When did you use these for your baby?

[Madratlady]

1. Bouncy chair
2. Play mat

DS is only 3 weeks old so he doesn't do much yet apart from sleep, eat and have cuddles, just wondered when he was likely to enjoy the chair and mat.

We had a swing chair that both of mine loved, they were in that really early, it was great for naps. Playmat probably from about 8-10 weeks when they were a bit more alert and interested in the world a bit more.

Playmat from about 6wo, really liked it from about 10wo. Basic bouncy chair with toys attached from about 4wo but he was all slumped over and probably shouldnt have been in there, lol! He really liked it from about 2mo-6mo.

Bouncy chair ... Never, he hates the thing and screamed the place down whenever he went near it.

Play mat from about 10 weeks...he is rolling and getting tangled in it now so might be time to remove the arches !

About 12 weeks. He's 19 weeks now and adores his rocker chair. I think he's in love with the bee on the toy bar!

My dd was in a bouncey vibrating chair from about 2 weeks!!! And she's in it all the time now at 9 weeks, she loves it.

She's not that interested in her playmat yet but she's only just starting to show interest in toys.

Bouncy chair, from a couple of months old. DS had one of the funny vibrating ones, DD had an all singing and dancing rocking one.

Playmat, from birth. Seemed a safe place to pop them down when I needed to do something. They weren't interested in the dangly toys at that age.

DS1 hated his bouncy chair so never put him in it (although tried many times in the first 4 months) and he was in his play gym from about 5/6 weeks, but he probably didn't do much in it until he was able to grab things (maybe 10 weeks or so?)

DS2 is 7 months now and we still put him in his baby gym (he likes it :-)

DS2 liked his bouncy chair straight away so had him in that from about 3-4 weeks, but only 5-10 minutes at a time until he outgrew it (at 4 months).

Never: neither child liked the bouncy chair although dd had a mechanical swing which we used from 3 weeks. I never thought to buy a play mat; ds was happy enough to lay on the floor and watch the world go by. I had loads of time to talk to and play with him whereas dd hated being on the floor and with the toddler running around it wasn't safe for her there anyway. She spent most of her time in the swing until she could sit in her dome play seat thing!

DS enjoyed his play mat for short spells from about 5 weeks and loves it now for up to 20 mins at a time (14 weeks)
Hated the bouncy chair until about 8 weeks but happy in it now, the owl on it appears to be his best friend, and he very occasionally falls asleep in it.

Bouncy vibrating chair from week old with both kids . They loved it. It was great as I could take it to any room whilst getting on with things
Floor mat play gym from a bit older

Both probably from 2 months. But if baby is happy on playmat before then then no reason not to start. Gives you a break

DS seems pretty happy in his bouncy chair for short periods when he's awake. It's a very basic one though, not a vibratey one.

Bouncy chair from a few weeks for small periods. Dd adored her play mat had from about 2.5 months....the fp rain forest one. Just lovely

Bouncy chair - from day 1 at home. Simple no-frills one.
Playmat - baby gym was interesting from 3-4 months, outgrown once they could sit up easily. Had actual playmat which ds loved for a few months from sitting up, but as soon as dd sat up she just rolled away, unimpressed.

Giant rocking swing was godsend with ds from 4 months to over a year. Dd hated it.

Bouncer from about two or three weeks but I think you're meant to wait until 12 weeks as it is better to be on their backs other than tummy time gp advised

Play mat about three weeks. It is a big flumpy soft one. Can't do tummy time on is at its not flat.

notcitrus do you mind me asking what rocker you have? Does it hold a good weight?

I might buy foam tiles next for the rolling stage.

Congrats on you're little baby !!

bouncy chair from several weeks, a simple one with hangy things on - keeps them amused whilst we eat or cook (sometimes), when they have too much movement it become a bit of a prison though

mat with arches with more hangy things on very useful from the first few weeks until they move too much and escape - 6 months?

1. Bouncy chair - since very very early on - probably 2 weeks on... have a 1 month photo of her in her chair... and note, she still uses it at 23 months... it's where Dolly sleeps and gets tucked in... and she has been known to still nap in it, although the is a dinky thing...

2. playmat - from about 6w or earlier, we used to lie there together, then she liked batting the toys. we packed the arches away but still use the mat for picnics with the dolls (it's a rainforest one so the mat has a river and we picnic on the shore )

Bouncy chair from 2 weeks

playmat: never! Do didn't like being laid down flat. At all.

We used bouncy chair straight away - it has been brilliant. We tried playmat fairly early on, but she only started enjoying it from a month or so - can't really remember, except that it wasn't right away.

bouncy chair - used lots right from birth (on horizontal setting) whenever I needed to do something incompatible with a sling e.g. Have a shower, get dressed, household tasks involving lots of bending etc.

Playmat not so much - it was nice to have and used a bit but I don't think it's a must-have.

I've just ordered a bouncy, vibrating chair for my 10 wk old. Tried one at a friend's house and he loved it! Esp good as he has reflux and prefers to be upright. We have a playgym already which he uses in fits and starts (although I do spend a lot of time convincing the cat it's not for him...)