Bumbo - to buy or not to buy?

abuck83

Hi All!

I checked and didn't see anyone posting about it. I have heard plenty of conflicting info on whether these are a life saver and gives a great option for putting baby in a chair and be hands free or bad for baby's hip development and causes a lag in them developing the ability to sit on their own. 

I would just say what the heck and register for one, but I have a really small group of family and friends and I want to be selective about what I put on the registry.

So anyways, I'm looking for input and thoughts on if I should go for it, or go without.

Thanks everyone!

klv

We had one with DD. Loved it. Plan to use it again. 

I have not heard that it can cause issues, but I imagine if someone left their baby in it all day than that may be a problem. 20-30 mins at a time so you can eat, pee, shower ect. Should not be detrimental to baby's development

blaf322

klv said:

We had one with DD. Loved it. Plan to use it again. 

I have not heard that it can cause issues, but I imagine if someone left their baby in it all day than that may be a problem. 20-30 mins at a time so you can eat, pee, shower ect. Should not be detrimental to baby's development

This... I think the issue could be extended/excessive use. We'll be using one

SuperNerd42

DD1 hated hers. We barely ever used it. We went to bouncy or swing then to exersaucer (sp?) when I had to put her down for a few minutes to cook, etc. 

I gave it to a friend and don't plan to buy one for DD2. 

ashleyp625

We are registered for one as well. 

queen_frostine

I registered for one but lucked out when my cousin passed hers down. I was torn, too, but it just seems pretty neat.

gatorMom2014

Ours was great for feeding baby in it at first--didn't even buy a high chair until about 7 months.

nlane0723

DD Did not like it and her chunky thighs didn't fit after awhile. The fisher price sit me up worked much better.

nsquaredlife13

Eh, we used one for all of maybe 15 minutes. My son much prefered the Fisher-Price Sit Me Up Floor Seat. 

One thing I heard often with Bumbo is that chubbier babies wont always fit in the Bumbo. Those darn chunky thighs would get stuck or couldn't squeeze into the seat. :-P 

fallbabyround3

Personally by the time my boys could use it their legs where so chunky they didn't fit. I think I might have got them in maybe twice

kmtz89

We use them at the baby home I work at but really there aren't many kids who love them... sometimes they are helpful for feeding. Some of the kids flat out hate them and contort/arch their back to try and pull themselves out and that could be super dangerous if they aren't be closely watched. 

UponAStar16

I've heard not to bother. Im not sure the exact ages for a bumbo but when they are small enough, a bouncer seat (light and portable) is good for taking a shower or other quick hands free things, or the baby can always go in the PnP

NicholeL16

I registered for one with a tray. We don't have room for a hairchair so I'm hoping I can get away with that for a while. If he has his momma's thighs we will have to find something else though. My little brother is 4 and he liked to sit in his for short periods of time. 

ingoscj

My baby's chunky legs only fit in it for a short time once she was ready to use it. And even then she hated being in in. She loved her bouncer seat though. 

ignoscemihi

Maybe just wait on it, especially if you're trying to be selective.  Baby won't be able to use it right away (he or she needs to be able to hold his/her head up independently to be in it) and you won't know if his/her thighs are going to fit until you get to that point.  My son's legs were too big.  We had a bouncy chair and switched to an exersaucer as he got older (for when I was making dinner and needed him to stay in one spot).

ibabyloveb87

Most of my friends started out feeding in the Bumbo with the tray attachment. I've registered for both. If Baby B ends up being too chunky, I'll probably pass it along or sell it. I registered for green so it'll work for anyone (or any future babies). 

Edit: I also registered for the floor seat. If he likes both, I'll probably end up leaving one or the other at his in-home daycare for her to use while he is there. She has all the essential equipment but has said to feel free to bring what he likes. 

sportiegrl1213

I got one for free. We plan on trying it out. 

blaf322

Just switched our registry item from a Bumbo to a Sit Me Up based on what some of y'all said.

