[not_telling]

DS, 4 months, is really working hard on sitting up and is so thrilled when he's able to, usually with some assistance. I was thinking of getting him a Bumbo. I saw an archived thread where people shared why Bumbo did not work for them, but am wondering about successes.

Do babies have to stop using them once they can sit up on own?
Do babies with "average" chunky thighs have trouble fitting (not super chunky thighs)?
Do they topple easily?
Is it better to just get a high chair?

 

[Jannah6]

Do babies have to stop using them once they can sit up on own? No, but when they start to lean forward to grab things you should stop using the bumbo.
Do babies with "average" chunky thighs have trouble fitting (not super chunky thighs)? My DS is slim so I don't know

Do they topple easily? When the child starts to lean forward it does topple. Also, you should never sit the bumbo atop a table.

Is it better to just get a high chair? I think having both is great

 

[MoonJelly]

I thought these, like walkers and buckets, etc delayed development, not helped it.

I was told that the best place for a baby, in terms of developing their muscles, is on the floor. To practice sitting on the floor, put pillows in a circle around them for when they topple over.

If you use them, I think 30 min a day is the most they should be in them.

 

[LinzMommy2Be]

My DS loved his bumbo and it helped him a lot to learn how to sit up. The problem is he has chunky thighs and won't fit in it anymore. We were only able to use it for a short period of time due to his legs being sqeezed in there. If you are going to get a highchair I would really recomend the Fisher Price Space Saver becuase it reclines in three different positions. DS has been using that since he grew out of the bumbo.

 

[MoonJelly]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LinzMommy2Be My DS loved his bumbo and it helped him a lot to learn how to sit up. The problem is he has chunky thighs and won't fit in it anymore. We were only able to use it for a short period of time due to his legs being sqeezed in there. If you are going to get a highchair I would really recomend the Fisher Price Space Saver becuase it reclines in three different positions. DS has been using that since he grew out of the bumbo.

Yes, but how do you know it was the seat that helped him sit? Maybe he would have learned to sit at the same rate anyway.

The only way muscles develop is when they have to do the work themselves.

 

[Ceinwen]

Do babies have to stop using them once they can sit up on own? I believe the instructions say that once an infant can sit independantly, the chair becomes kind of obsolete

Do babies with "average" chunky thighs have trouble fitting (not super chunky thighs)? My dd is SUPER chunky and had no problems

Do they topple easily? Mine did topple - sitting on the carpet with me, dd leaned forward and her legs poppped out, the chair tipped

Is it better to just get a high chair? My dd much prefers to sit in her high chair while I make dinner, do dishes, etc. She's getting too heavy for me to sling/back carry for too long now.

Like any other baby 'container', to me they have their place.

For us it was never an issue (the Bumbo) because my dd hated it. The couple of times we did use it...

So we didn't use it. I do have several friends who are very AP who used it maybe once a day, as just an activity to do with the baby.

You're most likely going to get a range of responses from outrage 'How dare you abuse your child you Bumbo varmint!' to 'We love our Bumbo and use it all day long!' (Okay, not so much the last here on MDC

)

I'm big on moderation. I did more baby wearing than anything else, but we also have a swing, exersaucer, bouncy chair thingie, etc.

 

[DeerMother]

If you do get one, check out used - they are in them for such a short period of time, that the $40 pricetag is hardly worth it, imho.

 

[GISDiva]

I would say if you think your LO would like it and would want to try it, find one used because their useful life isn't long. I found one for half-price on Craig's List and was very happy I didn't pay more than I did. They are handy to have in places where you need to set the baby down but it's a hard surface or something - for instance, I used it when I needed to put clothes into the dryer or whatnot to keep him from falling backwards on a hard concrete floor. Once he started to learn to sit up he didn't want to lay on his back anymore, so it was handy for those times.

 

[Amila]

Both of mine sat in it for like 5 seconds and then tried arching out of it backwards- and almost succeeding.

 

[swimswamswum]

I think they're probably really great if you have multiples or a day care or lots of kids who need attention now, but if you only have one or two little ones, they're not that great. We don't have one, but there's one at a place where we often play. They're not that exciting and DD wouldn't tolerate being in one. She would much rather be held or slung or propped up by me. I've also read that they're not great for baby's development.

