What's the deal with the baby beanbag things? Can I use instead of/is it better than, a bouncer/swing thing?

[ThisIsActuallyHappening]

I'll start by saying - new and clueless (first baby, due this Summer).

So I keep seeing these baby beanbag seat things advertised, how award winning/innovative they are, how everyone's baby love them ... Blah blah. Space (and money) is at a slight premium and I'm umming and ahhing over whether to get one of these, instead of a bouncer?

Bean bag company says they're better for posture/support, help prevent/reduce acid reflux and colic, and also "flat head"? But obviously they don't also rock/bounce! Any thoughts/feedback would be very gratefully received.

These are the things in case you haven't seen them:
www.beanbagplanet.co.uk/

Completely depends on your kid as to whether they like them/will stay in them IME. Before investing it might be worth trying out friends' ones. You don't need any of them but some form of chair/bouncer suitable for newborns that they like to stay safe in so you can do stuff is a good idea.

Btw reducing reflux/colic etc stuff sounds rubbish, although angling a child with reflux so it's head is slightly higher up does help... this doesn't need to be with a bean bag though...

Thanks MilesHuntsWig. I think that's just it - somewhere I could safely put baby down.

It's a tricky one because, I won't know what baby likes in advance of course and, as pathetic as it sounds, I don't have any mummy friends I can beg/borrow such things from! Have lots of lovely friends, but they've all long since had their children so no one I could really borrow from to try.

I googled the colic/reflux thing and think it just relates to the wedge shape that tilts their head, yes.

Get something that's easy to carry from room to room, that's my advice. And definitely buy second hand. Then you have some money left to buy something different if baby doesn't like it!

I'd say the one issue with this is there is no toy bar/over head mobile/anything for baby to play with - or have I missed something?

Baby won't be too much at risk of a flat head if you alternate between lying down, lying on tummy, sitting in bouncy chair, you holding her, carrying in sling etc.

I'd say the one issue with this is there is no toy bar/over head mobile/anything for baby to play with - or have I missed something?

Nope, you're quite right and this was my thought too! This, and whether it matters that it doesn't move/bounce/rock....

I really wanted to get one of the bean bags for my DD (but didn't) and I'm glad now as by the time she was 2 months she wouldn't tolerate not being sat up to see everything I got a fisher price infant to toddler rocker chair thing which she will put up with for a few minutes now, when she was tiny she'd fall asleep when I put the vibrate on, never bothered with a bouncer or swing and I'm glad now as she'd have hated them!

I wouldn't bother, mainly because in my experience the majority of babies like movement, be that swinging, bouncing, rocking, vibrating and a bean bag won't provide that.

spent £50 on ours used once daughter hates it now sitting in a corner gathering dust. Don't waste your money

I wouldn't bother, honestly.

I got one of those poddlepods from the baby show last year - complete waste of £50. Ended up giving it away to a friend because he didn't like it. He has reflux (much better now he's starting solids) and as soon as I lay him down he would just throw up his whole bottle. Reflux/colicy babies generally like movement so I'd say you're better off getting a swing or bouncy chair. He quite liked the bouncy chair, but it was one where you had to keep it moving yourself and his eyes would ping open when I stopped. It was only £13 from Tesco so if he didn't like it then it was really no biggie. By the time he was about 4 months old he just wanted to be on the floor trying to crawl and doesn't really like to sit still so I'd also bare in mind that you may only end up using it for a couple of months if you have an active baby.

Thank you all so much - this is just the kind of input and feedback I was needing!

Definitely sounds like a bouncer it is then and sounds like one that has a motorised vibrate/rock function would be best. Is there anything specific I should look for other than that? I.e. Any spec that's important or what not?

They're not safe - loads of stories of very young babies managing to tip them over and ending up on the floor with bean bags on top of them. The manufacturers say they should only be used if you're right beside the baby to prevent that, so nothing like as useful as a bouncy chair.

My midwife advised against them on safety grounds. Can't quite remember why though (was 5 days post birth and shattered!)

I have a bouncy chair. It's ok. My 8 week year old would go in if for shirt periods. Then she had to go in a harness for hip dysplasia at 2 weeks old and had to get a beanbag as it's the only chair type thing she can fit in. The beanbag was recommended to me by the consultant so I got one.

My DD couldn't use a swing or anything that vibrated too much as her reflux was so bad, but she liked her (slightly) bouncy chair - they seem to be pretty universally popular and you can attach such to them to play with. My mum mates had the Baby Bjorn bouncers which were very nice ( but expensive so look out for second hand!), I had one from a friend which was cheap and cheerful but did the job!