LGW2015

We have one at the daycare where I work. Some
of the kids could sit in it for a long time playing with toys while others only a short time before getting fussy. Most of the babies in my room are around 6 months old. It is convenient to feed them in and easily portable so I plan to use it mostly when we visit family. My cousin would bring it to my aunt's house when we had dinner there once a week and it was perfect to easily feed her son and let him watch everyone.

socks2819

Funnily enough this was the one baby item my husband made me take off the registry and then we wound up buying after she was born. I loved it. My daughter was on the skinner end so she used it for a while. I do think the price tag is obscene so I bought one second hand for $10. They are really easy to clean so a great item to buy used if you decide you want to try one.

blessyourheartmama

I'd say it depends on the baby.  My son didn't like his, but I've seen other babies love them.  I would use a bouncy seat with them strapped in for things like a quick shower, etc.

allison_smith_6212

I agree with pp that it depends on the baby.  Our son didn't mind his but I felt bad putting him in it because to me it didn't seem comfortable for him because he had chubby thighs and the leg holes seemed very tight. 

F47

My son liked his OK. We only used it for feeding him when he started on soft solids. But, like others have said, it was a struggle to get his chunky thighs in there. They didn't fit easily, and didn't fit for long!

serenaxo84

We had a mama and papas seat- similar to a bumbo. We used it occasionally- definitely not a lot. I would say if it's gifted or handed down great but I wouldn't go out of my way to buy one. You can also put your babe in a high chair with support at that time.

kmvisioli

I liked that it showed DS that he could sit up, but disliked that it doesn't teach them to correctly sit (since they are sort of angled funny). I borrowed one from a friend for a week or two and that was all we needed from it. They are always available at the second hand stores by me, so I would suggest either borrow or buy used rather than new.

freckledlemonade

serenaxo84 said:

We had a mama and papas seat- similar to a bumbo. We used it occasionally- definitely not a lot. I would say if it's gifted or handed down great but I wouldn't go out of my way to buy one. You can also put your babe in a high chair with support at that time.

We got this one too, after dd's chunky thighs kept getting her stuck in the bumbo.  I do think they're handy for helping them get head control, but it's used for a very short time.  That sit me up seat looks like a really good option, though.  Agree with others that said borrow or get a used one if getting a bumbo. 

von1976

I'm a FTM, so I have no experience, but we are not planning to buy a bumbo or infant seat of any kind. We're sticking with the bare necessities, and I figure infants will sit up on their own when ready. To each his own, however. Sounds like some moms find them useful!

serenaxo84

Also I found the boppy to be very helpful when baby was sitting but needed a little extra support. It gave him more freedom. 

Also I would sometimes bring the mama and papas seat with me when we'd go to a relatives that doesn't have a high chair- once we were on solids. Though you can't leave baby alone in it- it was occasionally helpful to contain him and his mess while he ate. But that reason alone wouldn't prompt me to spend $50 on one! 

LGW2015

I would just say that while the boppy can be good as well, if they're not that stable sitting up yet they can just tip to the side or faceplant forward and get stuck in that position. The bumbo is more secure so you know they're not gonna tip over or anything. Like I said before, I think it's convenient when away from home at a family/friend's house and for eating so I put it on my registry but to each their own!

kmvisioli

Just to throw out something that worked for us when DS was learning to sit: I would sit behind him and have him sitting up braced between my knees, so he had some stability and was supervised. It really helped him figure out how to hold himself up using his own back/core strength.

Schell2013

I got a used one for half the price of a new one. I mostly used it for when I started solids a little and didn't have a high chair. I used it a little bit when I was making supper or something but it wasn't something I used all the time by any means. If you can get one for $20-$25 Theyre handy sometimes but for sure not an absolute need. 
Also have read/heard mixed reviews about them being harmful to baby's backs if they're not strong enough and sitting unassisted.

princesslockness

***LURKER FROM D'16******
We have a Bumbo and L loves it. He is on the lanky side, so we have never had issues with him getting stuck. The tray is great, it can work as a high chair with it, or we have some toys that attach to flat surfaces and he loves them. 
Overall the Bumbo worked well in our small house, until we had to get a larger high chair(he eats too much for just the small tray). The fact that I could easily pack the Bumbo to eat out or a trip to grandma's house really made it a worthwhile investment for our family.