Need some experienced mommy advice

DrVWife · June 2011

I have been so MIA...having a newborn is a huge distraction!...sorry. That being said, I have some questions.

I got a bouncy seat as a shower gift that I have not opened or used yet. I am considering returning it because I am not sure how useful it will be. Do babies really like these seats? I already have a swing (which she loves!) and a playgym that we have used a couple of times (mainly for a little bit of tummy time and change of scenery). I am just not sure if the bouncy seat is really necessary. Should we consider a bumbo? They seem a bit of a waste but then I could see some good points to them. Are they worth it?

Thank you in advanced for any insight or advice you have to share!

m&m2006 · June 2011

i write this as my 6 month old is hanging out in her bouncy seat. for us, the bouncy seat was VERY important. we also have a swing which we get a lot of use out of, but the bouncy seat has also been a great thing. DD can sit it in while we eat dinner, we take it with us to friends' homes and she sits in it there...if i have take a shower and she isn't napping, she sits in her bouncy. i would definitely keep it! you'll get use out of it, i promise!

hopecounts · June 2011

I couldn't have survived w/o the bouncey seat when DD was little. It was the only place she'd sleep/sit/do anything w/o being held.

If nothing else it was nice to have a safe place to put her while I got a shower or ate. DD really liked hers but she wasn't a big fan of the swing.

dana316 · June 2011

We LOVED the bouncy seat. It was a must have item at our house.

We also loved the Bumbo...it didn't last long, but while it did, it was great.

naflmj · June 2011

We could have gone without one but it did come in handy when I was showering. He would sit in it in the bathroom and be able to keep happy for 10-15 minutes. That's really the only use we had it for.

swgal · June 2011

We loved our bouncy seat too! Showers and meal times were so much easier. She always liked to be apart of the action, rather than just lying on the ground. We had a bumbo but we didn't use it for long. I probably wouldn't pay full price for one of those but if a friend had one you could use, go for it. If I had to choose between the two I would pick a bouncy seat 100%.

We often propped her up against our breastfeeding pillow too and she loved that.

laura1 · June 2011

Both my kids loved the bouncy seat - but weren't big fans of the swing. They also liked sitting on the boppy pillow.

I personally think that if you haven't used it, and don't forsee using it, I wouldn't bother opening it and return it. That is what happened to me with the swing. We didn't have one at first, but got one when DS was a little over a month old. By then he loved the bouncy seat, and really didn't care for the swing. I never used it much for him, and then DD also preferred the bouncy.

We did use the bumbo - I hadn't gotten one of those either, but my DS started to get a flat spot on his head. By then, I was looking for places to put him that didn't involve laying on his back! Both kids spent a good amount of time in the bumbo. And as an aside, when my DD was starting to use it, DS was about 18 months old, and also LOVED sitting in it. He would read books in it, play with toys sitting in it - and the other kids in his playgroup would love sitting in it too! So if you wanted, you could bring it out again when she is a toddler to get your money's worth!

But I do recommend looking on Craigslist for one - they are pretty easy to clean, and you can get some good deals on them!

dulcinea03 · June 2011

My girls didn't *love*theirs, but they were invaluable for us to have a safe place to put a baby during the early months when tummy time was still a struggle. After that, one got moved into our bathroom and was used almost daily as a place for a baby to hang out while one of us showered. We would try to shower while both of them slept, but it didn't always work out that way. This way we could keep an eye on them and they could be with us in the room while we showered.

RoxBride · June 2011

DD never cared at all for the bumbo.

She spent tons of time in her bouncey seat. If nothing else, it is such a good place to put them when you are in the shower, so they are safe and happy and you can keep an eye on them.

There isn't much to them, so you might consider returning it for store credit if you don't think you will use it too much and picking up one second hand. They are really easy to find.

ALY1981 · June 2011

My son loves his! Only way I can get dinner on the table.

amberleeb · June 2011

If you have not used it yet I would return it. We used ours 3 or 4 times and now she can sit so she is too big for it. We just used the swing which she loved. We love the bumbo we have used it everyday since about 2 months and still use it to this day.

kimarino13 · June 2011

Bouncy was a must have for us. We used them for hours and hours a day for almost 6 months.

oooCarrieB · June 2011

I'm not an experienced mommy, but we do use the bouncy seat sometimes in the evening when she's out of control crying and sometimes it helps.

I got a bumbo at a rummage sale because I heard that were really nice when the baby is older, but I wouldn't have paid full price for it.

ladychicago · June 2011

The bouncy seat was critical for us because of how light and portable it was. I could easily move it around the house so I could get things done but still have her with me. But we also didn't have a swing, so it was her main spot when not on the floor or in her bassinet. But if you are finding you don't have a need for a portable chair/containment seat like that - then I don't see any need to keep it.

The bumpo was ok for us... We didn't use it very long, and I honestly could have done without it. It was definitely nice to have on a few occasions, but I don't consider it a necessity.

+jenjen+ · June 2011

We use the bouncy A LOT. For the first month or so, she took naps in it (because of reflux, I wanted to keep her upright)....and now when we're not holding her, she likes sitting up with us. It's also nice and portable so I carry it to the kitchen or bedroom or wherever so I can still keep an eye on her while in the other room. Ours vibrates and has a music player which she likes too...definitely keeps her entertained for awhile.

pinkcallalily · June 2011

My son didn't love the bouncy sit, but would tolerate it for about 20-30 minutes once a day, which was all we needed. We kept it in our bathroom so he could sit in that while we showered and got ready in the morning.

Dochas · June 2011

We used the hell out of our bouncy seat. My husband even added a strap so we could put Daniel in there while he was swaddled. We sat it on the table when we were eating. I put it on the counter while I cooked and he was in it while we showered. I really liked the Bumbo but I wouldn't buy one new. We used the Bumbo when he first started solids instead of the high chair.

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