Bumbo recall - dumbo parents?

[deliakate]

uk.reuters.com/article/2012/08/15/uk-usa-recall-bumbo-idUKBRE87E0EO20120815

It seems Bumbo are recalling seat in the US - you can send it back for a safety strap to be added. But not in the UK. Question is, who puts things like this on elevated surfaces in the first place, fgs?

Mine was great for stopping my nosy baby from screaming when she couldn't see me or what was going on when I needed 2 hands for 30 seconds such as for having a wee! I was never miles away and never on a raised surface. No idea how babies learn to get out as my daughter never tried. I guess if they are in them for hours?
Oh and I believe they were developed by OTs so not just made for plonking babies in.

We had one for DS2 but he has low muscle tone so couldn't sit unaided anyway for ages and got quiet frustratd.Never had them for DS1+3 though, no point in them as sitting should come naturally IMO.

And as for raised surfaces , why? The thought would never cross my mind.

My ds is now 6 but loved his and we used to use it in the shower for him as we didn't haveta bath back one.

Dd could get out of hers at 4.5 months. She is never even left alone in it and never on a raised surface. Bloody idiots

How did you wash his bum in the shower with a bumbo though?

The bottom would fill with water so it got a good soaking!

A pregnant friend told me she was going to get one as she'd thought they looked useful when she'd seen her friend using it on the kitchen worktop next to the hob so the baby could watch her cook .

We were lent one and dd fell out. I was horrified at the idea of a baby falling out that high up.

I borrowed one from a friend who's DD couldn't fit in it due to chunky thighs. I was wanting it to be a success because you didn't have to keep strapping the baby in but my DD was out of it within two weeks of use (floor only) at 4 months. My DH was fuming about it and if we'd have actually bought it I think he would have taken it further.

So now they are recalling them in the States to be fitted with restraints? This sounds like the MacLaren buggy thing when toddlers were losing fingers when too close to the buggy as it was being folded. MacLaren offered free hinge covers to US users but European users had to campaign to get theirs free.

Ok we know Bumbo seats shouldn't be used on elevated surfaces, but in my mind they aren't fit for purpose even on the floor without restraints. And who would want a relatively expensive baby seat if you need the restraints anyway?

We used it with ds, who also has hypotonia. It was great, he loved it and never climbed out, although I'd never use it on a raised surface only on the floor.

I used it in the bath too as he sat better in it than other chairs, it doesn't float if baby is sitting in it due to their weight, the bath wasn't ever that deep and I was always with him anyway. When I was washing his bum I'd just take him out and wash it.

I thought it was a great product, for a really short time - the gap between when they want to sit up and when they can - and for that brief period it was a godsend for DD to sit with a bottle / to feed her / watching us eat (and yes she was on the table sometimes, but right next to us). As soon as she was big and strong enough to try to push up out of it we stopped using it as she was then fine in the highchair.

You can't legislate for stupidity, though.

i had one for ds4 and dd. ds4 got too chunky and didnt like it. dd did tho and i would put it up on the worktop, right at the back whilst chopping veg etc. i wss right there next to her tho. ditto on dini g rm table if i was doing crafty stuff with the boys. she loved yo be able to sit and watch what was going on. :) but you arent supposed to leave them unnattended! iy says that ON the bumbo, along with not to be used as a carseat!!! i mean seriously who would do that?!

I used mine for ages. We went from bumbo to regular chair skipping a high chair, so I think my DD must have been in it from @3 months to maybe 18. I found the tray helped to keep her in and didn't use it on a table just the floor.

A lot of people do think that kids can't get out them though. Seems to be a bit of an urban myth despite the warnings on it.

As a carseat ?

Well, it also says not to use in the bath, and clearly daft people do.

Ill be taking it to a friends bbq at the weekend. dd can sot unaided but cant crawl yet. friend has a concrete yard (no grass) and dd is too chunky to sit on my lap all afternoon so this way she has her own chair.

We had two and never had a problem with them escaping with them. They were useful for short periods of time playing with different toys. They were only ever used on the carpet though.

we use ours with our 6.5months old as he's still a bit small for his highchair whereas the bumbo tray is just the right height for him to feed himself. We only use it when we're sat on the floor with him and when he starts trying to lean out that's the cue that he's had enough food.

It's on loan though from my brother- far too expensive.
There's some at our swimming pool in the changing room - handy for letting you get dressed.

But these all have 'This is NOT a potty' written on them

Mine used to sit on a beanbag.

Perfect.

I'm not daft gnocci, my son wasn't physically able to sit in a bath seat and the bumbo properly supported him while he was in the bath. As I said in my previous post, it was fine with shallow bathwater and an adult with him all the time.

We used it for a month or so, when Ds was about 4 months? He liked being sat up and it was good for when he was too little for his high chair. By about 5 months his thighs were too fat for it though, and I pretty much had to pry him out of it. I'd have to grease him up with butter to squeeze him into it now.

Had never ever heard of a Bumbo until I started using parenting forums. Always thought they looked odd and could never quite see the point. But they became incredibly 'fashionable' in online circles. Bit like SPD

another one here who was advised to try bathing ds in the bumbo by his ot, probably safer than the ridiculous slippery performance that bathtimes were without a special bath seat.

Unfortunately ds was too chunky and the bumbo was stuck to his ample behind!

I used a baby sized sponge to bath all mine. Brilliant. They laid on it and I had both hands free.