Baby won't lie down

[jessb]

Ds is nearly 5 months and wants to be supported standing or sitting all the time and its driving me nuts, occaisionally prop him in corner of sofa but obviously have to be with him. Any products out there that will give me a few moments reprive? HV says baby walkers v dangerous.

Baby walkers are fine if well supervised. Graco do a "bug" thing (that's what nursery calls it) which is like a baby walker without wheels and has all sorts of activities on a tray.
Also found lots of other types - see this website

'Bumbo' baby seat from www.grobag.com is £19.99 - worth a try?

Forgot about the bumbo - it is wonderful. dd loved it. Only problem is the colours - ours is a horribl sicky green

PS am not advertising on behalf of grobags - I have just ordered a Bumbo for DD - recommended by a friend at playgroup.

Have a look for an "exersaucer" or something similar. A bit like a walker in that it has a seat/saddle type arrangement (whcih can be swivels to face in different directions), but it doesn't go anywhere. We had one from mothercare which in theory could be either static or go around in circle around one point, so they could "walk" but not get around and get themselves into trouble with it. It didn't work on our thick carpet though, so it had to go in the kitchen if we wanted it in "walk in circles" mode.

We used a Tippitoes door bouncer from this age, which supports the baby's back but allows them freedom to move around independently of mum or dad. Does allow you 15 - 20 mins break (obviously still supervised !) and the baby can kick and get some exercise too, our ds used to love to "dance" to music in it. IMO safer than a walker as it is static and at around £20 far cheaper than an exosaucer or entertainment centre. Also less bulky as you can fold it into a small box when not in use.

hth

LizS

I did hear that baby walkers aren't great because they hold the baby's feet at the wrong angle for walking, and can delay walking - don't want to be a wet blanket, but thought it worth mentioning! Having said that, lots of my friends thought they were great, so what do I know!

I have used walkers with all mine and their walking or feet havent been effected at all. I imagine that if you left them in there for long periods at a time then obviously it could have a detrimental effect but for short spells at a time I think they are brilliant, if anything they help to strengthen the leg muscles

LIbby Purves describes propping up her baby in a cardboard box with cushions in it in front of Top of The Pops!

Bumbo is great for letting dd (7 months) sit up and watch while I'm cooking or whatever (tends to fall over if sitting by herself so needs quite a lot of picking up!).

BUT don't rely on the manufacturer's claim that babies can't climb out of it. dd can twist round and nose dive over the back (cue much wailing). Have to put lots of cushions on the floor around the bumbo so that if she drops the toy she is playing with, she can easily reach to pick it up again.

Actually, the cardboard box that the Bumbo came in is just the right size for dd to sit in, and she can't get out of that...

Musica - the thing about walkers delaying walking isn't proven. The research into it, which got quite a bit of publicity at the time was published in the BMJ - but look at the rapid responses and letters relating to it (which didn't attract the same publicity} and you'll see that the findings have been rather discredited - depending upon the way you interpret the results the "delay" to walking could actually be less than one day according to those figures, and as the group in the study using the walkers were on average developmentally behind the group of non-users at the start of the study, it's impossible to say that they might not have walked even later without using the walkers.

Actually the pdf version is a better place to look as it lists the figures, which you can't see on the other link