You’re thinking “It’s just a booster seat, right?” Wrong!

The infamous Bumbo…what the heck is this magical device that all new mothers now crave?  As a follow up to my last blog post, I thought I would elaborate for those of you who were wondering all week “Isn’t that Dumbo’s Mom?” No,  Dumbo’s Mom is Mrs. Jumbo…

Mrs. Jumbo and Baby Dumbo. Awwwww…so cute!

So the first time I saw a Bumbo was on the The Ellen Degeneres Show two years ago. She was having her annual mother’s day special where pregnant ladies walk away with thousands of dollars worth of the newest baby products for free (Sadly, I didn’t make the cut last year.)

She brought out this small foam seat and everyone went crazy! I couldn’t figure out why…it just looked like a modern day booster seat from McDonald’s. Then, while I was pregnant, I kept hearing from my mom friends that this device was amazing and a must have.  So obviously, being the new mom on the block, I wanted to see what all the fuss what about.

I bought a used Bumbo about 3 weeks ago when my son was 3 months old as they say you have to wait until your baby can hold his head up in order to use it. It is supposed to help teach your baby to sit up as well as allows him to see things from a new perspective.

There are no instructions or manuals required with this device…you simply plop your baby into it and then stare intently at him to see what he does. And the answer is…drum roll, please…Nothing!!! With my little boy there was no smile, no frown, no crying –  just confusion. He simply sat there with a look on his face like I had just transported him to an alien planet:

I mean, it doesn’t vibrate or make noise or light up like all of his other favourite toys so why does he need this thing? Turns out it’s not really a play toy for the baby as much as a convenient device for mommy.

For instance, when I need to answer the phone or get dinner ready, I just place him in the Bumbo to free up my hands. Plus he can watch what I’m doing which is what’s fun for him. A few things to be aware of though:

• You need to be in the room with him the entire time (it’s NOT a babysitter!) as there is a possibility they can tip over.

• DO NOT put the Bumbo on a countertop or table top…the company says you can do this but there have been several instances where a baby has tipped over and fallen to the ground…very scary! Keep the Bumbo on the ground.

• 3 months may be a bit early for your baby unless he is a real chunky monkey. As you can see, my guy is long and lean and can’t fill out the seat yet so he always ends up leaning to the right (as seen above.)

All in all, I would say the Bumbo is a good investment but only if you buy it used. You don’t want to spend $80 to find out that your baby absolutely hates it (“screamed bloodly murder” is what one of my friends described) and then you’re out $40 right away. If you buy it used ($35-$40 is a good price to pay) you can at least turn around and resell it right away to make your money back. You can also resell it once you’re done using it as it’s super durable and easy to clean.

For those of you who already have Bumbos, I’d love to hear your experiences!