Obviously this highly depends on how long babies are left in the jumpers. There are no hard and fast rules but especially babies aged 5 months or less should not be left in there for "extended periods" (i.e. hours).
The verdict
All in all I'd say Jolly Jumpers are fun and safe products if set-up correctly and supervised. We feel that 10 minutes of jumping every other day is probably enough for our 4 month old at the moment. We will have him checked by an Osteopath soon - so if there are any noticeable adverse effects that could be related to the jumping we'll probably stop using it.
-Stef
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Hey Jake - this is amazing.
Hey Jake - this is amazing. Would you mind summarising your experiences and the insights you gained from visiting the Chiro so we can create a separate post? You could send by email or submit as a post.
Yup. You'd be surprised.
Yup. You'd be surprised. When babies are born, their crown (head) is badly disrupted. Especially Vontuse bubs. They do gentle hand corrections. Kids with Ear aches, bed wetting etc can all be corrected with regular visits.
Good point about the tummy
Good point about the tummy strap Lance - thanks for pointing that out ... probably should have made that clear in the article.
-Stef
Hey Jake - I hadn't thought
Hey Jake - I hadn't thought about the effects of bad posture on general wellness (-> crying) or sleep. I mean it would be hard to compare in your case whether your baby would be any different had you not gone to the chiropractor regularly - still ... common sense suggests that there's some truth in it. I'll definitely take Noah asap and I know that Scott has already taken his girl.
Ok. Babies aren't going to
Ok. Babies aren't going to complain about back issues. Back issues don't transpire in early life but affect you're development later in life. Jolly jumpers can cause disruptions in the spines development. For example throwing your bubs up in the air and catching her, is the equivalent to a whiplash car injury for them.
We take our baby to a chiropractor for regular wellness care. This generally helps the baby sleep better, develop better and cry less! So we feel less guilty of doing stuff like sitting up before she can do it herself.
My wife and I decided we
My wife and I decided we wouldn't put either of our girls into the jumper until they were mobile. With both our girls, this was about the 4-5 month mark.
Now, they both loved it at this stage and got rather peeved when we took them out. We kept to 10 mins or so maximum until they were about 6 months, then upped it to about 20 mins. Both lost interest in the jumper at about 9 months as they were walking around furniture by then, although neither walked until they were 12 months old. They are now 6 and nearly 3 with no spinal / bone issues we are aware of or that they have complained about.
I also agree COMPLETELY with the idea of lying them on the floor to put them in the thing. However, do NOT pick it up without doing the tummy strap up or the baby swings upside down in the jumper when you pick it up. Besides the baby looking rather surprised and giving father a look that both traces father's ancestry and conveys how little faith they have in any FUTURE thing that Daddy wants to put them into, one's wife tends to make startled gurgling sounds (akin to a cross between a gargle and a scream) and her eyes are both huge and about two feet in front of her skull. A most unflattering state....so best if one remembers the thing, eh??!!