bumbos

[KJTWINS]

anyone used bumbo seats? are they any good and where is the cheapest place to buy them
thanks

my ds hated his, never liked it. i think it's a strange invention that makes a baby look like they can sit up when they can't! ok for some placid babies but my ds wasted to be free to kick his les and roll about.

They are supposed to be bad for development - anything that makes a baby do what it can't naturally do is not good e.g. baby walkers, door swings, bumbos.

This admittedly is only on the advice of my son's cranial osteopath, but I'm sure I could find some back-up from the net.

My HV told me they were bad for baby too.

She saw my friend's sitting in the corner (was selling it on ebay for her) never used it, when HV saw it she told me she had seen a child who actually had back problems because of one although she was a bit hippy dippy

She also gave me some info on baby walkers- as a result I never went near one and now advise people not to use them either.

Somebody offered to lend us one so we accepted even though I had always thought them a bit pointless. As it turned out, DS hated it and would arch his back to get out and we only used it a handful of times.

I don't really see the point TBH and believe that if developmentally children are not ready to sit then they shouldn't be forced to. Everyone seems in such a rush to make their babies grow up. The bouncy chair was much much better - he liked it, could play with the toys dangling over the arch as well which they don't have with the bumbo, and I felt it was much better for his spine and neck while he was so little.

I want to give a thumbs up for bumbos - they are fabulous: lightweight, wipeclean, easily portable. Until DD could sit up on her own, her's went everywhere with us and she loved it. We've got photos of her aged 7 months sitting on a beach in it!

I think they're great for nosy babies like DD who don't just want to lie there. (We had to get rid of the Moses basket when she was a couple of weeks old because she hated not being able to see out of the woven wicker sides!)

I do struggle to see how it's bad for development. Surely it's only the same as propping a baby up with a cushion? I'd be really interested to hear the science behind that one, if anyone has any concrete info?

But, as with anything, you wouldn't want to leave your DC unsupervised in one: as DD got bigger, she did work out that by arching her back she could start to wriggle out. We never had an accident but I can see that one could happen if a strong baby was left unsupervised.

nope, hedgewitch, according to the 2 osteopaths i asked they're the work of the devil. if the baby can't sit up, then don't make the baby sit up, apparently. both said they expect them to cause damage that will only be found out about later, perhaps much later.

that said, i did use one for a brief while with dd1 cos someone gave me it to try, she didn't really like it and could get out of it quite dangerously.

Aitch, does that mean I shouldn't prop DD up in the chair either (no cushions or anything) as I do that all the time too?

(not asking in an aggressive way btw, just genuinely want to know)

well, the angle that they are sitting at is vastly different than the one they'd be at if they were leaning against a cushion, for starters. and their legs are jammed against something so presumably the base of their spine is taking that pressure, whereas with a cushion it would be the whole of the back.

Cool, I'll just leave her on the chair then, thanks.

don't know, chance, i wonder if the propping is done at the base of the spine if that would be okay? my osteo said that if you think about car seats and bouncers etc, they're all at a specific gradient and you still shouldn't leave them in them for too long.

she REALLY hates all sorts of things, though, but does reserve special loathing for the bumbo and baby swing. which are similar, in a downward pressure sort of a way i suppose.

it's interesting for me at the moment. dd2 would love a bumbo i suspect as developmentally she wants to see everything and sit up. but she's so small i can't imagine that it would be a healthy place for her to sit.

oh, the osteo also said that people are naturally dishonest about how long they leave their kids in these things, so again it wouldn't be the same as a highchair for mealtimes i'd have thought.

aha! x-post chancellor.

We've got a baby swing too, and a jumperoo bouncer thing. DD is obviously doomed!

She doesn't stay in anything very long though.

Chair support babies neck and bottom whereas Bumbo just holds them in place rather than actually supporting them. IYKWIM.

DS was very nosey so I bought him a reclinable high chair which was fab but for on the floor a baby nest of cushions worked.

Nope I can't as I say is just what my HV told me. Didn't say I could though.

Sorry abit off subject, but Hegewitch when are you due? You seem tohave been pg hedgewitch for ages!

Loved mine
Got it at bump to 3 but that was 4yrs ago
Seen one today in a cat had a feeding table attached £42 I think

info about recalls fue to head injuries in other countries:

www.babygizmo.com/news/bumbo.php

www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08046.html

Not seen much about the spine issue, but can imagine the downwards pressure is worse for little ones who aren't meant to sit up, than leaning back on cushions which gives extra support.

Friends kids have used them and seem fine years later, but think I will personally avoid, as we have a few hereditary back issues in the family.

thanks i have twins one a very slim and bendy baby and one with chunky thighs might just buy one seemed both to like it when i tried them in a riends one they are very expensive tho as someone says even on e-bay.

How old are your twins KJ?

Have you tried the fisher price toddler rocker chair? It's just a bouncy chair but has solid legs so can take a child up to 3. I have one and my 2.6YO sits in it reading all the time

It means LO can lie back a bit or sit up if they want.

HTH.

If you want a bumbo Ebay has a few going at a decent price...

£12 exc postage
£25 inc postage
£25 inc postage