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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To get my baby a walker?

117 replies

Anythingwithagiraffeonit · 10/05/2011 19:03

I mentioned today to my friend that 7 month DD doesn't seem to be attempting to crawl / lift herself up on her hands and knees etc and she suggested a walker as some babies never crawl and she could strengthen her legs that way etc etc...

I mentioned this in passing to some friends at a baby group and they were horrified... Are they really that bad?

Would I be being unreasonable to get one for her? Are there not safe ones?

OP posts:

virgiltracey · 10/05/2011 19:06

We had one for the DSs. DS1 walked at 12 months, DS2 walked at 10 months and so it certainly didn't hold them back. Of course there are concernes about steps etc but surely no responsible parent would let their child in a babywalker near to steps.

We had supervised baby walker time and they loved it but it was a fairly short lived phase.

supergreenuk · 10/05/2011 19:07

Not sure why you got that reaction. DD loved hers.

gonerogue · 10/05/2011 19:09

I had one for my DD (it was passed on by a work colleague) and she seemed to like it - until I went to the 7-9 moonth check and the nurse tld me that it was causing DD to stand on her tippy toes and this can cause problems in h=their ankles and tendons at back of calves.

gonerogue · 10/05/2011 19:10

nurse told me
in their ankles

bittersweetvictory · 10/05/2011 19:11

I dont understand why they were horrified, nearly everyone i know has got or have used baby walkers, including myself, they are safe as long as you buy a good one and help strenghthen babys legs, as long as you take all the safety aspect into consideration i think they are a good thing, they use them at my local nursery.

thisisyesterday · 10/05/2011 19:11

yeah, they really are that bad. there is a reason why they're now banned in several countries around the world

they also can delay walking etc because your baby is in a sitting position, with legs down, so can scoot around but won't actually "strengthen" anything and will learn to move in a non-upright position

PLUS, she really, really doesn't need to strengthen her legs at 7 months anyway, she will crawl when she is ready to

1980Sport · 10/05/2011 19:12

My DS1 has physio and when the physiotherapist first came to the house she asked me to put the walker away and never use it. When DS2 came along I asked her about using it with him as he doesn't have the same problems as DS1 and she said definitely not!

thisisyesterday · 10/05/2011 19:14

interesting piece here on them

and i just read another one which, quite rightly, points out that to learn to crawl your baby needs to be on the floor, not in a seat!

nailak · 10/05/2011 19:14

so what about jumperoos?

midori1999 · 10/05/2011 19:14

What thisisyesterday said.

My son's physio is absolutely against walkers for any child due to the position it keeps the hips, legs and feet in and the damage that can cause.

Plus, she will walk or crawl when she is ready, why the rush? Have you ever noticed any children crawling in on their first day of school?

tallulahxhunny · 10/05/2011 19:15

i used baby walker with all 3 of mine, if you dont want to use one what about a jumperoo? its like a walker but baby can bounce in it therefore strengthening the legs

TiggyD · 10/05/2011 19:15

They are a fun place for babies to sit for half an hour but they don't do anything for walking skills.

And don't put it near the edge of a cliff.

tallulahxhunny · 10/05/2011 19:16

you can get them cheaper than this but heres one in case you dont know what im talking about :)

www.amazon.co.uk/Fisher-Price-K7198-Rainforest-Jumperoo/dp/B000LXQVA4

AgentZigzag · 10/05/2011 19:16

Don't get the horrified reaction either.

But I found it didn't encourage them to walk because they've got to have the balance they get with being able to walk, to use it.

If that makes sense?

I wouldn't worry about any development to do with crawling/walking at 7 months, she'll get to it when she's good and ready and not a second before

AgentZigzag · 10/05/2011 19:22

I've just realised you're talking about the walker the baby sits in rather than something they push about themselves.

If it is it's supposed to be dangerous because they can topple over I think.

Oblomov · 10/05/2011 20:09

This OTT re-action really gets on my nerves. Like they are the work of the devil. Rubbish. Like they do damage to tendons. nonsense. well, yes I'm sure they could if you were stupid enough to put a child in who didn't want to be in one, for long periods of time. I never ever used mine to encourage them to walk. why would I want to encourage them to walk ? to strengthen their muscles ? no, i never did it for that. I only ever did it for short periods. Mainly just to give them a change. like a change of scenery, a change of position rather than being say lying on their back under the play gym.
And i never did anything so very very stupid as to put them at the top of the stairs. and I never left them unattended. so no harm could ever come to them.
AND THEY LOVED IT, LOVED IT, LOVED IT. They both laughed and gurgled. and banged a stick and just loved it.
so tell these silly people who advised you against it, to mind their own business. and that you do have an ounce of common sense.
And carry on doing whatever you want !!

HellNoSayItAintSo · 10/05/2011 20:13

They are banned in more than one country. Do you really want to buy a baby product that was needed to be actually outlawed due to the high numbers of injuries associated with them?

If you do, fair enough. Personally, my standards for children are on the neglectful side of lax, but if governments take the time to ban them, and in other countries pediatric doctors got together to call for them to be banned there too, I'd pass.

MovingAndScared · 10/05/2011 20:29

To be honest just enjoy your baby not being mobile- its hard work once they are!! and there is a very wide range of normal for walking and crawling -known perfectly normal children not moving at say 15 months -
if anything I think the kids I know who had walkers -walked later - as I think they use different muscles or something - that said none of them ever had any problems with them
I had a jumperoo for my DS2 - he loved it

gonerogue · 10/05/2011 20:31

Oblomov my DD was never in the walker for more than 20 mins once or twice a day at a time when I needed to get something done. My next door neighbour is a physiotherapist and she has also advised against them also - my DD loved her walker but I don't want to risk it. That may be an OTT reaction but thenagain she is my PFB

strandedbear · 10/05/2011 20:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BertieBotts · 10/05/2011 20:40

I do think the idea of doing something to "strengthen their legs" is ridiculous - surely nature has designed them to learn to walk by themselves just fine!

DS did have a jumperoo though. Though as someone else said, not for any teaching/strengthening purpose, just because it seemed fun :)

StewieGriffinsMom · 10/05/2011 20:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Oblomov · 10/05/2011 20:44

Hellnosay, but why were they outlawed ? I read thta the main reasons was toppling over. and down the stairs. and maybe intot he fire.

And thtas what i mena. I mean how incredibly stupid would you have to be to allow those to happen. they wouldn't, would they ? if you never left them unattended, and didn't have them in one at the top of the stairs. it really is common sense.

Iggly · 10/05/2011 20:45

Some babes never crawl and go straight to walking. Some crawl for months and some crawl for a short period then walk.

7 months is young. I do remember worrying about this though when DS was that age. I didn't bother with a walker though - I wasted enough money on stuff that he wouldn't use for more than a couple of months plus I knew that walkers were, generally, not good for the hips etc. All of those who used them and their babies were fine, well that doesn't disprove the fact. IMHO

Oblomov · 10/05/2011 20:46

agree with bertie. i used one for both ds's. and for ds2 i got a jumperoo thingy. soley for fun.
you can do things, just for fun, ya know

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