Help! What should I do with our just under 6m old?

[bebemoo]

I mean actually, physically. Where do you put them? At 25lbs she's too big now for chairs, walkers, swings, and door bouncers...
I cannot get anything done because there's nowhere that I can put her where she's safe for very long.
She gets bored just laying on the floor even if I leave toys out for her, because she cannot actually get to them yet (not crawling). So at most I get 5 min before screaming ensues. (fine for going to the toilet...not so great for washing dishes, making supper etc.)
If I sit her up she cannot stay sitting for long (6-8min at most) and I'm a bit afraid she's going to knock herself out when she finally falls back onto the (hardwood) floor.
I've also tried the highchair in the kitchen,(cannot use it anywhere else easily as the kitchen on ground floor while all other rooms on 2nd and 3rd floor); once the toys drop she also starts crying...so I spend my time picking up toys...
So what would you do? How do I get anything done?

A travel cot / playpen?

Playpen. It saved my sanity and dd from banging herself on table corners!

We got one half price on ebay brand new. Put her in there with some toys and books and was actually able to go for a pee on my own.

Aaaah it doesn't get much better than that after 6 months of carrying them around!

Are there any which string toys across them like the chairs? or playmats? She gets bored so easily...
She'd once again be on her tummy and not be able to get at things, or be sitting up for only a short time...though it would solve the 'knocking herself out' problem probably

Great big old coach built pram with a biffing toy strung across, parked under a tree so she can watch the leaves (very 1930s but works)

or

Play pen or travel cot rigged up as playpen. Samsonite do a great pop up one.

We put all the noisy toys that we hated in our playpen so DS2 got impossibly excited every time he sensed he was going to go in there. That way we limited the noise whilst creating unfathomable heights (depths???) of enjoyment for him. Cunning, hey???

I used a playnest (in the sitting room) for dd1 at this age which I stuffed full of cuddly toys and other things so she couldn't fall over and had plenty to play with.

I also had a bumbo in the kitchen so she could sit with me while I did kitchen stuff (she enjoyed watching the washing machine go round!).

If we were upstairs together then she lay on blankets with toys.

I took her everywhere with me.

dd2 was easier as she had dd1 to amuse her.

We have a bumbo too (actually 2) and she straightens herself up like a board when she gets fed up of it and pops right out of it (the dickens). (5 min limit pretty much on these too though I've been contemplating getting the tray)

I'll have to look up 'playnest's I've never heard of them.

Are you concerned with suffocation? in playpens? Or falling on toys and getting smashed up against them?

You could use a sling, then your baby will be happy and you can do your jobs. If you have a high quality sling then carrying a heavy baby is not an issue, I used to carry a three year old with a huggababy sling.

Travel cot downstairs.

popped ds2 on the floor - he got used to sitting up between my legs while I was on the computer from just before 6 months and at 6 months was happy to sit surrounded by cushions playing with toys - now at 7 months will happily reverse to sitting from being on tummy or back on floor. So just get them used to being on the floor - you need to be down there with them to start off with but once they're used to it you can get on with MNing stuff.

slings We've thought of this too... The two we have (tomy front pack and a close fabric sling) are more for the front and are not ideal, but perhaps a strong back one so she's out of my way... Any ideas abt what would be good for such things? I'm also rather 'endowed' so it cannot be too narrow over the breast (like some of the ones I've seen or squish them too much either.)

I'll check out the huggababy sling online...

dinky ...got me pegged

It'll be easier with the next one. You bribe the older ones to entertain the baby

I won't let my dh read that bronzebeard...he's already pestering for the next...

Tippitoes door bouncer????

too heavy for it now boff And it was her favorite

Did your other half (or you?) just ask the same thing on the singletrackworld forum? I am pissing myself at the different responses you get from the guys on there! JUST LET THE SILLY GIRL CRY!!

I'd also suggest door bouncer, or my DS loves his "jumperoo", (they are massive though), but they seem to keep them entertained more than the other entertainment centres where they can just move around as they get to bounce too. I would have thought she would fit...

Sling, try something like an Ergo (some kind of soft structure carrier, we have a Manduca)

Also could you try a high chair that has lots of support? I think there are some that are more designed for younger babies that can't sit well yet.

Also please remember that this stage won't last long, she will soon be able to sit easily and will start being happy on her front even if she isn't crawling.

Yes he did

How is she too heavy for a door bouncer? You mean she won't fit in it? I would have thought they would take them until they are really heavy?

It is a good point Summer...she seems to be growing so fast... last week she couldn't be bothered to sit (though she could do it) and this week she likes it more and even grabs at things from the sitting position ending up almost in a crawling position...

I'm having trouble finding any of the jumperoos or activity centres that allow for babies over 25lbs or 11 and a bit kilos...otherwise I'd have one...
Does anyone have one that allows such a weight?

apparently the door bouncers are only until 11kilos... according to the info sheet I got with mine (which I didn't read until I noticed it online somewhere). I had her in it yesterday though and she fit it fine, and enjoyed it...

Jumperoo or similar? I know they're expensive, but not too bad on Ebay. Mine buys me up to half an hour peace and quiet three times a day so very much worth it for me .

I also put my DD in the Antilop high chair fro Ikea. You can get an inflatable cushion thingy and she has been fine in it since 6 mo. Best of all it's only about a tenner.

read it online today that is

I used a travel cot with a V cushion behind DS to help him sit up and he used to be very happy in there with one of those electronic pushalong / keyboard toys with lots of buttons on it.

Playpen, definitely. Those pop-up travel cots with the folding frame and detachable mattress are great - they are about £40 new but turn up cheaper on Ebay (I sold DS's two for a tenner each).
When my DS was that age, I had my shop and used to have the travel cot in there, he divided his time between travel cot, car seat thingy, my lap and rolling around on the floor ripping up the junk books from the 10p shelf.

Very good idea Pasturesnew!...I've got 2 of those cushions from breastfeeding escapades gone wrong...I could make something like a nest for her with them... hmmm very interesting [thinking smiley]