My First Stroller Misadventure

If there was an object that caused your baby, after five minutes of exposure, to have a glazed expression; if it was difficult to rouse him from his trance; if his normal behavior were severely altered in its presence, would you have doubts about said item? I would. And I do.

The item is our new stroller. Being carless on weekdays, and being in possession of a baby boy of increasing weight, I decided it was time. Our Ergo carrier has been a brilliant investment, but it can only do so much. I carefully picked out a stroller online. The Chicco Capri is rugged, Italian, lightweight, folds easily, and retails for $69.99. Nothing to complain about there. The stroller itself seems quite serviceable.

We went for a spin around the block this morning. I expected the little guy to struggle, since he hates the car seat, and struggle he did. When we began to move, he stopped. Normally when I wear him in the Ergo, the baby looks around, makes noises at things, asks to stop and look, and generally seems interested in his surroundings.

But on this little "stroll", from the moment he ceased to complain and slumped in the seat, the baby did not move at all. His head did not turn. He did not utter a sound. We passed a power-saw cutting concrete. No response.

Back at our gate, I bent down to unhitch my son. His eyes stared vacantly. I touched his cheek. His eyes stared vacantly. I picked him up, took him inside, and kept an eye on him. He played normally and seemed fine.

Half an hour later, I decided we would try going to story time at the library. As I wiggled his feet into shoes and his heat into a hat, the baby started complaining loudly. Normally he seems happy to go for a walk. When I laid out the Ergo and put him in it, he quieted down.

As we made our way to the library, the baby on my back looked at dogs, tracked noises, and had me stop so we could watch two guys working on a gutter. It was an entirely different experience.

I don't know what to conclude from all this. I am aware of a recent study showing that babies in forward-facing strollers have higher stress levels than rear-facing babies that have eye contact with their caregiver. (Now that I'm trying to google it, I can't find it.) I guess I assumed my 9-month-old, who is always straining to see things, would like having an unobstructed view of things.

We'll try again tomorrow. But I'm wondering, Is this normal?