They sell really well, so they must be great for some kids. I think if you have a high chair, you could just wait and use that. Also, if you have a Boppy, those can be fun to help little ones sit.

 

[MoonJelly]

I totally get it for the place-to-put-the-baby thing.

But I just don't get why people think they are necessary for development. I see requests for them ALL THE TIME on Freecycle and every time the mom is saying she needs it to help her baby sit. I never see anyone say "I need a place to put my baby while I do laundry" or whatever.

It's like TV. I can see using it to occupy a child (for a short amount of time), but to believe it's necessary for learning or whatever is ludicrous.

 

[Jannah6]

Quote:

Originally Posted by esaesa If you do get one, check out used - they are in them for such a short period of time, that the $40 pricetag is hardly worth it, imho.

I bought mine on craigslist for $20

 

[Ruthie's momma]

I would recommend saving your money. The Bumbo, like most any other baby container, seems like such a huge waste of money.

Babies have learned how to sit w/o the assistance of all of these various devices for a long, long, long time...your son will, too. Like a PP stated, time spent on the floor is far more beneficial.

As for needing a place to put baby while working, doing chores, taking a shower or going potty you could just lay him on a soft blanket on the floor. That is what I always did with my DD...

 

[3pink1blue]

We LOVE the Bumbo. My youngest DD HATED laying down, always had to be upright. Even in a swing, she was too reclined. The Bumbo was perfect for her. We used it while I was cooking, etc. She was out of it by 6 months, and walked at 10 months. I don't think the Bumbo affected development either way.

I can't use it this time because my babies are 13 months apart and I can't risk putting the little one in the bigger one's reach. She tries to hug him, which to a 16 month old is the same as smothering.

 

[not_telling]

I guess I should clarify that I am not thinking that the Bumbo will help DS learn to sit. Rather, since sitting up is what he's really interested in right now, and since he spends most of his time in arms, I thought a Bumbo might be useful for when I want to put things down to get things done. I was thinking of getting one with a tray. Would a tray help prevent the toppling-over-because-leaning-forward thing?

It's only been in the last few weeks that he will tolerate laying on his back (on sofa, in gymini, etc.) for short amounts of time. Sometimes he's ok in the bouncy chair (with or without toy bar) for a bit (15 min. max usually), but really he's all about being held. Which is fine, except when we need to do things with two hands. He enjoys the mei ta mainly when we're out of the house and not so much in the house.

 

[rcr]

My DS had pretty chunky thighs, and we had to squeeze him into it. It was a little hard to get him out. We only used it every once in a while for that reason, but I would have used it more if he fit better - seems like a good investment if your LO can fit.

 

[NormaJean13]

We love the bumbo, got it brand new at goodwill for $8. DD is very strong but isn't quite sitting up on her own yet. She loves sitting in it and playing with her toys (more like chewing on her toys). We don't put her in it for long, and it gets used equally along with her gym, a bouncer, and an exersaucer.

As far as helping them sit, I'm sure it doesn't do much, but I have noticed that after a few days of using the bumbo DD sat much straighter in it and in other toys (she used to slouch to the left).

DD is very independent and likes sitting in this as opposed to on the floor where she might fall over (even with pillows). She doesn't like that at all.

 

[mytwogirls]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amila Both of mine sat in it for like 5 seconds and then tried arching out of it backwards- and almost succeeding.

Mine DID succeed, she flopped backward because she was so pissed I put her in it, I then gave it to a friend of mine and her son LOVED it, go figure

 

[studentmidwifemama]

We used a Bumbo and it was okay for a very short while, like 6 weeks or so around 3 months(?). Then her legs got to the point of chunky that they could not at all squeeze into the narrow bit at the top and where too snug for comfort while in place so we stopped using it. For those few weeks we did use it, it came in handy a few times since she always wanted desperately to be sitting up but couldn't stay seated on her own. We switched to this inner tube thing that she could sit in and learn to sit on her own using her own muscles. It worked better for us.

 

[Dame]

I found it quite useful as my daughter really liked being upright, but wasn't quite able to sit on her own. I still use it at night when I'm getting ready for bath-time. I get in the bath with my daughter so I sit her in it before and after bath.