Babys First Year Blog
Dumbo Bumbo.
We’ve all seen those “stupid baby things I can’t believe anyone would spend money on” lists. But somebody somewhere thought it was a good idea which is why it is on store shelves for you to make fun of in the first place.
Enter the Bumbo.
A rubber booster seat thing that’s supposed to help little babies with good head control sit up before the rest of their body is ready to hold all that chub in a seated position.
Stupid right? I know I thought it was awful and tacky when I first saw them 6 years ago. (Not to mention there were all those people putting their babies in them on high surfaces and WALKING AWAY.)
BOY WAS I WRONG.
I mean, I wasn’t wrong with Addie, the things are silly looking. She would have never enjoyed such a thing. But Vivi? Vivi is a sitter. Vivi does not want to take the world lying down. Vivi wants to see what is going on.
After an especially rough day of Vivi insisting on sitting up I thought “IF ONLY THERE WERE A THING THE BABY COULD SIT UP IN.”
Lightbulb.
I looked at them in the store. $40? FORTY DOLLARS? FOR A RUBBER SEAT. *ehem*
So I ran into the secondhand store…a whole rainbow! of gently used Bumbo seats, including the purple one I bought (with a tray!) for $20.
Vivi loves the thing. I polled twitter, those who have a baby who likes to sit up love the Bumbo.
Needless to say I’m a little more careful when slinging around the “STUPIDEST BABY ITEM EVER!” proclamation.
How about you? Do you have Bumbo babies?
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20 Comments
Rebecca S. commented on Aug 25 11 at 9:23 pmYup! Penelope is four months old and loves her Bumbo. So glad we have it!
Chelle commented on Aug 25 11 at 9:30 pmWhere can I find these Bumbos you speak of? Are Bumbos better than the snug seats? New baby in the house and I haven’t done the baby thing in years.
nicole commented on Aug 25 11 at 9:33 pmLike you, I had one kid that didn’t much care for it and one that used it a lot. The Bumbo was not an option for kids 1-4 though. I am happy someone gifted us ours, as it did not get enough use to warrant purchase overall.
Amy S. commented on Aug 25 11 at 9:35 pmSadie loves the bumbo! She is constantly trying to sit up in the bath and the little papasan chair we have for her, so we stick her in the bumbo. It’s adorable.
nicole commented on Aug 25 11 at 9:35 pmOh, and for us, once we got a portable swing we thought the big ones were useless and a waste of space.
pgoodness commented on Aug 25 11 at 9:43 pmMy kids LOVED the Bumbo! We would put them on the counter while making dinner (but NOT walk away, I SWEAR!), so they were involved. They liked being able to see everything. Of course, my youngest didn’t fit in it very long….we was a wee chubby. :)
Joann commented on Aug 25 11 at 9:44 pmNope. My one year old little son, however, loved to stand. And bounce. While standing. While in my arms. I have some serious biceps that began back in those early months.
Kate commented on Aug 25 11 at 10:33 pmWow, $20?! With tray, secondhand, $60 is a good price here. They’re so popular and hard to come by.. but we got rid of ours around 6 months. My son still can’t sit up (he’s a tall boy, I think that’s what the issue is..) but he would like flop himself out of the bumbo, even with the tray. So it was time to move on..
Michelle commented on Aug 26 11 at 12:54 amMy baby loves it. LOVES it. But, it also works as a poop chute. Your kid has a blowout sitting in one, and it funnels the poop out of even the most leak-proof diaper.
Roni commented on Aug 26 11 at 8:16 amlol I was going to write this same exact post! I didn’t have it with my first but live it with Little Bean now!
Sara commented on Aug 26 11 at 9:57 am@Michelle – OMG I was thinking the same thing. My son LOVES his bumbo, loves to watch me work in the kitchen or on the computer. He even sits on the dining room table while we eat. We both like that he can be included and at eye level while I work.
But, he seems to save up his poops for it – I guess it’s a good position for pooing? And they ALWAYS are the most horrendous blowouts. I’ve had to scrub out that seat SO many times. My husband calls it the “Dump-o”. I still love it, though.
sara commented on Aug 26 11 at 10:01 amHa! I felt the same way…until my second decided he wanted to sit, not lay. So I’m borrowing one and (dont tell) I can’t wait to get it tomorrow!
Apryl commented on Aug 26 11 at 12:30 pmWe use our Bumbo so much it’s crazy. He loves to sit with us watching movies or at computer or at meals. We even take it with us when we go out to eat, he will sit and entertain himself ( and the waitresses) while we get to enjoy our meal. I put it in the back of the shower and give him a toy and he plays while I wash my hair or shave my legs (who am I kidding, I rarely have the ambition to shave lol).
We’ve gotten enough use out of it already that I would’ve gladly paid full price for it and he’s only 6 months.
Grainne commented on Aug 26 11 at 3:40 pmthey are fabulous!!!! I used them for my son 8 years ago and bought one for each of my friends there after!
Jame commented on Aug 26 11 at 8:52 pmMy favorite thing to do is our weekly grocery shopping-we put the Squidgelet in his Bumbo in the grocery cart basket so he can view the fascinating world of Costco or WinCo from his blue rubber seat :)
Carolyn commented on Aug 27 11 at 7:18 pmThey have made the last few months bearable for both my baby and myself ;) He likes to be right in the middle of the action, and I’m sorry, but I cannot do the dishes with a baby strapped to my chest (I can’t SEE what I’m doing with his head in the way!) The Bumbo has let me do dishes, brush my teeth, wash my face, and answer my email, all with a happy baby ;) I love that thing! (And ours was a hand me down from a friend, so I didn’t have to pay for it! I love the Bumbo, but $40 for a rubber seat is RIDICULOUS!)
Karen L commented on Nov 29 11 at 10:49 amI’ve never bought a Bumbo, but I have borrowed three. I LOVE the Bumbo. My kids have only wanted it for a couple of months each but for those couple of months, the Bumbo is GOLD. The nice thing about it only being useful for a couple of months is that it’s a perfect item for sharing in a group of friends. Each of the Bumbos I’ve borrowed has been used by at least four babies.
Chloe commented on Nov 29 11 at 1:47 pmMy son had one that we found on Craigslist for $10, plus I bought the tray new from Target for another $10. Still half of what I would have paid retail for just the seat. He sat in it 2 or 3 times but didn’t like it much. His thighs were super-chubby and the I think the narrow leg openings pinched him. But I’ve held onto it in case his baby brother likes it. If he ends up not liking it I’ll sell it or give it away. Either way I’m glad I didn’t shell out $40 for a foam rubber chair he didn’t like.
Elan commented on Dec 06 11 at 11:58 amMy girl was TOTALLY a bumbo baby! She can sit up on her own now and is soooo happy! She hasn’t really liked to lie down since she was born. Amen to the Bumbo gods :)
Sara commented on Jan 18 12 at 9:47 amMy girl will tolerate her bumbo seat but doesn’t love it. Luckily I also got it second hand, craiglist for $15. $40 for that thing is insane.
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