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Check out the May 2012 issue: raw stories, shocking confessions, candid advice about motherhood—and more!
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To Bumbo, or Not to Bumbo, That Is the Question
February 9th, 2012
By Jen Wilson
Photography courtesy of Bumbo
The weekend before I found out I was pregnant with my second child, I travelled with a play to a town an hour and a half away. During one of our breaks, the small cast and crew went shopping, and the director wanted to stop by a specialty baby store to pick something up for a friend. It was there that I was first introduced to the Bumbo.
When I finished laughing at the name of the seat and checked it out, I thought it was pretty neat. It’s so soft! And look! It’s all molded to fit the baby perfectly! And it looks so cool! Like it’s made out of Mars clay (if Mars clay came in pink and aquamarine)!
When I found out we were expecting, I added a Bumbo to the list of Things We Absolutely Need. We loved it and thought it was the neatest thing to use to sit my daughter in front of the TV and subject her to football and Baby Einstein videos (and play, and eat, and stuff that doesn’t involve TV, of course). But, after a couple months my daughter learned to arch her back and started to flip out of it all the time. The Bumbo was small and convenient to take along with us when we went out, but all too quickly it became a game of keeping her in the thing. The tray didn’t stay on and it just became annoying. It was easier to just sit her on the floor to play.
We got rid of the Bumbo with all our other baby things when we decided that two kids was enough. And then we got pregnant again. (Be ye not so stupid as to get rid of baby items before you’re for sure done.) The thing is, though, I didn’t find myself wanting to replace the sold-too-soon Bumbo. I just… didn’t want it. I have many friends who swear by the Bumbo and say it’s a must-have, but every time I passed the Bumbos in the store when I was pregnant, I was just kind of… meh.
Did you use a Bumbo with your baby? Did you love it? Hate it? Did you have an item that you found a necessity with one baby and unnecessary with the next?
Jen Wilson is a married mother of three super-awesome children—two girls and a boy—who range in age from 0-10. She enjoys photography, organizing, reading, TV, and sarcasm. She drinks her coffee black and dreams of one day owning a dishwasher. You can also find her on her blog, Hey Mrs. Wilson, where she has been writing about life in Saskatchewan since 2004.
Copyright © 2012 St. Joseph Media. All Rights Reserved.
My sister bought a Bumbo for my nephew and he hated it, LOL. However, I took it and let my then almost 3 year old with Spina Bifida use it. It was PERFECT for her to sit in. It allowed her to sit on her bum ( instead of on her knees,as a lot of kids wiht SB do) and took the pressure off her back. Kept her spine straight and kept her from leaning forward. If you have a child with a disability, I think these oare amazing!!!!!
We loved the Bumbo and will definitely use again. We put our son in it at around 4 months and he would sit on the kitchen counter watching me prep food. Freed up my hands and kept him occupied. (We never used the tray.)
My sister gave us a Bumbo and my son loved it. He would sit in it for feeding, and to watch us if we needed our hands free for something. He’s almost 3, and will still crawl into it when it gets pulled out of storage.
Big item I could have saved my $ on? A crib. We spent so long shopping and choosing, but ended up co-sleeping. Now he’s ready for his own bed. We could have skipped this huge purchase.
My nieces have always seemed to get on well with their Bumbos and they work well as travel highchairs at mealtimes away from home. A neighbour came to meet the babies the other day and commented that the girls should teach her grandson how to sit in it as he was for ever arching his back, almost tipping backwards out of it, so I guess it’s a matter of taste!
Oh, it’s great when the kid(s) don’t tip out of it, and we did get use out if it with our second, just didn’t bother getting it for the third. :)
I bought it for my little boy. The same thing happened to me. He arched his back and he was able to flip himself out at six months of age. It’s not something I would recommend and I would never suggest anyone use them on tables counters or chairs.
It’s not recommended on any surface but the floor. Unless used with one of their other products.
My kids didn’t really like the bumbo and flipped out of it pretty quickly so I’m glad I borrowed one and didnt buy it! Its also one of those things like a baby sling that if you use it improperly it can be very dangerous! I know of a baby that died because it was in the bumbo on the counter and suffered a fatal head injury when an older sibling tipped baby out while mommy’s back was turned.
Bumbos come with a warning to not use then on any above-the-ground surfaces. When used properly, Bumbo seats are not dangerous.
We registered for it as well when I was pregnant and I must say we did not like using it. It was just weird having this little baby hunched over in the chair, our son didn’t like it much either. Plus I found if your baby is chubby, it’s not the most comfortable thing either. Bumbo seat is OK but over-rated for sure.