Are Bumbo’s okay for babies? If yes, when can baby sit in Bumbo?
Considering that babies are pretty active and constantly engaged in something, having them stay in one place is usually the most challenging task.
But there is always a solution to just about everything, including having your baby stay in place while you try to do other activities.
The secret lies in investing in a Bumbo seat.
1. What is a Bumbo seat?
The Bumbo floor seat is a brightly colored seat made of low-density foam for babies.
It allows you to place your baby in a sitting position on the floor, making it easier for you to interact with them.
With this, you can play, feed or read to them while the baby is sitting in one place.
Since this seat keeps the baby in one place, it gives parents some hands-free time.
Due to this, and the fact that it is pretty affordable makes it a household item for many parents.
However, in order to use this seat, you must practice a lot of caution.
One of them is knowing when and where to use a Bumbo seat. Here’s everything you need to know about a Bumbo seat:
Related post: When Can Baby Use Jumper?
2. When Can Baby Sit in Bumbo
The Bumbo seat is designed to make a baby achieve the sitting position a bit quicker than usual.
However, it has drawn a lot of criticism to its ability to make the baby achieve the latter.
Most doctors argue that it is not good to have your baby in an upright position before their bodies are properly developed and ready to assume that position.
It can be harmful because their muscles and joints cannot achieve that type of control and balance.
The doctors further argue that the Bumbo affects and interferes with the physical development of babies.
This brings up the question, At what age is a baby expected to start using the bumbo seat.
It is safe to have the baby placed in the Bumbo when they can hold their head steady and ready and capable of achieving the seating position independently.
It helps to ensure that the seat does not interfere with the child’s physical growth and development.
It is tempting to have your arms free and your baby in one position, but if your baby’s head is hanging to one side, that baby is not ready for the Bumbo yet.
Babies start getting stronger muscles between the age of 4 months and 12 months.
We expect developing children to begin to sit upright on the floor between six to nine months using support from hands and later independently.
By twelve months, the baby is expected to start gaining more control in a seated position.
They begin to turn their trunks to reach and manipulate toys and other objects placed around them.
However, the parent should be keen enough on their baby’s growth pattern because child growth and development timelines may vary from one child to another because of so many factors.
When the parent is sure that the baby can fully support their heads and sit upright independently, it’s the right time to start using the bumbo floor seat.
3. Are Bumbo Seats Safe?
Over the years, Bumbo seats have had many safety recalls because of infant falls and resulting injuries.
Even though the Bumbo floor seat comes with a safety label warning the parents against placing the seat on raised surfaces, some parents still put it on raised surfaces.
This has led to many infant falls and serious injuries.
With the negative criticism that the seat has received, from falls and injuries to affected natural development patterns among babies, most parents have considered stopping using the seat.
However, some parents are still comfortable using the Bumbo floor seat even after hearing many negative thoughts.
If you are one of these parents, you need to adhere to safety rules to ensure the maximum safety of your baby.
Some of the safety tips to adhere to include:
- Never leave your baby in the Bumbo seat unattended
- Do not ever place the floor seat anywhere else but the floor and avoid elevated surfaces • Clean the seat regularly
- Ensure that the baby can hold their head steady, sit upright on their own, and turn their trunks comfortably before getting them to sit on the Bumbo.
So, when can the baby sit in Bumbo? You need to understand that the Bumbo floor seat is not in any way designed to be used as a sitter.
If used sparingly along with continued tummy time practice, you should not have to worry about the seat causing problems.
Mo Mulla is a work from home dad who enjoys reading and listening to music, He loves being a dad and husband to a growing family. He also loves writing about his passions and hopes to change the world, 1 blog post at a time!
