Re MIL's attitude to bumbos

[GavisconJunkie]

Ok, I know that some love them & some hate them. I personally don't like them, I think they're overpriced, a little pointless & quite dangerous.

MIL was wetting herself to buy one for dd when she was 2months old (second hand at least) but I firmly said no as a close friend of mine's little boy fell out of one, on the floor & cut his eye on a toy. We were both there & still don't quite know how he managed it.

She seemed to accept this at the time. Turns out she bought it anyway & brought it out for her dd's little girl (6months) when they stayed last week. Fine, but I happened to be chatting with DSIL on Wednesday & she (a paediatric nurse) was saying how she hates them, uses a playnest at home, has seen lots of accidents with them etc. She went home yesterday.

At MIL's today & I saw it sitting under the table. I queried & she said she used it when sil wasn't around to 'mither' as it meant she could leave baby and get on. I pointed out that you weren't meant to leave them unattended in them, even on the floor & that as my dn was quite mobile & there is no tray, was likely to be leaning for toys etc. She laughed and remarked that she did come back in the room just as she was about to topple (ha bloody ha).

It's not my place to bang on at her, her view is that they wouldn't be so popular if they were dangerous in any way. I pointed out that it says on it not to leave them unattended etc. SIL is coming back in a fortnight after my dc2 is born (41 bloody weeks ATM!) so the same is likely to happen.

I don't want to be a snitch, but I think I should tell her. I think in the whirl of giving birth etc I may forget to tell her then. My fear is if I tell her now, it'll stir something up between her & her DM. Also as my mil is our only childcare option for when I'm in hospital, I'm loathe to piss her off!

AIBU to speak to sil about it now? Should I mind my own business & stop fussing over a widely used seat? Also, should I worry about what she does/will do with my dcs behind my back!!?

Reallytired it's sil's mother not mil. It's not free childcare, she was visiting so her mother could see her dgd. Mil is weirdly possessive about seeing her dgc without the parents there (I've previously posted about how this pisses me off with my 5 wo bf baby) & DSIL was out for a walk to oblige. Don't quite understand why mil then spends this 'precious' time doing chores, she did the same with dd, but meh.

It does make me wonder if she put my dd in it when I'd asked her not to. Quite frankly I think they're horrible.

We use Bumbo's in the Children's Centre, mainly during supervised contacts, for short spaces of time, totally supervised.

Realisitcally parents use this equipment, so we teach them the safest way of doing so.

I would tell your SIL, because it sounds as though there could be an accident and then you can bet that your MIL will bring up the fact that you knew.

Work it in to the conversation, some how.

Aitch my HV was very vocal against them.
Basically if they can sit up well enough to sit rather than slump in them, you should prop with cushions. If not bumbo encourages unhealthy spine positioning.

Birds that's what I thought, she would def mention that I knew. But more worried about my gorgeous beige than my standing in the family.

X posted, i would worry about your MIL wanting to do things her way, regardless of safety. It is as though she is doing it to prove a point.

Having said that we use them in the Children's Centre, the babies are moved regulary and we use Doughnuts etc, as well.

Tell her i would

Throwing it in the bin is out. I'd never get away with it. Also 'losing' it over here isn't. DH and I are a bit OTT neatfreakish, and she'd never believe that. I

DH has said he'll drop it into conversation innocently enough in that 'I'm a bloke and don't really know what I'm saying' kind of way when he next chats to his sister. Then I'm all clear.

her view is that they wouldn't be so popular if they were dangerous in any way

Like ciggarrettes? And Alcohol?

Bumbos are often used incorrectly. Firstly they should not be used for a baby that cannot sit unaided already. They do nothing for the development of a baby's back muscles. I have heard from physios that they do not allow the back muscles to develop normally.. and can make your little one lazy to use their back muscles naturally ie sometimes it can force your little one to sit before his back muscles are ready ....Nice to use for very short periods only.

I'd never use one, and have 2-4 under 3s every day... usually at least 1 baby at any given time.

If SIL doesn't like them then she needs to know MIL is using it. I would not be happy knowing my mother was doing something I disagreed with.

Mine (given to me by a friend) is a very handy storage vessel for toys that can be picked out and flung across the room.

DD quite liked it but did tend to topple out of it in a quest to fling said toys across the room.

For getting on with stuff, the jumperoo is a winner and far safer IMO.

I took my 5 month old to see a physio when he was 3 months due to getting a flat head and as well as recommending tummy time and propping him up on side they also said to use a bumbo.

We now use a play nest as he is becoming stronger.